There are bottles that make you sit up and pay attention before you've even cracked the seal. The Mars Komagatake 2017, a 7 Year Old aged on Yakushima Island and bottled exclusively for The Whisky Exchange, is one of those bottles. At 57% ABV and £225, this isn't an impulse buy — it's a statement piece from one of Japan's most fascinating smaller distilleries.
Mars Shinshu, the distillery behind Komagatake, sits high in the Japanese Central Alps of Nagano Prefecture. What makes this particular release so intriguing is the Yakushima ageing. Yakushima is a subtropical island off the southern tip of Kyushu, famous for its ancient cedar forests and extraordinary rainfall — we're talking one of the wettest places in Japan. That humid, warm climate accelerates maturation dramatically compared to the cool mountain air where the spirit was originally distilled. The interplay between birthplace and ageing location gives this whisky a split personality that I find genuinely compelling.
At 7 years old and bottled at cask strength without chill filtration, you're getting the full, uncompromised character of what Yakushima's climate has done to this spirit. That 57% ABV carries real weight, but this isn't a brute — there's a sophistication here that speaks to careful cask selection for this TWE exclusive release.
Tasting Notes
I'd encourage you to approach this one with patience. At cask strength, a few drops of water open things up considerably. The Yakushima ageing influence is the star here — expect a richness and depth that belies the relatively modest age statement. Seven years in that subtropical humidity can accomplish what might take twelve or fifteen years in a Scottish warehouse. The category and production style suggest tropical fruit, oak spice, and a malty sweetness characteristic of Japanese craft distilling, but I want to be honest with you: rather than put words in your mouth, I'd rather you discover the specifics yourself. That's half the fun with a bottle like this.
The Verdict
I'm giving the Mars Komagatake 2017 Yakushima Ageing a 7.7 out of 10. This is a genuinely interesting whisky from a distillery that deserves far more attention than it gets in the West. The Yakushima ageing concept alone makes it worth seeking out — it's a real conversation starter and a window into how creative Japanese producers are with maturation. The cask strength bottling shows confidence from the blenders, and the TWE exclusive status means you're getting something with a defined, limited character rather than a mass-produced blend. At £225, it's not cheap, but for a cask strength Japanese single malt with a unique ageing story and genuine scarcity, it represents fair value in today's market. I've seen far less interesting bottles command twice the price.
Best Served
Pour this neat in a Glencairn and give it five minutes to breathe. Then add water — literally three or four drops at a time — and watch it evolve. At 57% ABV, the neat experience is intense and rewarding for seasoned drinkers, but the real magic happens as you gradually bring it down. If you're feeling adventurous, try it in a Japanese-style highball with premium soda water and a twist of yuzu or lemon peel. The cask strength means it holds its character beautifully even with dilution, and on a warm evening, a Komagatake highball is a genuinely special thing. Just please don't bury this one in cola — it deserves better than that.
