[Review] single cask komagatake 2014 No.1834 AGED 6 YEARS

Whisky Review
Whisky Review
Hombo ShuzoShinshu Distillery

The “Single Cask Komagatake” is sold in very limited quantities. The “Single Cask Komagatake 2014 No.1834 AGED 6 YEARS” introduced in this article is a single cask whisky distilled at the Mars Shinshu Distillery in 2014 and aged for over 6 years in a sherry hogshead. Limited edition of 242 bottles.

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1. Manufacturer.

Honbo Shuzo Co.

Establishment 1872
Head office location 3-27, Minamisakae, Kagoshima City, Kagoshima Prefecture, 891-0122, Japan
Owned distilleriesMars Shinshu distillery, Mars Tsunuki distillery

2. Distillery

Mars Shinshu distillery

Location 4752-31, Miyata-mura, Kamiina-gun, Nagano 399-4301, Japan
Start of operation in 1985

It was in 1949 that Hombo Shuzo, which had been striving to make shochu, a Japanese distilled liquor, in Kagoshima, obtained a license to produce whisky. Since then, the company has been holding onto the dream of one day producing a genuine whisky that takes advantage of the Japanese climate.
In 1960, after several years of whisky production in Kagoshima, he established the Mars Yamanashi Winery

in Yamanashi, a factory for wine and whisky production. Then, in order to engage in whisky production in earnest, they searched for an even more ideal location.

The natural conditions for whisky production are very severe, including a cold climate with clean air, as well as moderate humidity and good quality water.
After searching for a site that met these conditions, we opened the Mars Shinshu Distillery in 1985 at an altitude of 798 meters at the foot of Mount Komagatake in the Central Alps of Nagano Prefecture, in search of the best environment for whisky production.
In 1992, the distillery stopped distilling due to sluggish demand for whisky. Later, as Japanese whisky began to be appreciated worldwide, the demand for whisky began to recover in 2009.
In September 2020, the distillery will be completely renovated for the first time in 35 years. The investment will be approximately 1.2 billion yen.

From May 2019, the whisky distillation building (including barrel storage) will be newly constructed for the purpose of renovating aging facilities, building barrel storage facilities with an eye to increasing whisky production, and observing whisky production, and the visitor building will be newly constructed for the purpose of selling original whisky and goods, and existing facilities and equipment will be renovated.
The new whisky distillery building has a total floor area of 1,996 square meters (including a barrel storage room that will hold approximately 2,500 barrels), and the visitor building has a floor area of 746 square meters.
Reference: Hombo Shuzo official website

■ Production capacity: 1.1 tons of raw malt/day

■ Brewing capacity: approx. 700 liters/day, approx. 185 kl/year (planned for FY2020)
■ Major equipment: 1 malt grinding machine, 1 mash tun reuter (saccharification tank) 6KL x 1, stainless steel fermentation tanks 6KL x 3, Douglas fir wooden fermentation tanks (relocated) 6KL x 3, first distillation kettle (relocated).

For more information about Mars Shinshu Distillery, please see here ↓

https://jpwhisky.net/japanesedistillery-1447/#4-3″]

3. Product name and photo

Single Cask Komagatake 2014 No.1834 AGED 6 YEARS

 

4. Features

Miyata Village, Kamiina-gun, Nagano Prefecture, is located at the foot of Mount Komagatake in the Japanese Alps. Surrounded by good quality water and rich nature, Mars Shinshu distillery stands in a quiet forest at 798m above sea level.
The “Single Cask Komagatake 2014 No.1834 AGED 6 YEARS” is a rare single cask whisky that was carefully selected from among the malt whiskys matured in the cool environment of Shinshu, and bottled from one cask of lightly peated (3.5ppm) sherry hogshead whisky matured for more than 6 years. This is a rare single cask whisky.
Reference: Japanese whisky|Single Cask Komagatake 2014 No.1834 AGED 6 YEARS

4-1. Tasting Notes

NoseCaramel, bitter chocolate
TastePlum, syrup, bitter chocolate
AftertasteBitter chocolate-like bitterness and sweetness

4-2. Product Specifications

Alcohol content60%
By liquorSingle malt whisky
Cask TypeSherry casks
Contents700ml
Number of bottles soldLimited to 242 bottles
Suggested retail price13,200 yen (tax included)
Release date2021

5. Awards

No awards have been received at this time.

6. Price

6-1. Manufacturer’s suggested retail price

Product nameSingle Cask Komagatake 2014 No.1834 AGED 6 YEARS
Volume700ml
Suggested retail price13,200 yen (tax included)

6-2. Resale price on Mercari

There seems to be no sales on Mercari at present (*as of February 3, 2022)

6-3. Yahoo Auction Sold Price

There seems to be no sales on Yahoo Auction at present (*as of February 3, 2022)

6-4. Rakuten, Yahoo Shopping, Amazon

The price is 178,000 yen

at mail order sites. (*as of February 3, 2022)

6-5. Price offered at BAR Shinkai

At BAR SHINKAI, which is operated by this website, onedrink is offered for 45ml: 4,290 yen, 30ml: 2,860 yen, 15ml: 1,430 yen.

https://en.jpwhisky.net/about-2/barshinkai-4/

7. Summary

This time it is a single cask of sherry hogshead. It has a fairly dark amber color.

