Mars has always had a slightly playful streak, and The Lucky Cat leans into it without apology. The bottle carries the image of the maneki-neko, Japan's beckoning cat of fortune, and the whisky inside is designed to be every bit as welcoming: bright, approachable, generous, the sort of pour you reach for when the company is good and the evening is young.
It is a blended malt from Mars Shinshu, the Central Alps distillery in Nagano that sits higher than any other whisky-maker in Japan. Where Maltage Cosmo leans towards elegance and orchard depth, The Lucky Cat feels lighter on its feet, more citrus-led, more immediately charming. The nose opens with candied orange and lemon zest, a curl of vanilla, a soft honey note, and a floral lift that feels almost like elderflower at the edges.
On the palate it is fresh and bright, those citrus notes carrying through, pear and malted cereal filling in the middle, and a gentle sweetness that reminded me of buttery shortbread. There is nothing heavy here, nothing that demands concentration. The finish is medium and clean, with the citrus lingering and a whisper of oak to tidy it all away.
This is not a whisky aiming for the deep end. It is a whisky aiming for the highball, the lazy Sunday, the gift to a friend who is curious about Japanese malt but wants something unintimidating. On those terms, it is a small triumph — charming, well-made and impossible to dislike.
