Mars 2018 Single Cask

Mars

Origin

Japan

Type

Single Malt Whisky

Barrel

Bourbon

Age

Vintage (2018)

Alcohol

60°

Value

300 points

About the product

The Nectar selected this cask for bottling in 2021. Despite the fact that it contained just three-year-old whisky, you already get a special insight here into the quality produced at the Shinshu distillery.

This is a first-fill bourbon barrel, numbered 3723, which was bottled in 2018. It was bottled in 2021 at a strength of 60% ABV. A total of 241 bottles of it were bottled.

This whisky does everything you expect from a whisky aged in a first-fill bourbon barrel: fruit is very present on your first encounter, with a clear floral component. There, the youth of this whisky shows itself in a very pleasant way; the quality of pure spirit is still clearly present without the negative edges you associate with youthful whisky. The cask makes itself felt with a clear presence of American oak influences: vanilla, wood spices, a buttery character. The 60% never disturbs, tasted blind you would rate it lower. This is a whisky that can serve as an advertisement for Japan's young distilleries: a very high quality of base spirit and a meticulous attention to maturation creates a product that will delight any whisky lover.

About the brand

Mars whisky is a brand of Hombo Shuzo, a producer of traditional Japanese drinks. They have two whisky distilleries in their portfolio, Shinshu and Tsunuki, and their products are marketed under the Mars name. Shinshu opened in 2011 and Tsunuki in 2016, and despite that relatively short history, they have already clearly earned their place in the whisky world.

Shinshu's signature single malt can be found in shops as Komagatake, Tsunuki does it under its own name. Mars Whisky creates a range of whiskies. Cosmo and Kasei are entry-level blends. They also make pure malts (the equivalent of blended malts) and an impressive range of limited editions, single cask bottlings and other special editions from both their distilleries.

Hombo Shuzo has several production sites and maturation cellars, which allows them to move casks around during maturation to allow them to evolve in optimal conditions. This gives the casks very distinct characters depending on where they have been situated, which is ideal for a company that needs many different types of whisky for their blends.

Whiskies from Mars, Shinshu and Tsunuki are always very rewarding to discover, precisely because there is so much variety in the flavour profiles.