Mars Komagatake – IPA Cask Finish (2021) (70cl, 52%)

This is a Japanese single malt from Mars, distilled at the Komagatake distillery and finished in IPA beer casks supplied by the Minami Shinshu brewery. It is a limited release of 3000 bottles at 52% ABV, in a 70cl bottle. The spirit is a vatting of ex-Bourbon cask whisky, aged in the stone warehouse at Mars Tsunuki distillery in Kagoshima. The beer casks add a distinct flavour of their own. The nose combines hops, citrus fruit, herbs and vanilla. Grapefruit and orange come through on the palate, followed by a medium, bitter finish that shows a clear influence from the cask.