PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
The Lucky Cat series is a genuinely heartfelt, ongoing tradition at Hombo Shuzo — a collection of blended whiskies built around the real cats who live at the distillery, each release capturing a specific cat's personality directly in the blend. May & Hana is the tenth chapter, and the first to bring together two cats who'd each already appeared solo in earlier releases — May, first featured in the series' fourth edition, and Hana, from the fifth. As president k. Hombo himself describes it: "the elder Mei will be 20 years old this year, and Hana will be 8 years old" — a genuine multi-generational pairing of two of the distillery's most beloved, pampered cats.
That contrast is translated directly into the whisky's construction: May's mature, twenty-year seniority is represented by rich Pedro Ximénez sherry cask maturity, while Hana — nearly half May's age, and, per the brand's own copy, "very much a lap cat" — is represented by the elegance of port wine casks. The blend combines malt and grain whisky, lightly peated, with the malt component double distilled in copper pot stills, produced at Mars Komagatake Distillery (formerly Mars Shinshu) in Nagano — Japan's highest-altitude whisky distillery, sited more than 2,600 feet up in the Japanese Alps, where winter temperatures can drop to 5°F. This is a genuinely limited release, capped at 10,000 bottles, bottled non-chill filtered with no added coloring.
Umami Mart's independent tasting found "notes of cherry cola, milk chocolate, raisins, and vanilla cookie dough" on the nose, the palate "rich and thick with those same cherry cola notes, chocolate vanilla, baking spice, and both yellow and black raisins." Mission Liquor and Remedy Liquor's shared official copy describes the aromatics carrying "all the familiar hallmarks of sherried whisky with caramel, raisin, and vanilla taking center stage," developing into "a harmoniously indulgent palate of stewed apricot, bittersweet chocolate, and ripe berries," calling it "the perfect representation of two cats napping away peacefully in their favorite sun splashed room." This is a genuinely lush, indulgently sweet, fruit-forward whisky — real warmth and personality behind a bottle built to honor two of Mars's own longtime feline companions.
Mars Whisky The Lucky Cat Double Individuals "May & Hana" is produced by Hombo Shuzo Co., Ltd. at Mars Komagatake Distillery (formerly Mars Shinshu), in Nagano, Japan — the country's highest-altitude whisky distillery, situated more than 2,600 feet up in the Japanese Alps. It is the tenth release in "The Lucky Cat" series, honoring two of the distillery's real cats: May, age 20, represented by rich Pedro Ximénez sherry cask maturity, and Hana, age 8, represented by the elegance of port wine casks.
The blend combines malt and grain whisky, lightly peated, with the malt component double distilled in copper pot stills before aging in ex-Pedro Ximénez sherry barrels and ex-port casks. Non-age statement. Bottled non-chill filtered, with no added coloring, at 43% ABV / 86 proof, 700ml, limited to 10,000 bottles.
Umami Mart (extended independent review):
"On the nose we get notes of cherry cola, milk chocolate, raisins, and vanilla cookie dough. The palate is rich and thick with those same cherry cola notes, chocolate vanilla, baking spice, and both yellow and black raisins."
Mission Liquor / Remedy Liquor / High Road Spirits (official brand copy):
"May, who at 20 years old, is represented in the blend by the mature richness of Pedro Ximenez sherry casks. Hana, who is nearly half May's age, and is very much a lap cat, is represented by the elegance of port wine casks. Two wonderfully pampered felines, represented in this latest blend by the lavishly decadent flavors of PX sherry and port wine. The aromatics are all the familiar hallmarks of sherried whisky with caramel, raisin, and vanilla taking center stage. A harmoniously indulgent palate of stewed apricot, bittersweet chocolate, and ripe berries completes this perfect representation of two cats napping away peacefully in their favorite sun splashed room."
HiTime Wine Cellars (official tasting note):
"Aromas of vanilla, caramel, and raisin lead to a palate of stewed apricot, bittersweet chocolate, and ripe red berries."
k. Hombo, President, Hombo Shuzo Co., Ltd.:
"The elder Mei will be 20 years old this year, and Hana will be 8 years old."
Nose
Vanilla, caramel, and raisin lead, joined by cherry cola and milk chocolate, alongside vanilla cookie dough.
Palate
Rich and thick, with stewed apricot and bittersweet chocolate carrying the entry, developing baking spice, ripe red berries, and both yellow and black raisin.
Finish
Indulgent and lingering, closing with genuine sherry-and-port-driven sweetness — lush and warm throughout.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Style | Blended Japanese Whisky (Malt & Grain, Lightly Peated) |
| ABV / Proof | 43% ABV / 86 Proof |
| Maturation | Ex-Pedro Ximénez sherry barrels & ex-port casks |
| Distillation | Malt double distilled in copper pot stills |
| Distillery | Mars Komagatake (fka Mars Shinshu) — Nagano, Japan |
| Producer | Hombo Shuzo Co., Ltd. |
| Series | The Lucky Cat — 10th edition, "Double Individuals" |
| Chill Filtered | No |
| Colour | No added coloring |
| Production | Limited to 10,000 bottles |
| Style / Identity | A genuinely lush, indulgent, sherry-and-port-driven blended whisky — honoring two beloved distillery cats |
| Aromas & Flavors | Vanilla, caramel, raisin, stewed apricot, bittersweet chocolate, ripe berries |
| Bottle Size | 700ml |
Enjoy neat or on the rocks, ideal for casual sipping or special occasions.
Bottle Size: All bottles are 750ML/700ML unless otherwise noted.
21 and Over: Adult Signature Required
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