A Final Chapter: The Last Karuizawa Casks from the Collection of Sukhinder Singh

This March, Christie’s London Wine & Spirits Department will unveil a landmark moment for collectors and connoisseurs alike: the offering of two complete casks of Karuizawa whisky, both distilled in 1999 — the final year before the legendary Japanese distillery fell silent.

For more than two decades, Karuizawa has stood at the very pinnacle of Japanese whisky. Its near‑mythic reputation was forged through profound scarcity following the distillery’s closure in 2000, and elevated further by its unmistakable style: deep, sherried richness, exceptional concentration, and a singular character that has made it one of the most coveted names in the world of spirits. Single bottles routinely command record prices, disappearing swiftly into the most guarded private collections.

What makes this offering truly extraordinary is that these are entire casks, not individual bottles — an opportunity that is virtually unheard of in the modern market. In releasing these two casks, Christie’s presents what is, in every meaningful sense, the final chapter of a story that began more than 20 years ago.

Both casks come from the private collection of Sukhinder Singh, one of the world’s most respected whisky experts and a pivotal figure in shaping the global landscape of whisky collecting. His stewardship has been instrumental in the journey of the very few Karuizawa casks that ever reached the market. These two represent the last of them.

To acquire a full cask of Karuizawa is to hold whisky history in its purest, most elemental form — untouched, quietly maturing in oak, waiting to fulfil its ultimate potential. It offers the future owner complete creative control, from bottling decisions to personalised finishing touches, effectively allowing them to shape the concluding pages of Karuizawa’s legacy. Once these casks are sold, it is extraordinarily unlikely that another will ever surface publicly again.

Christie’s is honoured to present this unprecedented moment in the world of fine spirits. These casks — icons of craftsmanship, rarity and cultural significance — will be offered lying in bond in Scotland, where they currently rest at Tormore Distillery. The successful bidder may choose to continue ageing the whisky at Tormore or proceed directly to bottling, bringing forth a new and final release from a distillery whose influence has reshaped the landscape of Japanese whisky.