This edition marks the first inclusion Virgin Spanish Oak casks as the primary maturation vessel. Supported by ex-bourbon barrels, as well as sherry casks, this latest edition yields beautifully complex aromatics of strawberry jam, orange leather, and red bean pastry. Classic Tsunuki flavors of bitter chocolate, black tea, and pastry cream are complimented with fresh notes of blackberries and juicy oranges. The brilliant finish is full of bittersweet cocoa, camp smoke, and lemon peels.
• Limited edition single malt Japanese whisky from Mars Tsunuki Distillery in Kagoshima, Japan
• 2024 release of Tsunuki’s annual namesake single malt (fifth release in the series)
• 100% malted barley, lightly peated (average 6–7 ppm)
• Aged 4–7 years in new Spanish oak and some ex-bourbon and sherry casks; non-age statement
• Aromas of strawberry jam, orange zest, and red bean pastry lead to bitter chocolate, black tea, and pastry cream complemented by blackberry and fresh, juicy orange. The finish lingers with drying notes of cocoa powder, campfire smoke, and lemon zest.
• No added coloring
• Non-chill filtered; 50% ABV
Mars’s Tsunuki Distillery is in the south of Japan where a humid, subtropical climate lends itself to a full-bodied and fruity style of whisky, perfectly suited to a slightly higher level of peat (as compared to the Mars Komagatake Distillery’s house style). The 2024 release dials the peat level up ever so slightly from last year’s bottling and introduces Spanish oak into the aging regimen. The result is a beautiful balance of confection and gentle, smoky tannin.
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.