The Luck Cat Solla Mars Whisky 700mL

• Limited edition blended Japanese whisky produced by Mars Komagatake Distillery (fka Mars Shinshu) in Nagano, Japan
• 11th edition of the Mars “Lucky Cat” series dedicated to the distillery cats of Mars Komagatake
• Blend of unpeated malt and grain whiskies
• Malted barley distilled twice in copper pot stills
• Aged in a combination of casks featuring chestnut barrels and ex-sherry casks supported by Spanish and American oak and ex-wine casks; non-age statement
• Proofed with granite-filtered Alpine water from nearby Mt. Kiso-Komagatake
• Fresh peach, Anjou pear, and sea-salt caramels on the nose lead to a briny and spicy palate of cinnamon, chewy grain, and baked apples
• Non-chill filtered; 43% ABV

Welcoming a new cat to the family of felines featured in Mars’s coveted Lucky Cat series—dedicated to the distillery cats owned by President Kazuto Hombo—is no small occasion. This bottling marks the debut of the fresh-faced “Solla” and is aged in a combination of sherry and chestnut barrels to reflect his “warm fur and slightly mischievous personality.” As Homb-san relays: “On a rainy Sunday in mid-June, my wife contacted me to say that a cute, maroon-cream-colored kitten had arrived at our home…It had been a while since we welcomed a boy! We named him Solla, hoping he would grow up bright like the sun shining in the vast sky. About four months have passed since he joined our family. He eats well and is growing healthy, though it seems it will take a little longer for him to be fully accepted by his senior ‘sisters’… (laughs).”