MARS THE Y.A. #3

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 51% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

Released in 2024, the third edition of the Y.A. series brings together malt whiskies from Mars Komagatake Distillery and Mars Tsunuki Distillery. The bottling has no age statement, although the whiskies matured for four to six years, predominantly in ex-bourbon casks. Distilled from lightly peated malt averaging 0–3.5 PPM, they matured at Mars Yakushima Aging Cellar. Y.A. stands for “Yakushima Aging”.

The maturation site is on Yakushima, about 60 kilometres south-southwest of mainland Kagoshima. Shaped by steep mountains and abundant water, the island is a World Natural Heritage site. High humidity is among the conditions in the maturation warehouse. This release thus combines distillation at two sites with maturation at a third.

Citrus and tropical fruit shape its fruity character, while minerality and salty maritime notes evoke the island setting. The whisky is full-bodied. Limited to 8,500 bottles, this release was bottled at 51% without chill filtration or added colouring; the 0.7-litre bottle comes in gift packaging.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: On the nose, fresh mandarin and maritime minerality meet a note of salty rusk. Lemon tea, honey and leather follow.
• Palate: On the palate, fresh citrus notes, banana and pear combine with roasted corn and a hint of cinnamon sugar.
• Finish: The finish is refreshingly sweet, leaving salty and savoury impressions.

Distillery/Bottler:

Hombo Shuzo began producing whisky in Kagoshima in 1949. In 1985, the company opened what is now Mars Komagatake Distillery at an altitude of 798 metres, at the foot of Komagatake in Japan’s Central Alps. Its cool conditions and mineral-rich water, which filters through granite, distinguish the site from Tsunuki in the southwest of the Satsuma Peninsula.

Mars Tsunuki Distillery began operating in 2016 in Tsunuki, where Hombo Shuzo originated. Mars Yakushima Aging Cellar was established that same year. For this release, Hombo Shuzo blended malt whiskies from both distilleries that had matured on Yakushima and bottled the resulting blended malt as a MARS original bottling.

Facts: