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Karuizawa debuts 50YO whisky NFT
NFT marketplace Block Bar will offer consumers the chance to buy a bottle from the last 50-year-old Karuizawa Japanese whisky cask.
The sale marks the first time a Japanese whisky has been available on Block Bar, as well as Karuizawa’s first non-fungible token (NFT).
Whisky fans will have the chance to buy one of 211 bottles from Karuizawa’s ‘The Last Masterpiece 1970’ cask, available exclusively on Block Bar.
The bottle features bespoke label artwork designed by Souun Takeda, a Japanese calligrapher. The label includes writing in traditional Kanji style.
Karuizawa Distillery was closed in 2000. Since its closure, some of the remaining casks of Karuizawa whisky have been bottled and regularly reach record prices at auction.
Karuizawa produced its whisky using 100% golden promise barley, wooden washbacks, small stills and Sherry casks from Spain.
The Last Masterpiece 1970 was first distilled in 1970 in the shadow of the active volcano, Mount Asama, in Japan. It was matured in Sherry casks and bottled in 2020 in an extremely limited quantity.
The resulting expression offers a floral nose of ‘rich raisins, dried apricots and delicate honey’ while the palate brings sweet toffee and dark fruit, creamy dark chocolate and a hint of spices.
Karuizawa’s whiskies are thought to be the closest in style to Scottish malt whisky in Japan.
“Every bottle of Karuizawa whisky is really precious because the Karuizawa Distillery is closed. Once a bottle has been purchased, the brand gets a step closer to its final conclusion and therefore we must be very careful about who we partner with,” said Eric Huang, CEO of Hua Yang International Exhibition in Taiwan.
“The Karuizawa brand is incredibly unique and we see huge potential for dropping an NFT which includes guaranteeing authenticity for the bottle owner. The major consideration for our partnership with Block Bar is its expertise in luxury spirits and its strict control of ensuring bottle authenticity and quality by partnering directly with a brand owner.”
The Last Masterpiece 1970 will be auctioned on Block Bar with a starting bid of US$75,000, with bids open from 12 July until 5pm EST on 18 July.
In 2020, newly-formed Karuizawa Distillers unveiled plans to build a new Japanese whisky distillery in Komoro, which aimed to ‘protect the legacy’ of the brand.