Shinshu Mars Komagatake Yakushima Aging Cask 2063 61% 2016

Professional reviews

BOW (90)

Whisky has been made in Japan for almost a century. Masataka Taketsuru and Shinjiro Torii are regarded as the founding founders of the Japanese whisky industry. At the beginning of the last century, they paid a working visit to Scotland on behalf of the Japanese government. Here they mastered the art of distillation. They took this knowledge with them to Japan to produce whisky here in the same way as in Scotland.
Mars as a company has two different distilleries and three places where the casks are stored, under different climatic conditions. These are the two locations of the distilleries (Shinshu and Tsumuki) and a location on a subtropical island: Yakushima.
From the highest mountain to a subtropical island.
Matured in the subtropical climate of the island of Yakushima located in the far south of Japan, this single cask bottling has a peaty or smoky character. With about 50 ppm you will find clear peatsmoky and earthy notes in the whisky. In addition, the subtropical climate has ensured that the flavors are more concentrated than at the other locations. The result is a delicate, yet complex and smoky whisky.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Fine and spicy. Delicately powdery (rice, cocoa), the first scents are elegant. This is followed by attractive medicinal notes and earthy notes complemented by candied lemons, fresh fruit salt and white flowers.
Taste: Rich, concentrated. The smells of salty peat and earthy notes are also reflected in the taste. Acacia honey and pear juice give a delicious sweetness. Then there are lighter notes of barley, licorice and moss.
Finish: Long, elegant. Closely linked to the taste. Complemented with lemon zest and agave, reminiscent of a good mezcal. Peaty and herbaceous.