Karuizawa Murasaki Purple Geisha Set 29 Year Old & 31 Year Old

Murasaki is Japanese for “Imperial Purple”, which explains the purple label of the bottle. There are two variants from the Karuizawa Murasaki Geisha series: a 29-year-old and a 31-year-old whisky. Both are aged in sherry casks and are limited to only 60 bottles per option. They were initially distilled in the 1980s and transferred into demijohns once they achieved peak maturity. The 29-year-old Bottle: Nose: Incense, polished oak and a touch of dusty library – old and full of complexity. Stone fruit notes develop: peach pie and dried apricots. Rich, dark fruitcake lies beneath, with raisins, dates and thick, bittersweet molasses. Palate: Jucy and mouth-watering. Sultanas, raisins, stewed apples, peaches, pears and the apricots from the nose wash across the palate. Darkness follows: sticky liquorice, more fruitcake, singed raisins and a touch of barrel char. Clove-studded oranges appear, spicy, rich and juicy. Finish: Brown sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon toast. Stewed apples and sultanas remain. Comment: Rich dark and fruity, with a balance of fresh and sherry-cask fruit character. The 31-year old Bottle: Nose: Lardy cake: layers of bread, spice, brown sugar and umami richness. Umami richness. Citrus boiled sweet notes develop: lemon and lime with a touch of sour orange. A hint of gummi jelly leads to a deep pool of spice: cinnamon allspice, clove, nutmeg and candied ginger. Palate: Thick dark and sweet to start. Salted caramel and liquorice sticks with demerara-sugar-dusted apples and a spoon of winter-berry compote. The demerara provides a sweet base that balances more savoury notes of mushroom, forest floor and barrel char. Finish: Savoury rancio notes fade to reveal dark sugars. Comment: More old-fashioned in style than the 29, with savoury flavours taking the fore, carefully balanced by sweet fruit.