Grocery wholesaler Kokubu Hokkaido is launching a new brand called Dake Kanba. The first product will a blended malt whisky, “Mars Whisky Dake Kanba.”
Although many of Mars Whisky’s cheaper blended whiskies involve a significant grain component, this one apparently doesn’t. Kokubu Hokkaido goes out of their way to tell us that Mars Whisky Dake Kanba here is indeed 100% malt whisky. But it’s probably using imported malt whisky–perhaps the entire bottle!–given that they don’t mention where any of the whiskies were distilled or matured. After all, it’s not like Mars Whisky is having trouble selling the juice they make themselves.
“Dake Kanba” is the Japanese name for the venerable Erman’s birch tree. Mars Whisky Dake Kanba weighs 43% abv, comes in a 700ml bottle, and will be sold from today for 5000 yen before tax. Sales are limited “mostly” to Hokkaido but they do mention you may be able to get it at antenna shops like the Dosanko Plaza.
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