Mars Tsunuki 2017 (LMDW)

Distilled at Tsunuki in 2017 and bottled in 2025 at 7 Years Old, this is a single cask single malt selected by La Maison du Whisky for the French market at cask strength. Tsunuki is operated by Hombo Shuzo in Kagoshima prefecture, on the southern tip of Kyushu, where the warm, humid conditions give maturing whisky a pace and richness that amplifies the wood's contribution relative to cooler Japanese distilleries.

The cask is a bourbon barrel, which over seven years in the Kagoshima climate will have given generously of its vanilla, caramel and dried fruit character, building greater complexity than the 4 or 5 year old single casks more commonly seen from Tsunuki's early vintages. At 59.8% and bottled without dilution, the whisky is full-bodied. Where specific tasting notes are not listed, the expected profile at this age in a bourbon barrel shows mature orchard fruit, warm spice and a toasted oak structure with the tropical undertone typical of Tsunuki's southern maturation.