Whisky, 'Iwai Tradition', Mars Whisky

• Blended Japanese whisky from Mars Komagatake (fka Mars Shinshu) in Nagano, Japan • 30% corn and 70% very lightly peated malted barley (3.5 PPM or less) • Barley distilled twice in copper pot stills • Aged primarily in ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks (other cask types including ex-wine, port, & new oak may vary batch to batch); non-age statement • Proofed with granite-filtered Alpine water from nearby Mt. Kiso-Komagatake • The nose introduces clove and wildflower honey with just a hint of earthy peat before transitioning to nougat and milk chocolate on the palate; cinnamon gracefully joins this restrained chocolate note on the finish • 40% ABV Iwai [E-Y] Tradition, a malt-driven spirit that incorporates a very small amount of peat, is an accessible and compelling entry point to the world of Mars’s Nagano-produced, complex yet approachable distillates, and to Japanese whisky at large. Enjoy neat, with a touch of water, or in a classic highball.