Following the official launch of the first physical liquor NFT trading platform at the end of last year, BlockBar once again brings up another topic related to whiskey brewing, announcing the first introduction of Japanese whiskey, bringing the most representative of Japan to collectors – the Karuizawa whiskey “1970 Resonance 50 Years”. This special edition “1970 Resonance 50 Years” released by BlockBar this time even features a label art piece with the handwritten inscription of the famous Japanese calligrapher Takeda Soun, and once this special edition is launched on the platform, it will disappear forever.
As a historical masterpiece that every collector must possess, the 50-year-old Yoichi Whisky from 1970 has always been a sought-after collection target in the wine industry and among collectors. With the recent changes in Japanese whisky production, there are now only 211 bottles of Yoichi 1970 single malt whisky left in the world, making this fine wine extremely rare. This treasure brought by BlockBar is one of the 211 bottles, and will be exclusively provided by BlockBar.com and turned into the first NFT of the Yoichi brand.
Regarding this fine wine, let’s go back to 1970 when it was first distilled at the foot of the active volcano Mount Asama in Japan, and began aging in sherry casks. After half a century, it was finally unearthed and bottled in 2020, officially creating the “Resonance” inventory. This extraordinary whiskey pays homage to the classic Scottish malt style while also respecting the beauty and uniqueness of Japanese culture. Friends familiar with Japanese whiskey should know that as early as 1958, Karuizawa had already learned from the “senior” Macallan from the UK, and matured in high-quality Spanish sherry casks, making it the variety in Japan that is closest to the Scottish malt style. Due to their use of the most traditional techniques over the years, along with the spring water filtered through lava layers, and experiencing cool summers and harsh winters in the distillery and warehouse, it has its own unique characteristics and mature flavors.
Unfortunately, due to factors such as production costs and the domestic economy, the distillery officially closed in 2011. The legendary Karuizawa distillery, often hailed as a “mythical” distillery, has in recent years become highly sought after in the market, with its bottles fetching sky-high prices and setting astonishing records at auctions. The mastermind behind this auction, which has propelled Karuizawa to its current status, is the experienced industry expert Eric Huang. For this event, he offered collectors the final cask of “Karuizawa 1970 50 Year Old,” a single malt whisky in the Scottish style, bringing a perfect conclusion to this undoubtedly immortal piece in the whisky legend.
Another feature of this auction is the special edition “Karuizawa 1970 Resonance 50 Years”. This time, BlockBar specially invited one of Japan’s most renowned calligraphers, Takeda Soun, to design exquisite labels exclusively for the platform. Using traditional Chinese characters and combining modern innovation with traditional techniques, the beauty of the Japanese language and spirit is expressed to the fullest, paying the highest tribute to this extraordinary whisky. BlockBar’s co-founder and CEO, Dov Falic, also shared: “We are excited to launch the first Japanese whisky on BlockBar.com. We have one of the last bottles of Karuizawa, which will never be produced again, so this is a global auction not to be missed!”
“The Karuizawa 1970 Resonance 50th Anniversary NFT Special Edition” will be auctioned from midnight on July 12 (Tuesday) to 5:00 pm on July 18 (Monday) Eastern Time in the United States, with a starting price of $75,000. Interested buyers can place bids through BlockBar.com using Ether (buyer’s wallet must have funds and be connected to the BlockBar website), credit card, or electronic transfer. All winning bidders must pay the remaining amount within two hours after the auction ends using Ether, credit card, or electronic transfer. Collectors and whiskey enthusiasts who are interested should not miss this opportunity.
資料及圖片來源：BlockBar
