Mars Shinshu - Komagatake Shinanotanpopo Edition Single Malt Japanese Whisky

A lesser known Japanese whisky producer (certainly when compared to Suntory and Nikka) but with a rich history and quality. Mars Shinshu distillery was built in 1985, at an altitude of 798 metres in the small village of Miyata in Nagano prefecture (west central Japan).

This is the third release in the Komagatake Nature of Shinshu series, Komagatake referring to the process of blending young casks with casks aged for over 20 years and Shinanotanpopo referrs to dandelion flower, one of a number of local botanicals in the region which this series highlight.

A number of different casks have been used here, including ex - Bourbon, sherry and white oak. The result is a floral delicate whisky which has a gentle red fruit and spicy flavour.