This whisky is a blended malt from the Shinshu Mars Komagatake distillery. This is located at an altitude of 798 metres (2618 feet) at the foot of Mount Kisokoma in the Central Nagano Alps. This is about four hours west of Tokyo and makes it Japan’s highest whisky distillery. Launched in 2015, Mars Maltage Cosmo is a homage to the distillery’s location. The whisky is named after Mount Kosmo, one of the mountains in the Central Alps. It is marriage of malts from the Shinshu distillery and unnamed Scottish distilleries. This makes it a world whisky rather than Japanese whisky.
The history of the distillery goes back to 1949 when Kiichiro Iwai designed the pot stills used in the distillery, based on the records of Masataka Taketsuru. Taketsuru was one of the pioneers of Japanese whisky and formed Nikka, Japan’s second largest whisky company, in 1934. The distillery was re-established in 1985 by Hombo Shuzo, a shochu manufacturer, as a base for whisky and brandy production. However, it was closed for a number of years after 1992 due to the country-wide whisky slump that impacted many Japanese distilleries. It reopened in 2011.
The Mars distillery now also produces Japanese single malt whisky under the name Mars Komagatake which can be acquired by visiting the distillery. This Mars Maltage Cosmo is blended and bottled in Shinshu at 43% ABV. This whisky is permanent part of the core range and readily available in several international markets. A bottle will cost around £65.
Our Tasting Notes
The colour is dark gold and the nose is immediately nutty with aromas of hazelnut praline to the fore. Then comes a distinct aroma of sweet and waxy honeycomb, and some golden syrup. A hint of marzipan adds to the sweet and nutty vibe. A mushroom-like, earthy and umami note sits underneath, as does some bitter orange oil.
On the palate this whisky is soft, light and creamy but with a distinct peppery edge. There is an early note of gentle peat smoke that is reminiscent of dusty dried earth. Then comes some biscuity maltiness and a hint of cocoa powder. The nutty quality from the nose is evident again – this is initially sweet like the praline and marzipan, but then becomes more dry like bitter walnut skin. Some much needed sweetness finally appears in the form of runny honey. Dried orange peel and dusty spices, especially a hint of earthy tumeric, come through towards the end.
The finish is slightly on the short side and becomes more earthy, savoury and drying with time. The biscuity and nutty elements fade and the drying peat smoke comes to the fore. A white pepper-like heat also builds to add to the savoury nature.
What’s The Verdict?
This was our first time sampling something from Mars and we were intrigued. However it seems to lack balance and sweetness, and is very savoury – it is a combination that some may find challenging. The nose and palate do not quite match – this is a whisky that may be better when mixed and feels like it may be designed for this. Our small sample did not allow for this unfortunately. We remain intrigued …
