Shinshu Mars Maltage Komagatake Japan 10 year old

Unusual bottling (in dumpy bottle) of this superb Japanese dram

Mars-maltage-komagatake-10-year old. Created during Shinshu distillery founding in 1985 by Hombo Shuzo, a shochu maker based on the island of Kyushu in Kagoshima Prefecture, Mars Whisky has a unique know-how inherited from an occasional whisky production unit started in 1953 in Yamanashi distillery where pot stills designed by Kiichiro Iwai were directly inspired by the information retrieved from Scotland by Masataka Taketsuru founder of Nikka Whisky.

Located in Nagano Prefecture at 798 meters above sea level near the village of Miyata and enjoying pure filtered water sources for centuries through layers of granite mountains surrounding the site, Shinshu distillery produces whisky during winter months and gives way to the production of shochu and other brandies the rest of the times. Aged in sherry, brandy and bourbon casks, Mars whiskies are affected during aging by the harsh winters of the region where temperatures can drop to -15 ° C.

The Komagatake Pure Malt 10 Year Old is a pure malt, with no added grain whisky. Distilled at the highest operational distillery in Japan, and blended from carefully selected malts, the taste is calm, with flavor reminiscent of red fruits, like cherries and deep and complex finish.