Why do many people suggest Karuizawa's whisky style is more akin to the heavily sherried profile of the Scottish Highlands or Speyside?

Haha, that's an excellent question, and one that many people new to Karuizawa whisky often ask. Indeed, if you were to drink a glass of Karuizawa blind, especially an older vintage, you'd very likely not guess it's a Japanese whisky. Instead, you'd probably think it came from a venerable old Scottish distillery. There's a fascinating reason behind this, and I'll explain it with a few analogies.

First, and most importantly: they used almost identical 'seasoning' – top-tier sherry casks.

Imagine a Scottish chef and a Japanese chef, both using premium Spanish Iberico ham as the main ingredient for a dish. Wouldn't the core flavor profile of both dishes ultimately feature that rich, savory ham and nutty taste?

Karuizawa was that Japanese chef, and their chosen 'ham' was exceptionally high-quality Spanish sherry casks. Distilleries in the Scottish Highlands and Speyside renowned for their heavy sherry style, such as Glenfarclas, Glendronach, or older Macallan expressions, also rely on excellent sherry casks as their signature.

In the late last century, Karuizawa was almost obsessive about exclusively using sherry casks from Spain, and their quality requirements were extremely high. So, when whisky ages in these casks for a sufficient period, it naturally absorbs very similar flavors: rich raisins, dark chocolate, toffee, Christmas cake, leather, and a hint of spice. These are the hallmarks of the 'heavy sherry style,' regardless of whether the whisky is produced in Scotland or Japan.

Secondly, their 'foundation' was also very similar – a pursuit of a rich body.

Good seasoning isn't enough; the broth is also crucial. Karuizawa's production methods were also very similar to those Scottish 'old masters'.

1. Raw Material: It once used a barley variety called 'Golden Promise.' This barley is quite rare now, but it produces a whisky with a richer, oilier texture and a more aromatic malty flavor. Coincidentally, the famous Macallan also used this barley during its golden era in the 1960s and 70s. So, from the very source, their 'new make spirit' shared similar genetics.
2. Distillation: Karuizawa used small, direct-fired stills. You can imagine it like stir-frying over an open flame; this method imparts more 'wok hei' (breath of the wok), resulting in a more complex and intense flavor. In contrast, many distilleries today use indirect steam heating for consistency and a lighter spirit. Direct-fired distillation typically produces a heavier, more robust (oily and robust) spirit that can better 'stand up' to the strong flavors of sherry casks.

Finally, its chosen style was deliberately aimed at 'Scottish classicism'.

Unlike other Japanese whiskies, such as Suntory's Yamazaki or Hakushu, which often pursue an aesthetic of Eastern Zen, delicate balance, or even use unique Japanese Mizunara casks to add notes of sandalwood and agarwood, Karuizawa did not follow this path.

Karuizawa's goal was very clear: to replicate and produce the finest, most classic 'Scottish heavy sherry whisky.' It didn't deliberately try to add so-called 'Japanese characteristics' but instead perfected one thing to the extreme.

So, to summarize:

Karuizawa used the same top-tier 'seasoning' (sherry casks) as the Scottish sherry cask masters, employed raw materials and production methods capable of creating a rich 'broth', and its target 'dish' was classic Scottish heavy sherry, not an innovative Japanese creation.

Therefore, when you taste it, your palate naturally connects it with those sherry 'heavyweights' from the Scottish Highlands and Speyside. It's like someone who grew up in Japan, speaks fluent English with a Scottish accent – the essence is just too similar.