Whisky distilled in the Japanese Alps travels south to the verdant island of Yakushima, an island 60 km off the Kagoshima mainland, to experience the aging effects of its temperate climate and lush cedar forests, creating a Japanese single malt like none other.

• Single malt Japanese whisky produced by Mars Whisky at Mars Shinshu in Nagano and aged in Yakushima, Japan
• 2021 Vintage (4^th release)
• Malted barley peated to either 20 or 50 ppm before distillation
• Aged 3–5 years in ex-bourbon barrels and ex-sherry casks
• A nose of yellow fruit, fresh butter, and white smoke opens to a soft and intriguing palate of milk chocolate, dashi, and dried bonito with a pleasant bitterness lingering on the finish
• 522 bottles released in the US
• Non-chill filtered; 56% ABV

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.