KARUIZAWA 1999 ARTIST 10TH Anniversary International 58,8%

Tasting note

• Appearance : mahogany with green hues.
• Nose : rich, complex. The sumptuous first nose reveals fragrances of fig, blood orange, emery cloth, flambéed banana and liquorice of great distinction. Allowed to breathe, particles of floating dust, aromas of precious wood, polish and leather bring the aromatic palette to evermore complex lands. Next, exotic fruits (mango, guava, persimmon), black fruits (bramble, blackcurrant), red fruits (wild strawberry) and apricot create a third sequence of aromas whose maturity is equalled only by its freshness.
• Palate : taut, lively. With rare intensity, the superbly liquorice and malty attack reveals notes of coffee, tobacco and dried fruits (date, fig). On the mid-palate, ginger, cinnamon and clove permeate chocolate flavours whose supremely elegant bitterness is a pure delight. Then it is time for heady florals. The end of the palate reveals bouquets of iris, gardenia and geranium delicately placed on antique furniture.
• Overall : long, delicate. Rich (spice bread, raisin bread, Corinthian raisin), the start of the finish is very delicately powdery (cocoa, ginger). Autumnal, with its notes of hummus and forest floor, it takes us back to the mushroom harvest (porcini, girolle, bolete). Gradually, chocolate and mint cover the taste buds with creaminess and freshness. On the retro-nasal olfaction, pressed orange, star anise and slightly burnt caramel ceaselessly prolong the tasting. Escaping from the empty glass comes notes of rosewood, Russian leather, spiced wood and sweet Havana cigar fill the air.