Hey friends,
In today’s video I chat about what’s coming up on the channel and review Ichiro’s Malt Double Distilleries Chichibu x Komagatake. So, do we get a winner when whiskies from two different Japanese Whisky producers are blended together? Lets find out! Thanks for watching : )
Kampai
Brian
Hey friends,
You can check out my latest YouTube review here for the Mars Komagatake Yakushima Aging 2021 Edition. How does it compare to previous versions? You can read those reviews here.
Kampai
Brian
Hey friends,
Haha, forget that I did a review on YouTube for this here a couple of weeks ago. Mars Komagatake 2022 Limited Edition. You can check out how compares to previous editions here.
Kampai
Brian
Hey guys,
Check out my latest Youtube video here Lets see how this Mars Tsunuki 2022 Edition compares to previous editions, as well as Mars Shinshu Distillery Whiskies aged at Tsunuki. I say 5 previously but there is actually 7. If you’ve tried it let me know what you think in the comments.
Kampai
Brian
Nose: Beautiful interplay of peat and fruits. Fishing trawlers, fishing trawler diesel, fishing trawler docks. Damp earth, tinned pears, apple sauce, Dragon fruit, burnt eucalyptus, vanilla bean, peach skins and a floral note. Some citrus and medicinal notes with water added.
Palate: Caramel chews, the best chocolate sauce, damp sweet earth, toffee apples, apple sauce, pears. Burnt eucalyptus, Ferrero Rocher, peanut butter. With water there is some tangy orange and medicinal flavours. Full bodied.|
Finish: Peanut butter, butter menthols, the best chocolate sauce, sweet damp earth. Is there such a thing as chocolate peat? Menthol, some oak tannins and some ash with water added.
Last Word: A cracking 7 year old whisky! Superb!
Rating: 91/100
Nose: Pear and apple orchards, desiccated coconut, vanilla essence, shortbread biscuits, rose petals, toffee. With water added some camomile tea and lemon zest.
Palate: Crispy red apples, pear skins, guava, some sherbet zing, malt, vanilla, Brazil nuts, pepper, butter. With water added, some chili, salt and almonds. Medium bodied.
Finish: Vanilla, toffee, dried apples, coconut, shortbread biscuits. Water improves the length by some margin and brings back the pepper to the finish.
Last Word: Straight out of the Mars House Style playbook. Another solid annual Komagatake Ltd Edition.
Rating: 87/100
Nose: Caramel, vanilla, strawberries, strawberry shortbread, sherry, oak. Whisky barrel warehouse, raisins, currants, fig paste, nutmeg. More vanilla and sherry with water added plus a floral note.
Palate: Baking spices, strawberry shortbread, vanilla essence, honey. Peanuts, sharp cheddar with cracked pepper, sherry. Some tangy orange and a hint of banana with water added. Medium bodied.
Finish: Peanuts, oak, honey, then a decent hit of smoke comes out of nowhere. Finish starts a little flat with water added to start, then a buttery mouth feel and more smoke.
Last Word: Very well blended mix of bourbon, american white oak and sherry casks. Decent compexity when you throw in that latent smokey element.
Rating: 87/100
Nose: Toffee, plums, apricots, candied orange slices, raisins, honey, vanilla, pepper. An ever present floral note that floats over the top, some leather and bran. Elegant. Cadbury Crunchie and light oak with water added.
Palate: Rich and full bodied with long oily legs in the glass. Nutmeg, raisins, honey, plums, apricots, orange candies, brandy snaps, sweet tobacco. A nice hit of salt and pepper. Some banana with water added. Excellent balance.
Finish: Bran, cacoa powder, hint of new leather, chocolate milk. The finish is longer with water added plus some vanilla, leather, oak and banana candies.
Last Word: What a suprise packet. My favorite Mars Blend so far. Read the back label carefully and it indicates that only the Malt component was distilled by Mars. No matter, works a treat with whatever 8 year old grain whisky they used in the mix. Was an absolute bargain in Japan at around $50 retail. Highly recommended if you can still get it on the cheap.
Rating: 87/100
Nose: Dulce de leche, warm apricot pie, nutmeg, sweet tobacco, vanilla, lemon curd, lumber yard. A big floral note with water added.
Palate: Hot! Chili’s, fresh ginger, wasabi. Once it settles a bit, on the mid palate there is vanilla, grapefruit, sawdust, fermented green apples, fermented pears, pepper, pie crust. Nutmeg, salt, oranges and more pepper with water added. Medium bodied.
