Karuizawa Holds Its Crown, with Rare Releases Still Worth Watching

The Chichibu Paris Edition for Whisky Live 2022 has recently appeared. It blends nine casks of peated Chichibu whisky, mainly matured in bourbon casks for six or seven years. It is bottled at 51.5% ABV in 700ml bottles, with a limited release of 1,900 bottles.

The label uses an image from French Art Nouveau artist Henri Rivière's pioneering Thirty-Six Views of the Eiffel Tower. That work was itself inspired by the celebrated Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai's Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji, creating a natural, harmonious connection with this limited bottling.

Although Chichibu has been established for fewer than twenty years, its distinctive cask strategy and progressive promotion have made it a rising star of Japanese whisky. To find a specific buyback price, visit the Karuizawa 31 Year Old Gold Geisha page for the current quotation.

The Chichibu Malt Dream Cask bourbon single-cask whisky in this auction is scarcely seen either domestically or overseas. It sold for ¥31,888, slightly outperforming auction prices for other bottles in the range. This series represents Chichibu's high standards of cask management. With only 125 bottles released, it is a bottle to collect and treasure.

As a high-value collectible, Karuizawa is a pillar of Japanese whisky's exceptional worldwide reputation. The Hong Kong Harbour City limited-edition Karuizawa 35 Year Old in this auction made its first appearance of the year described here. Looking back, its latest Whisky Auctioneer record had stood at June 2019, when it sold for ¥56,497.14. More than a year passed without another appearance, and when it reached Sotheby's online auction in November 2021, its price had risen to ¥135,316.5. In this Jiuchong auction it achieved ¥221,000, a good result. This small victory also brings hope of improving market sentiment.

There is little reason to doubt Yamazaki Owner's Casks. This WM0027 bottling, created for Union's 50th anniversary, had appeared fewer than ten times on major auction sites in recent years. Bonhams offered it once in each half of 2018, with its result falling from ¥90,211 to ¥72,168.8. At Whisky Auctioneer in June 2019, the slide continued to ¥54,075.83. Its ¥182,000 result in this Jiuchong auction suggests, in the market conditions of that time, both stronger ability for Yamazaki to rise and resist declines, and a prospect that competitive Yamazaki bottles could continue seeing prices increase as supply stays small.

The discontinued Komagatake 30 Year Old Purple Label sold for ¥80,000 in this auction. Compared with the previous ¥128,000 result for a purple, pink and yellow label Komagatake set, this ¥80,000 single-bottle result stands well ahead. With just 163 bottles released, its value potential is substantial, and an enthusiastic auction market already seems possible.

As the image above shows, Hakushu Sherry Cask #3C40790 tended to sell in the ¥28,000–26,000 range in 2018–2019, fell to ¥18,000 in early 2020, then returned to ¥28,000 only a year later. This time it sold on Jiuchong for ¥61,000, far exceeding previous market prices. A delightful surprise—congratulations to the seller!

Other Karuizawa bottles also performed strongly, including Round Label #6426 (¥190,000), the four-colour ‘Last Release’ sherry-cask set (¥121,888), and several Noh releases. These established leaders achieved prices broadly in line with expectations. Two Yamazaki Owner's Cask 4R70055 bottles fetched ¥32,400 and ¥33,000, close to one another and slightly below previous results, although a market recovery remains hoped for.

Japanese whisky's value and potential are difficult to measure. Its transaction and auction price growth has repeatedly led world brands and continues to surprise sellers. Readers are welcome to follow Jiuchong Auction No. 132—‘Autumn's lingering verses, amber reflecting the frosty sky’—where more rare fine whiskies await discovery.

What Information Can You Prepare Before a Valuation?

Before a valuation, check the bottle's front and back labels, closure, fill level and packaging condition. More complete information helps the quotation reflect the actual market more closely.

(Images and text sourced from the internet)

Contact Details for Buyback Enquiries

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Related Reading

• Explore further: More ‘Hardcore’ Than Macallan? Understanding Karuizawa’s Craft and Japanese Whisky Legend through Distillation and Sherry Casks
• Also worth a read: Sleeping Gold: Awakening the Value of Your Japanese Whisky (Hibiki, Karuizawa and Yamazaki) | Whisky Era Buyback
• Want to know more? A New Grandfather's Grateful Gift: Karuizawa, Hanyu and Chichibu Hong Kong Sailing-Ship Sets Become His Grandson's Education Fund
• Check buyback prices: Karuizawa Samurai 30 Year Old 4 Buyback
• See the actual buyback market: Karuizawa 31 Year Old Gold Geisha Buyback
• Browse the complete range: Karuizawa Range Purchase Guide

Before a valuation, check the bottle's front and back labels, closure, fill level and packaging condition. More complete information helps the quotation reflect the actual market more closely.