Mars Tsunuki Aging 2018 Single Sherry Hogshead #T738 New Vibrations Japanese Single Malt Whisky (2023) 70cl

1 of 239 bottles produced 

Another impressive release by Mars. Their whiskies taste much older thanks to the hyper aging experienced by the casks on Yakushima Island where only dragons, trees, sunshine and a whisky warehouse exists. This leads to a 5 Year old tasting like a Scottish 20 year old. if you have never tried Mars, you have not yet experienced some of the best of what Japan can produce. 

TASTING NOTES

Nose :
Rich, deep. Revealing a rich and oily peat, the first nose is also deeply smoky and empyreumatic (diesel). Allowed to breathe, blocks of compact peat appear, carrying with them mineral salts and seaweed.

Palate :
Dense, concentrated. Saturated with thick smoke, the start of the finish allows ripe fruits (Mirabelle plum, damson plum) to release their syrupy juice. The peaty and marine mid-palate is also vanilla (pod) and chocolatey (bean). The end of the palate adds a vegetal (lichen, moss) and malty touch.

Overall : 
Long, smooth. The start of the finish is equipped with a beautiful chocolatey bitterness and also malty,peaty and smoky. With time, a fine layer of liquorice then envelopes the taste buds, and iris butter gradually fills the air.

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. A further aging site is situated on the southernmost island of Japan, Yakushima. 

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.

60% ABV

70cl