This iconic bottle represents more than just an incredible whisky from a now closed distillery, it is the oldest Karuizawa to have been released and one of only 41 bottles.

Originally released in 2013, this Karuizawa embodies the beautiful Japanese craftsmanship for which the distillery’s releases are known. The wooden case is carved from Wenge in the style of a Japanese puzzle box. The calligraphy on Norito Hasegawa’s artisan paper labels was hand painted in Japan by master calligrapher Soji Noshimoto (西本宗璽).

Of the 41 bottles that were produced, each is uniquely identified not by a bottle number, but by an individual character or katabori netsuke (形彫根付) that was carved from the oak cask head of cask #5627.

This particular bottle is named ‘Daikoku God’. Daikoku Budoshu was not only the original name for the parent company of Karuizawa, but in Japanese Mythology, Daikoku is one of the Shichi-fuku-jin (Seven Gods of Luck). Specifically, Daikoku is the God of wealth and prosperity and is often pictured carrying wealthy objects or with a sack of rice slung over his back, as you see on this particular netsuke.

The dark whisky within this exquisite bottle stands at 52 years old and, at the time of its release, the oldest Japanese Whisky ever bottled. Its strength after such a long cask maturation is still an impressive 51.8% and the sherry influence is clear from the rich, dark hue of the liquid inside. This whisky is described as having a nose that conjures images of “old woods in Autumn”, and on the palate, “dense black fruits”, yet only a very select few have had the chance to own and taste this inimitable whisky.

The exquisite packaging was designed by Leith-based creative agency, Contagious. James Hartigan, Creative Director at Contagious explains:

“The style of Karuizawa was historically similar to that of Scotch, and it influenced both our aesthetic and our design approach.

A good example of this is the Karuizawa 1960, where the bottle has a split label design. One label was hand-drawn by a Japanese Kanji master, while the other was letterpressed in Scotland. The outer pack's split design pays homage to a Japanese puzzle box and features white slivers of the original cask head, which were hot-branded with the whisky specifics. This way, the owners of the whisky would forever carry a piece of the original cask where the whisky was aged.”

“For the 1960, this formed the basis of all our designs. We used handmade Japanese paper, kanji masters, authentic antique netsuke charms, and the finest Scottish cabinet makers, letterpress or woodcut illustrators. We tried to keep everything authentic to stay true to the relationship between Japan and Scotland.

We collaborated with more than 20 skilled craftspeople from around the world to create luxurious and authentic packaging for the Karuizawa 1960 and 1965 bottles. Each of them was a world-class expert in their field. From handmade decal edge papers crafted in Japan to the most authentic option available for cabinet makers, the packaging included a range of high-quality materials intricately brought together for a complete packaging set that was befitting of the liquid.”

“The netsuke on the Karuizawa 1960 were provided by world-famous antique dealers, and with only 41 bottles available, each bottle was presented with its own netsuke and named accordingly. We also worked with brush makers, ceramists, and other specialists to create the most exquisite and authentic packaging possible.

Our main focus was on authenticity, and we searched the world high and low to find the very best people for the job.”