Mars Iwai 45 Japanese Whisky 1800ml

#19, Whisky Advocate’s top 20 whiskies of 2020

This new, higher-proof Iwai (pronounced EE-why) was designed for cocktails; however, its supple and more than capable as a neat sipper too, with pleasing aromas of honey, ripening pear, barley, exotic woods, and citrus. The palate of honey sweetness, sugar cubes, vanilla, pear, apricot, and spice bows out with honey, breakfast cereal, nougat, and white chocolate. Its a delicious and unusual whisky from Japan, less aligned with the countrys scotch-like tradition of malts and blends and more similar to bourbon, being made mostly from corn.