Nose: Maritime notes of brine, sea spray and dried seaweed. Quite some pepper also coal, creosote, lemon zest, toffee, some sort of lacquered wood, smoked ham hocks and a big hit of vanilla. With water this is even bigger on the smoked pork and adds grilled capsicums, sugar coated euchalyptus jellies and smokey BBQ sauce.
Palate: Peat mixed with honey, toffee and vanilla. Creosote, dried apricots, dried papaya, smoked ham hocks. Some sweetened citrus and salted caramal. With water the salt spikes and some hot spices and tangy citrus are added. Medium bodied.
Finish: Sweet peat, sweetened citrus, creosote, salted caramel, some oak taninns and lingering smoke. Water doubles the length of the finish.
Last Word: Outstanding 3YO whisky! Complex. Mars at the very top of their young whisky game!
Rating: 90/100
Note: At the time of writing this can be tasted at Aloha Whisky Bar Tokyo.
Do you mind me asking how much is the msrp for this particular bottle? Thanks Brian!
I paid Y13,000, but through a contact not off the shelf.
Thanks! I was lucky to score one for Y14,000 shipped! Will find a day to open it up!
Thanks for the review, Brian. Got this bottle together with Komagatake bottle for this year Whisky Live at Tokyo (cask #1578) so I am also interested in your perspective on that one.
Merry Christmas and Happy 2020 to you and your loved ones!!
Have you opened yours James(the double cask). Don’t have a bottle of Whisky Live at Tokyo (cask #1578) but have a sample. Initial impressions of Whisky Live at Tokyo (cask #1578) is I’ve never nosed so much, coffee beans, dark chocolate, raw cacau nibs in a Mars. Will post up some tasting notes for that one at some stage.
Best to you and yours for the Festive Season and 2020!
Not yet. They are still in Japan together with a couple of other bottles. Thanks again.