Dekanta’s Karuizawa Acclaim collection is celebrating the code of the Samurai and Japan’s martial history by depicting courage, honor and discipline. David Stanley Hewett, a prominent Karuizawa based artist, was responsible for giving this very special whisky and equally special presentation. Housed inside a Wajima Lacquerware cabinet, featuring 24 carat gold leaf layering, and world class bottle art from David Hewett, this limited edition collection pairs the most sought after whisky and art from Japan and does so in real style, resulting in a once in a lifetime collectible.
Karuizawa is considered to stand for ultimate quality, luxury and rarity when it comes to whisky. For this collection, Dekanta selected a 1999-2000 vintage Karuizawa Single Malt Whisky. The master distillers at Karuizawa are famous for their work with sherry wood. As David Stanley Hewett said: “In designing the Acclaim Whisky Stage I wanted to create a celebration by bringing together references from Japanese history, craftsmanship and artistic traditions. I designed the bottles in the shape of Samurai with strong shoulders and a powerful posture. I carefully designed the bottle mold with the craftsmen at Sakai Glass in Japan who have been making bespoke glassware since 1906.”
For Acclaim, Dekanta partnered with Taya Lacquer Studio whose craftsmanship dates back over 200 years to 1818. For the case that holds the three whisky bottles, lacquer was applied in the Taya studio over the course of 8 months. The door fittings were created to replicate those from old Shinto shrines, adding a unique level of elegance and spirituality to the entire collection, while the crests have significant meaning to both the artist and the craftspeople behind the set. For the bottle, an expert glassware maker in Japan was commissioned to create bespoke bottles based on the traditional men’s Kimono. The crest derives from the Hewett Family of Normandy, France. The three owls represent intelligence and cunning and the chevron is a reference to military prowess.
Images courtesy of Dekanta