Finish: Apple sauce, pie crust, fresh cut timber. Dry. Some caramel and orange slices with water added.
Last Word: The quality of the distilation is there but, too unbalanced on the young, hot and spikey side on the palate. Needs a lot of water to tame.
My least favorite of the Le Papillon series so far.
Rating: 84/100
Nose: Some Iodine and earthy peat. Stone fruits such as nectarines and apricots. Herbacious, sage, cloves, fresh mint leaves. Dark Honey, apricot jam, nutmeg, pepper, balsamic. Some vanilla slice with water added.
Palate: Leads with some hot spices then the herbs stand out. Also earthy peat, pears, apples, oranges, chestnuts, coconut, pork crackling. Oily mouth feel. Salt and Juicy Fruits Gum with water added. Full bodied.
Finish: Oak, chesnuts, balsamic, earthy peat, cloves, fresh mint leaves. Cacoa powder and mint ice cream with water added. Some grilled peppers and big smoke after a few minutes.
Last Word: If you’re looking for an Islay style Heavily Peated Whisky you may be disappointed. However, if you’re looking for a well balanced, complex whisky with a peaty undercurrent, you will be a pleased as I am.
Interesting for being the most herbacious Peated Mars Single Malt I’ve tasted.
Rating: 89/100
Nose: Whisky soaked oak staves, caramel, vanilla, sweet peat, bay leaves, brine, stewed apples, stewed pears, pepper. More of the vanilla and some pineapple with water added.
Palate: Chilli and pepper spice. Green apples, tinned pears, sweet peat, vanilla, apple pie crust, sweetened lemons, brine. Just the right amount of cask strength punch. Pineapple and passionfruit with water added. Medium bodied.
Finish: Sweet peat, sweetened lemons, iodine, tobacco leaf, old leather, euchalyptus, butter menthols. Some passionfruit icecream with water. After a few minutes some pure smoke.
Last Word: Really well balanced. Very tasty and hard to stop at just one dram!
Rating: 90/100
Nose: Oak, red berries, pepper, currants, plum jam, dark honey, rose petals, nutmeg, mint jelly. Almonds, icing sugar and a light citrus note with water added.
Palate: Lots of jammy flavors, plums, strawberries, figs. Black currants, cinnamon, dark chocolate, coffee, rasberries. Almonds and lemon merangue with water. Medium bodied.
Finish: Plums, raisins, vanilla, menthol. A tart strawberry note with water added.
Last Word: A good whisky but comes off a little unbalanced towards the wine profile. I also think it lacks some punch for 47%abv.
Rating: 85/100
Nose: Whisky soaked oak staves. Caramel, vanilla, sweet peat, bay leaves, brine. Stewed apples, stewed pears, pepper. More of the vanilla plus some pineapple with water.
Palate: Chilli and pepper spice. Green apples, tinned pears, sweet peat, vanilla, apple pie crust, sweet lemons, brine. Just the right amount of cask strength punch. Pineapple and passionfruit with water added. Medium bodied.
Finish: Sweet peat, sweet lemons, honeyed oak, tobacco leaf, old leather, euchalyptus, butter menthols. Some passionfruit ice cream with water added. After a few minutes some long pure smoke. A really strong finsh!
Last Word: Very well balanced as I’ve found in all the young Mars and for that matter Chichibu, Heavily Peated Whisky I’ve tasted. Moreish, hard to stop at just one dram of this!
Rating: 90/100
Nose: Sweet. Apples, pears, honey, green grapes, pineapple, vanilla wafers. There’s a floral note and a decent amount of new oak. If the label did not state IPA Cask Finish I’m not sure you could pick the influence. The apple and honey are more intense with water added plus rose petals.
Palate: Lots of juicy fruitiness. Oranges, pears, apples, pineapples. There’s the honey and vanilla plus a touch of sawdust. Some well balanced warming spices, also some oiliness to the mouth feel. No real switch up or down with water added. Medium bodied.
Finish: Honey, oak, grilled banana then some green apples skins. The warming spiced make a come back on the finish with some water added.
Last Word: I like what Mars has done here. Finishing casks are often sink or swim for me and this one swims. Better balanced than the Chichibu IPA Cask Finish that was overwhelmed by the cask influence.
Rating: 87/100
Nose: Raisins, currants, pepper, Christmas cake, blueberry muffins, black plums. Brandy, euchalyptus, leather, sweet tobacco, Ribena. Water adds vanilla, pork crackling and fresh chopped lemon rind.
