Whisky, 'Iwai Tradition - Natsu Ume Cask', Mars Distillery

• Limited, annually released blended Japanese whisky from Mars Komagatake (aka Mars Shinshu) in Nagano, Japan • Iwai Tradition, from Mars Komagatake’s core range, is finished in Japanese plum wine (umeshu) casks for an additional 6 months • 70% malted barley and 30% corn • Dstilled twice in copper pot stills • Iwai Tradition is non-age statement; aged primarily in ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks (other cask types including ex-wine, port, & new oak may vary batch to batch) • Proofed with granite-filtered Alpine water from nearby Mt. Kiso-Komagatake • The honey, toffee, and ginger spice of classic Iwai Tradition is amplified by a nose of cinnamon and a lingering finish of sweet-and-sour plum and black tea • 40% ABV Umeshu is a Japanese staple. Fresh unripe plums are steeped in alcohol with rock sugar to create a sweet & sour liqueur that may be enjoyed on its own or mixed in multiple ways. Occasionally umeshu is aged, and in the case of Natsu Ume, casks previously used to age umeshu kiss Iwai Tradition with a touch of sweet-tart plum while complementing the whisky’s inherent baking spice.