The aroma and taste are very rich, and you can feel the weight of 6 years of aging. The aroma is very sweet, but on the palate, the sweetness comes first and then the bitterness quickly follows. I could also detect a plum-like sourness and a syrup-like sweetness, but overall, I felt a bittersweetness. I had the impression that the bitterness of the sherry was supported by the aging process. The viscosity is surprisingly low from the impression of the dark amber color and aroma, and it has a smooth mouthfeel.

The lingering bitterness and sweetness linger in the mouth like bitter chocolate.

When water is added, the aroma opens up gently, the sweetness and bitterness become stronger, and the aftertaste becomes slightly shorter and cleaner.

The “Single Cask Komagatake” is currently being sold on a regular basis. However, since it is limited to a very small number, it seems to be quite difficult to obtain. If you have a chance to drink it, I would like to compare them.

At BAR Shinkai, we also have the “Single Cask Komagatake 2013 No.1663 AGED 7 YEARS” . Please take a look at this review as well.

[clink url=https://en.jpwhisky.net/2022/02/14/singlecask_komagatake_2013_no1663-2//]

Please check out the other articles about “Hombo Shuzo, Single Malt Komagatake” . [wpap service=”with” type=”detail” id=”B09RV5G8Y7″ title=”Single Malt Komagatake IPA Cask Finish Bottled in 2021 700ml”]

https://en.jpwhisky.net/2021/07/20/komagatake_ipacask_2021-2//

[Review] Single Malt Komagatake ...
"Single Malt Komagatake Limited Edition 2020" was released on September 16, 2020 with a limited edition of 15,000 bottles from Marus Shinshu Distillery of Honbo Shuzo. Vating malts aged in sherry and American white oak barrels. A mild sweet aroma with ripe plum scents and refined honey and vanilla.

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Lastly: Recommended Books on Japanese Whisky

If you want to learn more about Japanese whisky, which is a global trend, we highly recommend these books.

(1).Whisky Galore Vol.29 December 2021 issue

In the December 2021 issue of Whisky Galore, published by the Whisky Culture Research Institute, we report on 11 Japanese craft distilleries, including some that are open to the public for the first time, under the title of “Japanese Whisky Craft Frontline,” the first of three consecutive issues. Why did the popularity of Japanese whisky and the craft boom occur? We will examine with interviews. Chichibu Distillery / Chichibu No.2 Distillery / Mars Shinshu Distillery / Mars Tsunuki Distillery / Kanosuke Distillery / Hioki Distillery / Ontake Distillery / Osuzuyama Distillery / Kaikyo Distillery / Hanyu Distillery / Konosu Distillery

(2). Japanese Whisky as an Education for Business

This is a book written by Mamoru Tsuchiya, a world-famous whisky critic and representative of the Whisky Culture Research Institute, titled “Japanese Whisky as a Culture that Works for Business” .
The book covers the basics of whisky, the introduction of whisky to Japan, the birth of Japanese whisky, advertising strategies and the rise of Japanese whisky, and the current rise of craft distilleries. This is a book that summarizes Japanese whisky in a very easy to understand way.

(3). Whisky and I (Masataka Taketsuru)

Masataka Taketsuru, the founder of Nikka Whisky, devoted his life to brewing whisky in Japan. This is a revised and reprinted version of the autobiography of a man who simply loved whisky and talked about himself. The book vividly depicts the days when he went to Scotland alone to study as a young man and overcame many hardships to complete Japanese whisky, as well as his companion, Rita.

(4). A Letter of Challenge from a New Generation Distillery

Launching in 2019. With the world experiencing an unprecedented whisky boom, what were the managers of craft distilleries thinking and what were their thoughts as they took on the challenge of making whisky? This book tells the stories of 13 craft distillery owners, including Ichiro Hido of Venture Whisky, famous for his Ichirose Malt, who inspired the birth of craft distilleries in Japan.

(5). Whiskey Rising

This is the Japanese version of Whisky Risng, published in the US in 2016, with much updated content. Not only does it describe the history of Japanese whisky in detail, but it also includes data on all the distilleries in Japan, including the craft distilleries that have been founded in recent years. The book also includes descriptions of the legendary bottles that have been released, as well as information on bars where Japanese whisky can be found.

この記事を書いた人
新海 博之

Born July 17, 1981 in Kitahiroshima City, Hokkaido, Japan
After graduating from university, joined NTT Data Customer Service Corporation as a new graduate.
2010: Opened "Azabujuban BAR Shinkai" → 2016: Developed specialty "Yakuzen Curry" → 2018: Opened "Toranomon BAR Shinkai" and in 2019 "Shibadaimon BAR Shinkai" → 2020: Started web media "Japanese Whisky Dictionary".
We will daily communicate the appeal of Japanese whiskey as something we, as bartenders, can do.

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