Karuizawa 1960 Prototype Cask Nr.5627 Sells for $625,000 at Sotheby's New York

Karuizawa 1960 Prototype Cask Nr.5627 Sells for $625,000 at Sotheby's New York

The room applauded at Sotheby's New York as the Karuizawa 1960 Prototype, drawn from Cask Nr.5627, reached a final price of $625,000. Sotheby's Global Head of Spirits, Jonny Fowle, brought the lot to the gavel. The bottle has its own page on Spiritory: Karuizawa 52 Years Old 1960 The Prototype Cask Nr.5627.

The Bottle Known as The Prototype

The whisky was distilled on 1 February 1960 and aged for 52 years in a hogshead, Cask Nr.5627, the oldest cask in the distillery's inventory. It is uncut at 58.3% ABV and comes in a 700 ml bottle.

The presentation is simple. A printed paper label carries handwritten details, including the bottling date of 20.12.2012 and the words "Checked by O. Uchibori", and a black wax seal covers the neck. Sotheby's calls it The Prototype.

Hand-Filled by the Last Master Distiller

Osami Uchibori, Karuizawa's final Master Distiller, filled this bottle by hand on 20 December 2012 and signed it. It is an ultra rare bottle, drawn directly from the oldest cask, and it was bottled before the 1960 vintage was released commercially.

The same cask later supplied 41 bottles, released by Number One Drinks Company at 51.8% ABV. One of them, known as Zodiac Rat, sold for £363,000 at Sotheby's London in March 2020, then the most valuable bottle of Japanese whisky sold at auction.

The Last Casks of a Closed Distillery

Karuizawa ceased production in 2000 and the distillery was later demolished. Only a handful of casks remained maturing. The distillery made malt mostly for blending and matured much of it in sherry casks, and only a small amount was ever bottled as single malt. Today those remaining bottles are among the most sought after in Japanese whisky.

The Result at Sotheby's

Jonny Fowle has described the lot as a career highlight and the most important Japanese whisky to come to market in recent years. Against a pre-sale estimate of $400,000 to $600,000, the Karuizawa Prototype reached a final price of $625,000.

Details of the bottle, from the cask number to the bottling date, are recorded on its Spiritory page: Karuizawa 52 Years Old 1960 The Prototype Cask Nr.5627.

Frequently Asked Questions

What sold at Sotheby's New York?

The Karuizawa 52 Years Old 1960 The Prototype, drawn from Cask Nr.5627, the oldest cask in the Karuizawa Distillery's inventory. It was hand-filled and signed by Osami Uchibori, the distillery's final Master Distiller.

How much did the Karuizawa Prototype sell for?

It reached a final price of $625,000. The pre-sale estimate was $400,000 to $600,000.

What makes The Prototype special?

It is an ultra rare bottle, drawn directly from Cask Nr.5627 and bottled by hand by Osami Uchibori on 20 December 2012 at 58.3% ABV, before the 1960 vintage was released commercially.

Who was Osami Uchibori?

Osami Uchibori was the final Master Distiller of the Karuizawa Distillery. He hand-filled and signed this bottle.

When did the Karuizawa Distillery close?

Karuizawa ceased production in 2000 and its buildings were later demolished. Only a handful of casks were left maturing.