Mars : Komagatake Japanese Spring

Characteristics and tasting notes of Komagatake Japanese Spring from Mars

Tasting

Nose
The nose reveals malty and indulgent notes. Fruits dominate with apricot, peach and apple, complemented by delicate nuances of white flowers and toasted vanilla.

Palate
The texture is oily and offers an exotic sensory experience. The yellow fruits from the nose repeat with intensity, notably pineapple and very ripe banana. The bitter sweetness of candied orange and the richness of quince paste continue the experience. Honey, spices like cocoa powder and dried fruits like hazelnuts stand out and bring balance and complexity. The finish is elegant, long and sweet. It delivers notes of chestnut and a fine orange bitterness that lingers delicately.

A Japanese single malt from the Nagano Alps imbued with great elegance

Mars Komagatake distillery, the excellence of Japanese whisky
Created in 1985 by the Hombo Shuzo company, the Mars Komagatake distillery embodies the excellence of Japanese whisky in the central Alps of Nagano, at 800 meters altitude. After closing in 1992, it was reborn in 2011, driven by a renewed artisanal vision. Mars also operates the Tsunuki sites since 2016 and Yakushima for aging. Its particularity lies in its small-scale artisanal production, 60 times smaller than Japan's largest distillery, and its use of varied casks with cherry wood heads, creating single malts of remarkable finesse.

Komagatake Japanese Spring, a celebration of Japanese spring
Komagatake Japanese Spring is a limited edition in small batches that celebrates Japanese spring and the hanami tradition, the contemplation of cherry blossoms. This cuvée is composed of a balanced selection of malts aged at three different sites. The base rests at approximately 50% on first-fill bourbon casks, complemented by American white oak and virgin oak casks. A subtle but crucial touch of sherry casks that contained lightly peated whiskies adds complexity and depth. All malts have been aged in the cellars of the Shinshu distillery, nestled at 700 meters altitude in the heart of the Japanese central Alps. Each year from April, the distillery is gradually adorned with pink flowers during the cherry blossom season that moves from south to north of the archipelago, inspiring this spring expression.