MARS Maltage Cosmo Blended Malt Whiskey - Wine Cask Finish

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 43% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

A red wine cask finish adds fruity and spicy accents to the rounded, soft character of Mars Maltage Cosmo. This blended malt brings together Japanese and Scottish malt whiskies, with no grain whisky in the blend. The 2023 release was produced in limited quantities and has a subtle ruby-red tinge in the glass.

Alongside the fruit and wine cask influence, a subtle smoky note forms part of this whisky's character. It is bottled at 43% in 0.7-litre bottles, without chill filtration or added colouring, and comes in gift packaging. The name Cosmo comes from Mount Kosumo in Japan's Central Alps.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: Sweet raisins and prunes mingle with orange on the nose. Toasted walnuts and oak spice complement the fruit notes.
• Palate: Juicy grapes, damsons and dates meet cane sugar sweetness on the palate. A fruity wine note and toasted oak complete the flavour profile.
• Finish: The medium-length finish remains fruity, accompanied by gentle tannins.

Distillery/Bottler:

Hombo Shuzo is the company behind Mars Whisky. It began making whisky in Kagoshima in 1949 under the technical guidance of Kiichiro Iwai. Production moved to Yamanashi in 1960, where the Mars brand was also established. When malt whisky production was later concentrated at Shinshu, the distilling equipment was moved from Yamanashi to Nagano.

Founded in 1985, Mars Shinshu Distillery stands at the foot of Komagatake, at an altitude of 798 metres. It has been known as Mars Komagatake Distillery since 2024. The cool, misty surroundings and water from the Central Alps were important reasons for choosing this location, where rain and meltwater seep through granitic ground. After distillation stopped in 1992 because of demand conditions, the distillery resumed operations in 2011. New distilling and visitor facilities were added as part of a renewal project in 2020.

Facts: