Mars The Y.A. #3 (70cl, 51%)

This is the third release of the Mars Y.A. series, published in 2024 as a blended malt. It combines malt whiskies from the Mars Komagatake and Mars Tsunuki distilleries, made from lightly peated malt. They matured for four to six years, mostly in ex-bourbon casks, in the Mars Yakushima Aging Cellar. Y.A. stands for Yakushima Aging. It was bottled at 51% without chill-filtration, in a 70cl bottle, and limited to 8,500 bottles. Citrus and tropical fruit shape its character, with mineral and salty maritime impressions. The nose has fresh mandarin, salted rusk, lemon tea, honey and leather. The palate brings citrus, banana and pear with roasted corn and cinnamon sugar. The finish is refreshing and sweet, with salty, savoury notes.