Tag Archives: Mars Single Cask Whisky

Mars Komagatake Heavily Peated 2012-2019 7YO For Tokyo Whisky Festival 2019 Hogshead Cask #1578 60%abv

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Nose: Beautiful interplay of peat and fruits. Fishing trawlers, fishing trawler diesel, fishing trawler docks. Damp earth, tinned pears, apple sauce, Dragon fruit, burnt eucalyptus, vanilla bean, peach skins and a floral note. Some citrus and medicinal notes with water added.
Palate: Caramel chews, the best chocolate sauce, damp sweet earth, toffee apples, apple sauce, pears. Burnt eucalyptus, Ferrero Rocher, peanut butter. With water there is some tangy orange and medicinal flavours. Full bodied.|
Finish: Peanut butter, butter menthols, the best chocolate sauce, sweet damp earth. Is there such a thing as chocolate peat? Menthol, some oak tannins and some ash with water added.
Last Word: A cracking 7 year old whisky! Superb!

Rating: 91/100

Mars Le Papillon (A.puspa) 2015-2019 4YO Single Malt Double Cask Bourbon Barrels #2021 & 2024 54%abv

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Nose: Dulce de leche, warm apricot pie, nutmeg, sweet tobacco, vanilla, lemon curd, lumber yard. A big floral note with water added.
Palate: Hot! Chili’s, fresh ginger, wasabi. Once it settles a bit, on the mid palate there is vanilla, grapefruit, sawdust, fermented green apples, fermented pears, pepper, pie crust. Nutmeg, salt, oranges and more pepper with water added. Medium bodied.
Finish: Apple sauce, pie crust, fresh cut timber. Dry. Some caramel and orange slices with water added.
Last Word: The quality of the distilation is there but, too unbalanced on the young, hot and spikey side on the palate. Needs a lot of water to tame.
My least favorite of the Le Papillon series so far.

Rating: 84/100

Mars Komagatake Tsunuki Ageing 2013-2017 4YO Bourbon Cask #5113 59%abv

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Nose: Whisky soaked oak staves, caramel, vanilla, sweet peat, bay leaves, brine, stewed apples, stewed pears, pepper. More of the vanilla and some pineapple with water added.
Palate: Chilli and pepper spice. Green apples, tinned pears, sweet peat, vanilla, apple pie crust, sweetened lemons, brine. Just the right amount of cask strength punch. Pineapple and passionfruit with water added. Medium bodied.
Finish: Sweet peat, sweetened lemons, iodine, tobacco leaf, old leather, euchalyptus, butter menthols. Some passionfruit icecream with water. After a few minutes some pure smoke.
Last Word: Really well balanced. Very tasty and hard to stop at just one dram!

Rating: 90/100

Mars Komagatake Single Malt 2019 Voyager Estate Wine Cask Finish 4YO Cask #1756 47%abv

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Nose: Oak, red berries, pepper, currants, plum jam, dark honey, rose petals, nutmeg, mint jelly. Almonds, icing sugar and a light citrus note with water added.
Palate: Lots of jammy flavors, plums, strawberries, figs. Black currants, cinnamon, dark chocolate, coffee, rasberries. Almonds and lemon merangue with water. Medium bodied.
Finish: Plums, raisins, vanilla, menthol. A tart strawberry note with water added.
Last Word: A good whisky but comes off a little unbalanced towards the wine profile. I also think it lacks some punch for 47%abv.

Rating: 85/100

Mars Komagatake Tsunuki Aging 2013-2017 4YO Bourbon Cask #5113 59%abv

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Nose: Whisky soaked oak staves. Caramel, vanilla, sweet peat, bay leaves, brine. Stewed apples, stewed pears, pepper. More of the vanilla plus some pineapple with water.
Palate: Chilli and pepper spice. Green apples, tinned pears, sweet peat, vanilla, apple pie crust, sweet lemons, brine. Just the right amount of cask strength punch. Pineapple and passionfruit with water added. Medium bodied.
Finish: Sweet peat, sweet lemons, honeyed oak, tobacco leaf, old leather, euchalyptus, butter menthols. Some passionfruit ice cream with water added. After a few minutes some long pure smoke. A really strong finsh!
Last Word: Very well balanced as I’ve found in all the young Mars and for that matter Chichibu, Heavily Peated Whisky I’ve tasted. Moreish, hard to stop at just one dram of this!

Rating: 90/100

Mars Le Papillon A.cardamines 4YO 2015-2020 Sherry Butt #3397 58%abv

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Nose: Raisins, currants, pepper, Christmas cake, blueberry muffins, black plums. Brandy, euchalyptus, leather, sweet tobacco, Ribena. Water adds vanilla, pork crackling and fresh chopped lemon rind.
Palate: Creamed sherry, guava, raspberries, oranges. Macadamias, cashews, almonds, pepper, pickled ginger, pumpernickel, varnish. With water the vanilla and pork crackling plus iced coffee.
Finish: Maraschino cherries, cashews, menthol, toffee apples, oak, peanut butter, minerals. Water enhances the toffee apples. Full bodied.
Palate: Young Mars sherry cask matured whiskies are proving to be more consistant that the old sherry cask matured stuff. This one is super!

Rating: 91/100

Mars Komagatake Super Heavily Peated 2012-2015 3YO Cask #1492 For Mitsukoshi Isetan 58%abv

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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

Mars Single Cask Komagatake 2012 6YO Bourbon Cask # 1493 Heavily Peated 60%abv

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850_6876Nose: Mechanics workshop, Dettol, fermented pears, apple sauce, lemon cough mixture, lacquered teak, gun powder, licorice, pouch tobacco, tea leaves. Water added you get some white chocolate and white flowers.
Palate: Mechanics workshop, Turkish Delight, rhubarb, fermented pears, cocoa powder, licorice, apple sauce. Pepper, cloves, bay leaves, lemon sherbet. Water brings out some almond and orange zest.
Finish: Ash, pouch tobacco, lemon cough mixture, nutmeg, bay leaves, vanilla, lemon sherbet, white chocolate.
Last Word: A beauty from Mars. Despite the 50ppm of peat there’s a fresh liveliness. Not the type of whisky that uses heavily peating to hide a multitude of sins. Complex for the age and very well balanced.

Rating: 90/100