Palate: Creamed sherry, guava, raspberries, oranges. Macadamias, cashews, almonds, pepper, pickled ginger, pumpernickel, varnish. With water the vanilla and pork crackling plus iced coffee.
Finish: Maraschino cherries, cashews, menthol, toffee apples, oak, peanut butter, minerals. Water enhances the toffee apples. Full bodied.
Palate: Young Mars sherry cask matured whiskies are proving to be more consistant that the old sherry cask matured stuff. This one is super!
Rating: 91/100
Nose: Butterscotch, dried pears, dried apples. vanilla, sawdust, nutmeg, peanut brittle, honey, white flower petals. Very expressive. With water some earthiness and light acetone.
Palate: Butterscotch, fermented pears, nutmeg, tart pineapple, Honey Smacks Cereal, wood shavings, Hokkaido baked cheese tart crust, crunchy top creme brulee, blackberries. Medium bodied. Water brings out pavlova base.
Finish: Butter menthols, creme brulee, peanut brittle. With water some cream/butter.
Last word: In my opinion the best annual Limited Edition Komogatake yet!
Rating: 89/100
Nose: Leads with a big peppery note. Dried apricots and peaches, cloves, mint leaves, nutmeg, vanilla, stewed apples with cinnamon, a floral note, a savory sauce note. Nicely balanced nose. With water there is also green apples and sawdust.
Palate: Caramel sundae, vanilla, marmalade, dried citrus peel, Weis Mango Bar. Nougat, marzipan, thickened cream, tangy orange, pepper, key lime pie. Full bodied. With water passionfruit slice and lemon sherbet.
Finish: Weis Mango Bar, oak, custard apples. cinnamon and nutmeg. With water pepper, more of the oak and mint chocolate ice cream.
Last Word: Top notch well balanced youngster!
Rating: 89/100
Nose: Strawberry conserve, pineapple, passionfruit, banana, dusty oak barrels, sea spray, white pepper, vanilla slice. Water adds white flowers, white nectarines and more of the sea spray.
Palate: Pineapple, banana, vanilla slice, marzipan, dark chocolate, red peanut skins, grapefruit, strawberry conserve, passionfruit, salt & pepper. With water malt and pistachios. Medium bodied.
Finish: Lemon tart, white pepper. marzipan, dusty oak, licorice, cacao paste, oak tannins and what seems like some light peating.
Last Word: Tasty young Mars and consistancy of quality has become a hallmark for their single malts. Still hoping for some older age statement releases soon as 2021 marks 10 years since Mars started distilling whisky again.
Rating: 88/100
Nose: A malty heart! Stewed apples, red and green grapes, caramel, oak barrels, wood shavings. Rhubarb, nutmeg, raisins, pollin, vanilla and a touch of pepper.
Palate: Like the nose, big on the maltiness. Bran, nutmeg, stewed apples, Brazil Nuts, marzipan, coffee tannins, Pepper. Manuka honey, sparkling Pinot Noir. Water adds nouget and macadamias. Medium bodied and nicely balanced.
Finish: Marzipan, Brazil Nuts, nouget, pepper, oak tannins, cacao paste, red grapes, peanut butter. With water longer, more tangy, some sweet spice then fades on vanilla, nouget, creamy nuts & cool mints.
Last Word: Love it that Mars did not skimp and released this first bottling from the new distillery at cask strength. Great entry into the whisky scene and can’t see too many people not being satisfied.
Rating: 89/100
Nose: Dark chocolate, lemon cough drops, BBQ pineapple, diesel fumes, coal, creosote. Damp earth, Bay Leaves, mechanics work shop, ripe pear skins, vanilla pod, stables. With water even more diesel, plus tar in Betadine.
Palate: Pepper, chili’s, paprika. Soot, 90% dark chocolate, dried pears, mandarins, vanilla, coal, raisins. Water adds lemon, salt and Bay Leaves. Full bodied.
Finish: Mint, 90% dark chocolate, pepper, chili’s, cacao paste, short black, balsamic, soot, dry. Water lengthens the hot spices and adds trailing lemons.
Last Word: A whisky that brings a sledge hammer to a knife fight. While maybe not as balanced as some of the other Mars Heavily Peated Whiskies I’ve tasted it’s certainly entertaining. The nose it the highlight.
Rating: 86/100