| Brand | Mars |
| Region | Japan |
| Spirits Type | Whiskey |
| Spirits Style | Blend |
| ABV | 40% |
Product details
Mars Shinshu, Japan’s highest whisky distillery, sits at over 2,600 feet between the Southern and Central Alps in Nagano Prefecture. Operated by the Hombo family, who have been distilling for over a century, the distillery initially began producing whisky in 1949 in the Tsunuki region of Kagoshima. In 1984, they relocated to Miyada village in central Japan to take advantage of the region’s cool temperatures and pure, snowmelt-fed water. In 2016, the Hombo family reopened their original Tsunuki distillery and added an aging facility on Yakushima, a World Heritage site, where they now age spirits from both distilleries.
Iwai Tradition Sherry Cask Whisky, crafted by Mars Shinshu, is a blended whisky made from 70% malted barley and 30% corn. It is aged in ex-bourbon, sherry, and wine casks, with an additional 11 months in Pedro Ximénez sherry casks. This whisky boasts rich aromas of brown sugar, cacao, and black cherry, while the palate reveals fruity and dessert-like notes of dried apricot, lemon poppyseed cake, orange peel, and nutmeg. The influence of the Pedro Ximénez casks imparts deep, robust sherry characteristics. Only 540 bottles were released in the U.S.
