The Hombo family, founder of Mars, began producing shochu in 1909, expanding their portfolio over the years to eventually include their most popular product, whisky. They obtained their whisky license in 1949 with the help of their advisor, Mr. Kiichiro Iwai, an icon in the rise of Japanese whisky.

Currently, Mars has two distilleries and an additional aging site. Mars Shinshu, the main distillery, is tucked away at 2,625 ft in the Nagano Alps, making it Japan’s highest whisky distillery. Nagano’s heavy snowfall and temperate climate provide an abundance of soft and delicate glacier water for use in this dynamic range of both blended and single malt expressions.

The Komagatake 2022 release marks the transition from the limited releases seen under the Komagatake label to an annual edition that reflects the core single malt house style for Mars Shinshu; an exciting benchmark for ongoing releases.

• 2022 Edition of Komagatake Single Malt whisky from Mars Shinshu in Nagano, Japan
• Distilled in copper pot stills from 100% malted barley, a blend of barley unpeated and peated to 3.5 parts per million
• Non-age statement; aged between 3–5 years in ex-bourbon, sherry, and port casks
• Delicate aromas of coconut husk, warm cereal, cedar plank & milk chocolate lead to a palate of gunpowder green tea, peach candies, and manuka honey
• Gold medalist at the 2023 San Francisco World Spirits Competition
• 9516 bottles released in the US
• Non-chill filtered; 50% ABV