Mars Iwai Whisky is one of the newer Japanese whiskies that’s been showing up on the shelves over the last couple of years. It’s a distillery that’s been around for a while and is known for high quality whisky in Japan, but in America it’s just getting its feet wet.
In Mars’ Words: Mars Iwai Whisky
“Kiichiro Iwai, the name sake for this Mars Whisky, was a silent pioneer of Japan whisky. This whisky is inspired by great whiskies of America. A majority of corn balanced with light malt aged in ex bourbon barrels. Ideal for daily sipping, in a mint julep or an old fashioned.
TASTING NOTES: Sweet with fruit flavors like pear, quince and hints of red fruits and vanilla.”
Being a “bourbon inspired” whisky it’s made from 3/4 corn and 1/4 malted barley and aged in ex-bourbon casks I was expecting more of a bourbon character from it. Instead I got something resembling a poor blended which we’ll get into in the Mars Iwai Whisky review below.
Mars Iwai Whisky Info
Region: Nagano, Japan
Distiller: Mars Distillery
Mashbill: Japanese Single Malt + Japanese Grain Whisky (mostly corn)
Cask: ex-Bourbon
Age: NAS
ABV: 40%
Price: $35
Mars Iwai Whisky Review
EYE
Light caramel
NOSE
Corn whiskey, caramel syrup, rubbing alcohol, nuts and artificial sweetener. It’s rather terrible.
PALATE
Artificial caramel corn, rubbing alcohol and a bit of vanilla. Like the aroma it tastes rather terrible… damn.
FINISH
Short drop of artificial sweetness and alcohol that plunges into sharp metallic bitterness.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Unbalanced, thin body and a weak watery feel.
OVERALL
My first thought when experiencing the Iwai Blended Whiskey was “what monster bottled piss poor corn whiskey as Japanese whisky?”. Then after it sat for a minute and I considered what I was sniffing and drinking I took that internal comment back. it’s more like a flavored vodka made from low-grade flavoring and even lower grade vodka.
There’s no other way to put it, the Mars Iwai Whisky sucks. But while it doesn’t taste or smell good at least it’s not harsh, sharp, bitter or acidic; its one saving grace is that it’s spineless. If it had been aggressive it would have come across simialr to what I imagine drinking bio-fuel would be like. You can safely leave this one on the shelf and not feel like you’re missing anything.
SCORE: 63/100 (D)
