Mars Lucky Cat "Mint"

This seems to be a limited release of 3830 bottles, originally priced around $120. It's now sold out, and online searches show the only available ones are on Cask Cartel for an incredible $1k. Many thanks to a friend for the sample of this rare and costly spirit. Let's see if the appeal is the cute cat on the bottle or if it's truly an exceptional treat. The aroma is very subtle, with notes of runny honey, orange blossom, grapefruit, vanilla, followed by a slight sulfur and mild oak, with a light ethanol burn. A taste reveals a thin to medium mouthfeel, starting with light fruit that quickly turns bitter and sour, tasting of grapefruit pith and clay soil. There's a medium ethanol burn, and the finish is short, with bitter grapefruit, a subtle hint of vanilla to temper the bitterness, along with pencil eraser and clay soil. It's quite a letdown; with each sip, more earthiness and bitterness emerge, which is nowhere near worth the original price or current secondary market values. If you want a bottle with a cat on it, save your money and get a Springbank 12, print your favorite cat picture, and put it on the front. You'll get a delicious whiskey with a cute cat and save a lot.

A tasting session last night involved sharing several drams with another individual. This was one of my contributions. Unfortunately, it was sampled immediately after an impressive Ardbeg Drum CE, setting a low bar from the start. It didn't rank among my top six out of the twelve. It offered honey and a light, almost gin-like delicacy. It had a high grain presence and tasted young. This was highly sought after and difficult to obtain, selling out rapidly. I'm uncertain if it justified the quick sell-out, or perhaps its positioning after the Ardbeg was unfortunate.

A wonderfully light blend. The nose is very complex and sophisticated, with peach, vanilla, and honey being most prominent, alongside hints of passion fruit. The palate is fruity and smooth on the tongue. The aftertaste doesn't linger as long as desired, but layers and waves of flavor do emerge.