Whisky: Mars The Y.A. #01

Country/Region: Japan/Blended Malt

ABV: 52%

Cask: Bourbon

Age: NAS (Bottled 2022)

Nose: Fruity hard candies, bubblegum, saltwater taffy, vanilla, subtle maritime, chalky, hints of dried grass, wood, and card stock.

Palate: Medium to light-bodied, citrusy, saltwater taffy, wood, bubblegum, pepper, subtle maritime salt and caramel.

Finish: Medium to brief with artificial fruits and drying oak.

Score: 5-6 (74)

Mental Image: Seaside Candy Purveyor

Narrative & Notes: The aroma hit me like  the door to a seaside confectionary store: subtle notions of fruity hard candies, saltwater taffy, bubblegum, amaretto, and wood— ouch.  Chalkier candies and meringue cookies arrived with hints of dry grass, wood oils, and old baseball cards. Medium to light-bodied with an oily texture, the flavor profile presented more citrusy candies and saltwater taffy, but with a kiss of smoke and more worn oak in the background. Orange, mint, amaretto, and bubblegum flavors jostled for position among refined sugars and gums. More wood and pepper lingered at the end with a kiss of salt and caramel. The finish was medium to brief and shorter than I wanted, with artificial fruits and drying oak.

It is about time for me to just surrender to the idea that I might fall in love with the whiskies produced by Mars, especially their the Shinshu distillery. There is a bubble gum note that I cannot escape, and though it was more subtle here, it was present alongside a variety of fruity candies and oak. I found the whisky altogether too sweet and artificial fruit tasting, though I appreciated the well-balanced mouthfeel.

Overall, I hoped that the combination of malts from Shinshu and Tsuniki might bring more savory elements to the fore, especially as this matured in the Yakushima Aging Cellar (Hence the name YA).  This is sure to please anyone who already enjoys Mars products, especially the Komogatake releases, which are thankfully on the affordable side as far as Japanese whiskies go.