Hey friends,
Haha, forget that I did a review on YouTube for this here a couple of weeks ago. Mars Komagatake 2022 Limited Edition. You can check out how compares to previous editions here.
Kampai
Brian
Hey guys,
Check out my latest Youtube video here Lets see how this Mars Tsunuki 2022 Edition compares to previous editions, as well as Mars Shinshu Distillery Whiskies aged at Tsunuki. I say 5 previously but there is actually 7. If you’ve tried it let me know what you think in the comments.
Kampai
Brian
Nose: Pear and apple orchards, desiccated coconut, vanilla essence, shortbread biscuits, rose petals, toffee. With water added some camomile tea and lemon zest.
Palate: Crispy red apples, pear skins, guava, some sherbet zing, malt, vanilla, Brazil nuts, pepper, butter. With water added, some chili, salt and almonds. Medium bodied.
Finish: Vanilla, toffee, dried apples, coconut, shortbread biscuits. Water improves the length by some margin and brings back the pepper to the finish.
Last Word: Straight out of the Mars House Style playbook. Another solid annual Komagatake Ltd Edition.
Rating: 87/100
Nose: Caramel, vanilla, strawberries, strawberry shortbread, sherry, oak. Whisky barrel warehouse, raisins, currants, fig paste, nutmeg. More vanilla and sherry with water added plus a floral note.
Palate: Baking spices, strawberry shortbread, vanilla essence, honey. Peanuts, sharp cheddar with cracked pepper, sherry. Some tangy orange and a hint of banana with water added. Medium bodied.
Finish: Peanuts, oak, honey, then a decent hit of smoke comes out of nowhere. Finish starts a little flat with water added to start, then a buttery mouth feel and more smoke.
Last Word: Very well blended mix of bourbon, american white oak and sherry casks. Decent compexity when you throw in that latent smokey element.
Rating: 87/100
Nose: Toffee, plums, apricots, candied orange slices, raisins, honey, vanilla, pepper. An ever present floral note that floats over the top, some leather and bran. Elegant. Cadbury Crunchie and light oak with water added.
Palate: Rich and full bodied with long oily legs in the glass. Nutmeg, raisins, honey, plums, apricots, orange candies, brandy snaps, sweet tobacco. A nice hit of salt and pepper. Some banana with water added. Excellent balance.
Finish: Bran, cacoa powder, hint of new leather, chocolate milk. The finish is longer with water added plus some vanilla, leather, oak and banana candies.
Last Word: What a suprise packet. My favorite Mars Blend so far. Read the back label carefully and it indicates that only the Malt component was distilled by Mars. No matter, works a treat with whatever 8 year old grain whisky they used in the mix. Was an absolute bargain in Japan at around $50 retail. Highly recommended if you can still get it on the cheap.
Rating: 87/100
Nose: Sweet. Apples, pears, honey, green grapes, pineapple, vanilla wafers. There’s a floral note and a decent amount of new oak. If the label did not state IPA Cask Finish I’m not sure you could pick the influence. The apple and honey are more intense with water added plus rose petals.
Palate: Lots of juicy fruitiness. Oranges, pears, apples, pineapples. There’s the honey and vanilla plus a touch of sawdust. Some well balanced warming spices, also some oiliness to the mouth feel. No real switch up or down with water added. Medium bodied.
Finish: Honey, oak, grilled banana then some green apples skins. The warming spiced make a come back on the finish with some water added.
Last Word: I like what Mars has done here. Finishing casks are often sink or swim for me and this one swims. Better balanced than the Chichibu IPA Cask Finish that was overwhelmed by the cask influence.
Rating: 87/100
Nose: Butterscotch, dried pears, dried apples. vanilla, sawdust, nutmeg, peanut brittle, honey, white flower petals. Very expressive. With water some earthiness and light acetone.
Palate: Butterscotch, fermented pears, nutmeg, tart pineapple, Honey Smacks Cereal, wood shavings, Hokkaido baked cheese tart crust, crunchy top creme brulee, blackberries. Medium bodied. Water brings out pavlova base.
Finish: Butter menthols, creme brulee, peanut brittle. With water some cream/butter.
Last word: In my opinion the best annual Limited Edition Komogatake yet!
Rating: 89/100
Nose: Dark chocolate, lemon cough drops, BBQ pineapple, diesel fumes, coal, creosote. Damp earth, Bay Leaves, mechanics work shop, ripe pear skins, vanilla pod, stables. With water even more diesel, plus tar in Betadine.
Palate: Pepper, chili’s, paprika. Soot, 90% dark chocolate, dried pears, mandarins, vanilla, coal, raisins. Water adds lemon, salt and Bay Leaves. Full bodied.
Finish: Mint, 90% dark chocolate, pepper, chili’s, cacao paste, short black, balsamic, soot, dry. Water lengthens the hot spices and adds trailing lemons.
Last Word: A whisky that brings a sledge hammer to a knife fight. While maybe not as balanced as some of the other Mars Heavily Peated Whiskies I’ve tasted it’s certainly entertaining. The nose it the highlight.
Rating: 86/100
Nose: A Mars that errs more to the savory/spicy/herbaceous side. Cloves, chili’s, pepper, pickled plums, nutmeg. BBQ pork with plum sauce, dried papaya, rhubarb stalks, shiitake mushrooms. Water adds sweeter and floral elements.
Palate: Pepper, chili’s, dried papaya, orange sherbet, rhubarb, nutmeg, cloves. BBQ pork, shiitake mushrooms, oak, organic cacao chunks. More tangy with water.
Finish: Shiitake mushrooms, oak, BBQ sauce, BBQ hotplate, organic cacao chunks. With water tangy orange and some vanilla.
Last Word: Haven’t tasted this for about a year and it has improved over time. Only three years old……hard to believe.
Rating: 88/100
Nose: Heather honey, vanilla, apricot jam, caramel, pepper, touch of wood stain. Some sweet tobacco, a little clove and almond, a savoury note. With water there is white chocolate, some wood shavings and a light floral note.
Palate: Tangy orange, marzipan, almonds, fresh apricots, nouget, heather honey. Salt and Pepper, white chocolate, pear juice, chili flakes. Water adds creamy nuts like macadamias. Medium bodied.
Finish: Oranges, apricot jam, pears, peanut butter and some ashiness. Water lengthens the finish.
Last Word: Moreish whisky. Almost half a bottle down after a couple of weeks. More complex and tastes more mature than the Limited Edition 2018 even though they contain whisky of the same age. Very impressive for a 3YO whisky.
Rating: 88/100