Mars Iwai Natsu: Japanese Whisky Finished in Umeshu Casks

Umeshu casks are not a normal thing to finish whisky in.

Sherry, port, wine, bourbon. Those are the standards. Plum wine is not on that list.

Which is exactly why this one is worth your time.

What Is Iwai Natsu?

Natsu means summer. It's the warm-weather release in Hombo Shuzo's seasonal cask series out of Mars Komagatake in Nagano.

It starts as Iwai Tradition, the malt-forward whisky in the Iwai range, 70% malted barley, 30% corn, no age statement, aged primarily in ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks. That whisky then spends an additional six months in casks that previously held umeshu, Japanese plum wine.

Six months is short, and that's intentional. Umeshu casks are aggressive and will take a whisky over if you let them sit. The goal isn't plum whisky. It's to bend the profile and stop.

Limited annual release. Non-chill filtered, 40% ABV.

Why We Poured It

Because it's a summer whisky that actually tastes like summer, and there aren't many of those.

Most whisky in August is a compromise, either something light you forget, or something heavy you regret. This sits in between. The plum acidity keeps it lifted and the malt gives it enough body to still feel like whisky.

We also pour a lot of umeshu here. Putting a whisky finished in umeshu casks next to our 5-year Mito No Kairakuen is a comparison we enjoy setting up.

Flavor Profile

Nose: Cinnamon, honey, toffee

Palate: Ginger spice and malt over the round Tradition base

Finish: Sweet-and-sour plum, black tea, long

How to Drink It

Neat and slightly chilled is the best way to catch the finish. On the rocks is very good in the heat, the dilution pushes the plum forward and it gets dangerously easy.

It works as a highball, but you lose the tart complexity. Use Blue Label for that and keep this one for sipping.

Pair It With

Grilled and fatty. Pork belly skewers, pork kakuni, miso bacon. The plum acidity does what ume does on a plate. It cuts richness.

After hiyashi chuka is a genuinely good sequence.

Try It at Juraku

Available now at Izakaya Juraku, Lower East Side. Limited annual release, so when it's gone it's a year until the next one.