MARS TSUNUKI Peated

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 50% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

Tsunuki's second single malt release puts greater emphasis on peat than its predecessor, The First. The marriage consists predominantly of peated malt whiskies from the first production season, matured in ex-bourbon barrels. Distilled in 2016 and 2017, the whisky was bottled in 2020 at 50%. The release comprises 14,830 bottles.

On the palate, the whisky's sweet, soft side gives way to spreading peat smoke. It is bottled without chill filtration or colouring and comes in a presentation tube. The bottle's curved lines also have a geographical connection: those at the top trace Nagano's Central Alps, while those below depict Kagoshima's mountain ranges, including Sakurajima.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: Peat smoke mingles with honey and brown sugar. Barley and the aroma of crisp apples follow.
• Palate: The whisky feels soft and full-bodied on the palate. Sweet malt, caramel and crisp green apple accompany the sweetness before peat smoke spreads across the palate.
• Finish: The medium-length finish brings sweet smoke and a delicate note of caramelised rock sugar. Cereal sweetness and a creamy, buttery impression complete the finish.

Distillery/Bottler:

Mars Tsunuki Distillery belongs to Hombo Shuzo and opened in Kagoshima in 2016. It stands in the mountainous southwest of the Satsuma Peninsula, where the company originated. Hombo Shuzo had begun making shochu here more than a century earlier. Tsunuki brought whisky production back to Kagoshima after a 32-year interruption.

Tsunuki uses spring water from the Kurata Mountains in production. Its location in a basin combines a warm climate with pronounced temperature fluctuations during whisky maturation. This gives the site different conditions from its high-altitude sister distillery in Nagano. Hombo Shuzo uses these contrasting locations to explore how the surrounding environment influences its whiskies.

Facts: