Iwai 45 Review
In-Depth Review
Anybody who has been to a liquor store lately knows that we are living through one of the biggest booms in whisky history. But while at that liquor store, you might fail to see anything from one of the world’s preeminent whisky powerhouses – Japan. And it’s not every day that you can find a Japanese whisky from a recognizable distillery that’s priced under $50. Japanese whisky has become a rarified category where limited supplies have led to major scarcity and rampant price gouging. Names like Nikka and Suntory have become almost impossible to find around the US. So when Mars distillery started selling Iwai 45 (pronounced EEE-WHY), there was a buzz about it. Could we now find a readily available Japanese whisky for around $35?
And when they cranked up the ABV to 45% (instead of the traditional Japanese ABV of 43%), it got even better. And then with a suggested MSRP of only $35, this blended whisky seems to defy the entire category. And with Mars releasing this limited edition 1800ml sake style bottle for Iwai 45, I couldn’t help but pick up a bottle to try out. So should you finally take that dive into Japanese whisky with Iwai 45, or save your pennies and hold your breath to find something from Nikka or Suntory?
Age: Non-Age Stated
ABV: 45%
Cask: Ex-bourbon barrels
MSRP: $35 (for 750ML)
Distillery Name: Mars
Review Date: 7/3/22
Color: Straw Gold
Nose: The nose starts off nice and bright with melon, tropical fruits, a bit of coconut, and a slight ethanol tang. There’s a malty funk present, but its light and inviting. As it settles in the glass there are notes of sandalwood and recently burned incense. Almost like walking back in time. But the more you nose, the lighter and more refreshing this becomes with more notes of angel food cake and cream.
Palate: The palate shifts gears towards more a more malty personality. There’s wood dust, mint, and a bit of malt funk apparent on the first few sips. Then as it settles into your mouth, there are more cereal notes and some unripe melon and lemon zest. It’s a spirit forward whisky without a whole lot of wood influence from the casks. It immediately becomes apparent this is on the younger side (no surprise there) and has classic notes of fresh cut grass and wet hay. The mouthfeel is decent, but nothing to write home about. The increase to 45% ABV is welcome and helps it from feeling watered down (and probably would help it stand up in a cocktail well).
Finish: Even at 45% the finish is shorter than I expected and can turn relatively bitter quickly. The fun malty and fruit forward notes of the nose and palate give way to more black tea and buttered popcorn on the finish.
Final Thoughts: I may be in the minority here, but I wasn’t blown away by Iwai 45 - even at its affordable suggested price. I understand how difficult it is to get decent Japanese whisky under $100 and while this checks a lot of boxes, I feel this is far better used in a cocktail like a Highball than sipped neat. By no means a bad whisky, I found that its nose was the most appealing component while the finish fell flat. The palate was somewhere in the middle with an interesting malt driven character that had flashes of brilliance but ultimately felt like it was barely being held together. I loved the novelty of the 1800ml bottle (a great way to pour those Highballs) but I won’t be rushing out to grab a bottle. For even $35 there are far more interesting whiskies to grab – you just may need to check out a different country of origin.
Score: 84
