Mars Shinshu Distillery - Wine Cask Finish IWAI Tradition Chateau Mars Whisky (750ml)

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Sandwiched between Japan’s soaring Southern Alps and the towering Central Alps, at just over 2,600 feet, Mars Shinshu is Japan’s highest whisky distillery. The Hombo family have been distilling for more than a century and they added whisky to their repertoire in 1949. Back then the distillery was located inKagoshima Prefecture on the southern most island of Kyushu. Until 1984, it was the southernmost whisky made in Japan, which ended with the Hombo clan moving the distillery to the idyllic alpine setting of Miyada village in southern Nagano Prefecture. They chose this site for its cool temps, which slowed maturation, and the plentiful, soft, granite filtered snowmelt fed aquifers. Smart choice.  The whiskies are elegant, smooth and very complex.

This limited annual release from Mars Shinshu in Nagano is a unique blend, distilled from 70% malted barley and 30% corn. The core Iwai Tradition, primarily aged in ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks, undergoes a distinctive finish in ex-Pinot Noir and Cabernet casks from Mars' own Yamanashi winery. The nose presents toasted oats, strawberries, and sweet cream, transitioning to a palate rich with pomegranate molasses, rosemary, and pink peppercorn, concluding with a lingering hint of cinnamon. This non-chill filtered expression at 40% ABV maintains the peppered backbone of the original Iwai Tradition while swapping its light floral notes for delicate baking spices, a testament to its unique wine cask finish.