The coveted annual release from Mars Komagatake. Recently Mars have garnered more attention with multiple awards after making far more of a strive to attend more festivals and have more of their whisky outside of the Japanese market.
The 2022 edition of Mars Komagatake single malt from the Shinshu distillery in the foothills of the Japanese Alps. Boasting a core of bourbon cask matured single malt, supported by portions matured in sherry and Port casks, you can expect plenty of sweet stone fruit, oaken vanilla, and honeyed nuts alongside the rich, oily malt at its core.
Nose: Floral honey and orchard blossom are followed by hints of green apple, vanilla, and a touch of woody spice.
Palate: Waves of vanilla and caramel counter prickles of pepper and ginger, while toasted hazelnuts and leathery oak develop beneath.
Finish: Barley sugars, a touch of tannic oak, melon, and sweet citrus.
About Mars
Japan's highest distillery, Shinshu was built by the whisky division of the Hombo Shuzo Co, known as Mars, in 1985. It is located in Miyada, a village in the Nagano Prefecture, and operated for seven years before being mothballed in 1992. Despite being relatively succesful in their native market, Mars had not had the success of its competitors Nikka and Suntory on the global stage, and the struggling Japanese whisky market at the time forced the company's hand. In the subsequent years however, things began to improve, and Shinshu distillery was eventually re-opened in 2011. Mars bottles its single malt under the Komagatake brand, and have also opened a sister distillery called Tsunuki to provide for its popular blends.
This whisky has been aged in the stone warehouse of Mars Tsunuki distillery in Kagoshima. It is a vatting of ex-Bourbon cask aged spirit.
In 1985, Hombo Breweries opened the Mars Shinshu distillery in Miyata village at the foot of the Komagatake Alps in Japan’s Nagano prefecture. Whisky production there takes place only during winter, with the rest of the year spent brewing beer and distilling other spirits. However, with the popularity of whisky enjoying a resurgence in Japan, “winter” now lasts for about six months at the distillery.
