Karuizawa 12 Year Old 2000 SMWS 132.6 (2013)

Karuizawa 12 Year Old 2000 SMWS 132.6 is an exceptionally rare Japanese single malt whisky from the legendary, long-closed Karuizawa Distillery. Distilled in 2000 and bottled in 2013 by The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS), this 12 year old expression was drawn from a single refill butt, released under the Society’s distinctive cask designation 132.6. With just 553 bottles produced, it is a highly collectible independent bottling from one of Japan’s most celebrated lost distilleries.

Situated at the foot of Mount Asama, Karuizawa became renowned for producing powerful, richly textured single malts with remarkable depth and complexity. The distillery’s sherry-matured whiskies are particularly sought after, combining concentrated dark fruit, aromatic spice and oak with the distinctive intensity of Karuizawa’s spirit. With production having ceased, surviving single-cask bottlings offer a rare opportunity to explore this important chapter of Japanese whisky history.

Matured for 12 years in a refill butt, this 2000 vintage Karuizawa showcases the interaction between the distillery’s robust spirit and the cask’s established sherry character. Independently bottled by The Scotch Malt Whisky Society as cask 132.6, it offers an individual expression of Karuizawa’s celebrated style, with only 553 bottles released worldwide.

Why We Think You’ll Love It

• Rare 12 year old Karuizawa Japanese single malt whisky

• Distilled in 2000 and bottled in 2013

• Matured in a single refill butt

• Independently bottled by The Scotch Malt Whisky Society

• Released as SMWS cask 132.6

• Limited to just 553 bottles

• A single-cask release from the legendary, long-closed Karuizawa Distillery

• Showcases the rich, complex character associated with sherry-matured Karuizawa

• A highly collectible bottling for enthusiasts of rare and vintage Japanese whisky

The Karuizawa 12 Year Old 2000 SMWS 132.6 is a rare independently bottled Japanese single malt, bringing together the distinctive character of Karuizawa with 12 years of maturation in a single refill butt. Bottled by The Scotch Malt Whisky Society in 2013 and limited to just 553 bottles, it is a compelling addition for collectors and enthusiasts of Karuizawa whisky, SMWS single cask whisky, 2000 vintage Japanese whisky and rare closed distillery single malts.