Established in 1955 the Karuizawa distillery can be found in the foothills of Mount Asama, Japan – traditional, small-scale, high-quality production is the aim, with wooden wash backs, small stills, and sherry casks from Spain, all contributing to the process. The environment is also ideal for whisky production, with low temperatures and high humidity. Karuizawa is the gold standard for rare Japanese whisky. The distillery closed its doors in 2011, although it had not been producing whisky for over a decade. One of only 375 bottles ever released, this particular En Soi whisky from Karuizawa was distilled in 1981, then matured in Sherry Butt cask #8461 for 32 years, bottled in July 2013 exclusively for La Maison Du Whisky.