Description
Mars Bakemono “The Y.A.” Double Cask 7th “Umashika” Japanese Single Malt Whisky is the seventh chapter in Mars’s most collectible series — a lightly peated single malt matured on Yakushima Island — and it is built for the enthusiast who follows a distillery’s limited runs rather than its core range.
Process & Profile
Bottled at 51% ABV, this seventh Bakemono release, nicknamed “Umashika” after a mythical Japanese beast, is made from 100% lightly peated malted barley, twice distilled in copper pot stills and matured at the Mars Yakushima Aging Cellar. The Bakemono (“monster”) name is drawn from the 18th-century Bakemono Zukushi, or Monster Scroll, a bestiary of Japanese folklore that gives each edition its creature and character. Six to eight years of maturation on subtropical Yakushima — where the humid, salt-touched air drives the cask hard — lends this double-cask bottling a depth beyond its years.
On the nose, ripe pineapple, apricot, honeyed malt and a light coastal smoke.
On the palate, layered malt sweetness carries mango, vanilla, toasted oak and a peppery, softly peated edge.
The finish is long and gently smoky, tropical fruit fading into warm oak.
What marks this out from the standard Komagatake line is its identity as a numbered, folklore-themed limited edition — a series collectors track release by release, each drawn from specific casks rather than a repeatable house recipe.
Serve neat in a Glencairn to let the tropical fruit and peat unfold; water is optional at 51%.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is this whisky?
The seventh release in Mars’s Bakemono series, a lightly peated single malt matured at the Yakushima Aging Cellar.
What are the specs?
51% ABV, 700 mL, 100% lightly peated malt, twice pot-distilled, aged six to eight years, double cask.
What does it taste like?
Pineapple, apricot and honey on the nose; mango, vanilla and soft peat on the palate; a long, gently smoky finish.
How should you enjoy it?
Neat in a Glencairn, with water optional.
Why is this release notable?
It is the seventh entry in the folklore-themed Bakemono series, a numbered limited edition tracked by collectors.
