Mars 2017 Komagatake - Yakushima Aging LMDW - New Vibrations Sherry Hogshead #2122 57%ABV 15ml / 30ml

 Mars Single Cask selected by La Maison du Whisky

MARS now has several distilleries and several facilities for aging whisky in different regions with varying climates and altitudes. The aim was to create a wide variety of malts for blending. This lightly peated whisky was distilled at Komagatake Distillery in Nagano area of Japan and then aged on the warm almost tropical island of Yakushima

Review from Serge Valentin - Whisky Fun

Mars Komagatake 6 yo 2017/2023 'Yakushima Aging' (57%, OB, for LMDW New Vibrations, sherry hogshead, cask #2122, 175 bottles)

This one too has been produced with some barley peated to 20ppm. Colour: amber. Nose: it's very, very chocolatey, the peat only serving to reinforce this effect. It's like opening a family pack of Mars bars (like 5 kilos). Oops, I swear I just realized this was a very stupid - and very unintentional pun. There is also a bit of putty, ganache, smoke from dead leaves, soot... With water: the putty comes to the forefront. There seems to be some anti-rust paint as well. Palate (neat): it's a bit beastly, to be honest, the chocolate and a much more massive smoke than in the Tsunuki complementing a very majestic lemon. With water: a bit of a feeling of patchouli, geranium (in syrup), then raw cacao, ground coffee, green pepper, maybe a bit of juniper... Finish: long, a bit more peppery, leaning a bit towards bacon, walnut and bitter orange. A very oloroso side. Comment: I expected the bourbon version to dominate this one, but that was not the case. It is true that all this chocolate has a terribly regressive and therefore irresistible side.
SGP:565 – 90 points.