Mars 'The Y.A.' #1 Japanese Whisky
Mars 'The Y.A.' #1 Japanese Whisky is a 52% ABV, 700mL blended malt — malt whiskies distilled at Hombo Shuzo's Shinshu (Komagatake) and Tsunuki distilleries, aged on Yakushima Island and blended — available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 52%
- Size: 700mL
- Type: Japanese blended malt whisky
- Casks: mostly ex-bourbon barrels
- Aging site: Mars Yakushima Aging Cellar, Yakushima Island (UNESCO World Heritage site), Kagoshima — established 2016
- Score: 96 points, VinePair 2022 Top 50
- Release: #01 — the first edition of the Y.A. (Yakushima Aging) series
Aged on a World Heritage Island
"Y.A." stands for Yakushima Aging — and the island is the whole point. Yakushima, a UNESCO World Heritage site 60km off Kagoshima, is a place of steep mountains, abundant water, and a hot, tropical climate with punishing humidity. Hombo Shuzo established the Mars Yakushima Aging Cellar there in 2016, and The Y.A. #01 is its first expression: malt whiskies from the company's two distilleries — Komagatake (Shinshu) in Nagano and Tsunuki in Kagoshima — matured in mostly ex-bourbon barrels in that one-of-a-kind island environment, then vatted. The tropical aging drives a higher angel's share and a distinctive profile: VinePair gave it 96 points and a 2022 Top 50 spot, finding seawater, tropical fruits, cedar, licorice, and slightly smoky leather at 52%.
Tasting Notes
Nose: fruity and punchy — ginger candy, honey, orange blossom, apricot, mandarin, yuzu, and red apple over vanilla cream, clove, and pepper (88 Bamboo). Palate: complex — orange marmalade, honey, white pepper, dried pineapple and apple, with a layer of camphor/tea smoke and a briny, umami edge. Finish: spiced honey and caramel custard, brighter and sweeter, with cold smoke and wood tannin.
How to Enjoy
Give it time to open — reviewers agree the whisky rewards patience in the glass. Neat first, then a few drops of water to bring the cedar, licorice, and tropical fruit into focus. A bottle for Japanese whisky collectors who thought they'd seen every island in the book.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does "Y.A." mean? Yakushima Aging — the whisky is matured at Hombo Shuzo's Yakushima Aging Cellar on Yakushima Island, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Is it a single malt? No — it is a blended malt, vatting malt whiskies distilled at Hombo Shuzo's Shinshu (Komagatake) and Tsunuki distilleries.
Why does the island matter? Yakushima's hot, humid, tropical climate accelerates maturation and increases the angel's share, giving the whisky concentrated tropical-fruit and maritime character you won't find in mainland-matured Japanese whisky.
The first edition of Mars's island-aged series — order Mars The Y.A. #1 online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.