Paying tribute to a longstanding and iconic Japanese tradition, LMDW has bottled a set of four Mars Japanese single malt whiskies in its new Sumo Collection!

"A sacred rite, an enduring ceremony, and a martial art practiced in modern arenas, sumo has its origins in Japanese mythology. It is mentioned as early as 712 in the Kojiki (Chronicles of Ancient Events), the first work in the Japanese language, which recounts the victory of the god Takemikazuchi over Takeminakata, following a fight that sealed the imperial domination of the people led by the victor over the Japanese islands.

Initially linked to Shinto rites, sumo wrestling was introduced into the ceremonies of the imperial court in the 8th century (Nara period), accompanied by music and dance. While tournaments initially allowed almost any strike, over the centuries the discipline became more professional, codified by precise rules during the Edo period (17th-19th centuries). Troupes of professional wrestlers were then formed to entertain the bourgeois class, and sumo took on its almost current form from the 18th century.

Broadcast on radio since 1928 and on television since 1953, sumo still punctuates the Japanese calendar today: six major annual tournaments, held in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, and Fukuoka, are fervently followed by a large portion of the population and broadcast throughout the country."

The Sumo Collection will see four whiskies distilled at both of Mars' distilleries, Komagatake and Tsunuki, with each expression illustrating a different Sumo technique.

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Mars Komagatake 6 Years Old 2018 Yori Kiri Komagatake Aging, 62.8% ABV

Single Cask #1964 - Virgin Oak Cask, Limited Edition of 216 Bottles

Made from the Concerto barley variety, this version, aged in American white oak barrels, takes us on a journey of discovery with a harmonious aromatic and flavor palette, oscillating between smoothness and liveliness.

Yori Kiri: Direct push throw outside the ring. This is the most common technique. The wrestler grabs his opponent by the belt and pushes him out of the dohyo-iri.

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Official Tasting Notes

Colour: Golden Yellow.

Aroma: Rich, deep. Overflowing with freshness (chanane, pineapple), an initial aromatic sequence then leads us into the heart of greener landscapes (fern, malted hay and honey). Upon aeration, candied lemons and fine spices (white pepper, muscado) give it a lot of class.

Taste: Clean, hungry. Picking up where the nose left off, the taste palette adds very delicate toffee flavors. Beautifully malty, the palate draws endlessly on notes of fruit (Mrs. Williams, apple) and reflexion.

Finish: A finish that is both tasty and invigorating. Producing the sensation of chewing a licorice stick, the finish emotionally brings back memories of the summer. Remarkably fresh in its expression, it restores the abundance of aromatic Mars fruit previously revealed.

Mars Komagatake 6 Years Old 2018 Oshi Dashi Tsunuki Aging, 58.4% ABV

Single Cask #5458-Bourbon Barrel, Limited edition of 180 bottles

Evolving to the rhythm of an initially omnipresent peat which, over time, ends up blending into its many other tones, this version, of remarkable purity of expression, pushes ever further the framework of its natural boundaries.

Oshi Dashi (Extrusion): Direct push outside the ring, without grabbing the belt. The wrestler pushes his opponent out of the ring with only his hands. This is a pure power technique.

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Official Tasting Notes

Color: Gold

Aroma: Saturated by an omnipresent smoke and peat, the aromatic palette also reveals scents of candied fruits (lemon, pear), Bourbon vanilla, almond milk, and fleur de sol. Upon aeration, medicinal notes (Chaume), custard, and artichoke hearts give it a consistency that is both lively and creamy.

Taste: Firm, invigorating. More marked by exoticism (banana, pineapple, the taste palette sees the peat or smoke slightly withdrawn. Very airy, the mid-palate offers a malty and gourmet sequence (flan) that is absolutely delicious. As time goes on, its fruity character (miracles) becomes more pronounced

Finish: Fresh, chiseled. A perfect synthesis of nose and palate, the finish evolves from peaty and roasty tones to fruity and vanilla tones. In this back-and-forth, the taste palette displays an increasingly malty and herbal dimension (cut hay, barley grain), enveloped in a deliciously marine and saline atmosphere.

Mars Komagatake 8 Years Old 2016 Tsuki Otoshi Yakushima Aging, 58.4% ABV

Single Cask #2067-Oloroso Sherry Hogshead, Limited edition of 204 bottles

Aged in a sherry cask, this version has a phenol content of 20 ppm. Particularly suggestive, its aromatic and flavor palette evolves, with great delicacy and precision, from deliciously gourmand sequences to malty and herbaceous sequences. The common thread throughout the tasting is the peat, which is alternately delicate, smoky, tarry, saline, iodized, and animal.

Tsuki Otoshi (Push Down): Lateral push deflection. Rather than a frontal throw, the wrestler quickly pushes his opponent to make him lose his balance. Very fast and often unpredictable

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Official Tasting Notes

Color: Copper Orange

Aroma: Full, aired. Initially, aromas of apricot and dried fig mingle with an incredibly delicate peat. The aromatic palette evokes a caramelized Fabricot tart. Superb. Then, it evolves into notes of orange, prune, roasted mango, and dark chocolate.

Taste: Digestive, complex. Powdery (cocoa), finely tarry, and covered with the smoky notes of a Havana cigar, the flavor palette demonstrates remarkable concentration. Over time, a very nice malty, gourmand (Crime Bril), and vanilla sequence gives it a beautiful consistency

Finish: Both firm and smooth. From now on, a rather dry, rooty, and indecent peat (algae) clearly takes center stage. Entering an increasingly saline universe, the roe-olfaction is marked by flavors of smoked fish, stuffed clam seafood, or even dry straw.

Mars Tsunuki 7 Years Old 2017 Uwate Nage Komagatake Aging, 59.8% ABV

Single Cask #3518 - Bourbon Barrel, Limited edition of 198 bottles

Made from the Concerto barley variety, this version, aged in a barrel that previously contained a bourbon, has a phenol content of 50 ppm. Particularly airy, its aromatic and flavor palette also possesses an extraordinary strength of character. A prerogative of the finest vintages, this sublime contrast highlights a distillate of remarkable purity.

Uwate Nage (Uwate Nage): Throw with outside hold. The wrestler grabs his opponent's belt and throws him to the ground with a twist of the torso. Very technical.

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Official Tasting Notes

Color: Gold

Aroma: Fine, aired. Scents of verbena, snuff, chalk, straw, artichoke roots, salt, pencil lead, and dry peat alternately share the aromatic palette. Upon aeration, lemon peel and Williams pears release their tangy yet fresh juice.

Taste: Rich, lofty. Resting on a peaty and licorice base, the taste palette is full of green and bucolic sequences (palesti, delit trifle). Then, the peat increases in power, displaying strong loquat, xaline, peppery or medicinal tones (au, kipariki).

Finish: Rich, velvety vanilla, juicy (peas) and resinous (pine, Vosgas candy), the finish is particularly well-balanced. Over time, while becoming more earthy, the peat becomes full of aromas. The empty glass is animal (smoked meat and fish).

Kanpai!

88 Bamboo Editorial Team