Mars whisky has never done things the easy way. Its story begins in Kagoshima in 1949, shifts north to Yamanashi in 1960, heads south again, then climbs into the mountains, where Mars Shinshu Distillery opened in 1985. Then the Japanese whisky market fell in a heap. Production stopped. The stills went cold. And for 19 years, not a drop of whisky was made there.
Then, in 2011, someone flicked the lights back on. The stills fired up again, the place found a second life, and what is now known as Komagatake Distillery began one of the more intriguing modern chapters in Japanese whisky.
What makes Mars particularly interesting today is that it doesn’t make whisky in just one place. It deliberately splits production between two sites sitting at almost opposite ends of Japan’s climatic spectrum: the cool, thin air of the Japanese Alps and the warm, damp subtropics of southern Kyushu.
Komagatake Distillery sits in the Nagano Prefecture, cradled between the Southern and Central Japan Alps at roughly 798 metres (2,600 feet) above sea level. It is the highest whisky distillery in Japan, and among the highest operating anywhere in the world.
The site was chosen specifically for its altitude and climate: cold conditions and moderate humidity that would slow and prolong maturation, paired with a high-quality water source — soft, glacier-fed spring water from Mount Kiso, naturally filtered through granite.
Today, the distillery is guided by manager Koki Takehira and head distiller Kunihiro Kawakami whose blend of traditional knowledge and restless curiosity has been instrumental in the distillery’s modern renaissance.
“The tradition wasn’t passed on properly,” says Koki Takehira. “I’ve had to revive the method from the Iwai records. The mind of Iwai, his spirit, is still there. That is what we are now reviving.” For those new to the story, ‘Iwai’ is Kiichiro Iwai one of Japan’s legendary whisky men, a trailblazer who advised Hombo Shuzo (Mars’ owners) during its early foray into whiskey in the 1950s and 1960s. Iwai had previously been instrumental in sending Masataka Taketsuru—later founder of Nikka—to Scotland to study whisky-making and would later draw on Taketsuru’s technical report when advising Hombo.
Production at Komagatake centres on achieving the cleanest possible wort; a set-up aimed at coaxing a transparent, fruit-forward (and quintessentially Japanese) character from the resulting spirit. The two newer stills are larger than their predecessors but retain the same sharp-nosed shape as Iwai’s original Yamanashi stills. There is also a worm tub on the spirit still which, by reducing the amount of copper that meets the spirit vapour, adds a little extra weight to the final distillate.
Down south, things are quite different.
Mars opened Tsunuki Distillery in Kagoshima in 2016, returning whisky production to the region where Hombo Shuzo began. The climate is warmer and more humid. Maturation moves faster and evaporation is considerably higher. The angel’s share here runs at 5–7% per year, nearly double that of Komagatake.
Drawing its water from Mount Kurata, Tsunuki’s stills and production choices are designed to create a weightier spirit. The wash still is onion-shaped while its spirit still is straight-headed, a combination chosen deliberately to build a funkier, more robust spirit than Komagatake’s.
With his table rasa, distillery manager Tatsuro Kusano has experimented with wort clarity, yeast strains and cut points to understand what works best in this edgy environment.
The whiskies tend to be funkier and broader, often showing citrus, richer malt character and a slightly more muscular texture than their alpine cousins. And it is here that peated malt also enters the story.
Then there is Yakushima.
Beyond the two distilleries, Mars ages a portion of its spirit at the Yakushima Aging Cellar, located on Yakushima Island — a UNESCO World Heritage site off Japan’s southern coast. Here, casks from both Komagatake and Tsunuki age in a tropical climate marked by intense humidity and little rainfall. The angel’s share at Yakushima is the highest of the three sites by a wide margin: 7–9% per year. Whiskies aged here are said to take on tropical fruit notes and a mineral, saline edge.
Six Whiskies to try…
Komagatake Distillery
- Mars Komagatake Edition 2021 Single Malt
Matured mainly in bourbon and sherry casks, Komagatake’s flagship expression is bright, elegant and fruit-driven. Quince and apricot lead the nose, with honey, orange zest and vanilla, lifted by lemongrass, ginger and a touch of oak. The palate is supple and layered: honey, melon and persimmon over barley sugar, raisin and vanilla, with ginger adding warmth. Sherry casks bring hazelnut, chestnut and dried fruit, while citrus keeps things lively. The finish is smooth and poised, lingering on sweet barley, gentle oak and spice.
ABV: 48%
Cask Maturation: Bourbon (primarily) & Sherry Casks
Style: Japanese Single Malt Whisky
Bottle Size: 700ml
- Mars Komagatake Limited Edition Single Malt 2020
Unlike the bourbon-cask-matured Edition 2021, this limited-release Japanese single malt draws on single malt whisky matured in sherry casks and American white oak.
The nose is rich and inviting, with ripe prune, pear crumble and acacia honey alongside vanilla, baking spice, almond butter, chocolate-coated nuts and buttery caramel. Orange and ripe tropical fruit lead the palate, followed by malt biscuit, honeyed cereal and berry jam. Cacao and a gentle oak bitterness add balance to the smooth, supple texture. The finish is long and clean, lingering on crème pâtissière and delicate white fruit.
ABV: 50%
Cask Maturation: American White Oak & Sherry Casks
Style: Japanese Single Malt Whisky
Bottle Size: 700ml
- Mars Komagatake IPA Cask Finish Single Malt
A distinctive Japanese single malt marrying two regional crafts: whisky and beer. After bourbon-cask maturation, selected casks are married for further ten months in casks previously used for IPA at neighbouring Minami Shinshu Brewery. The result is a lively mix of citrus, herbs and hop bitterness over the whisky’s natural malt sweetness.
The nose opens with fresh citrus and herbaceous hops, followed by pineapple, vanilla and fragrant pine. On the palate, sweet malt meets grapefruit and orange, with pineapple, candied citrus and vanilla adding depth. The IPA casks bring a distinctive bittersweet edge without overwhelming the whisky. The finish is clean and crisp, lingering on grapefruit peel, herbs and pleasantly bitter hops.
ABV: 52%
Cask Maturation: Bourbon Casks with Minami Shinshu IPA Cask Finish
Style: Japanese Single Malt Whisky
Bottle Size: 700ml
Tsunuki Distillery
- Mars Tsunuki Peated Single Malt 2020
Distilled in 2016 and 2017 and matured mainly in bourbon barrels, with some sherry cask influence, this release shows the growing maturity of Mars Tsunuki’s spirit. Bottled at 50% ABV and peated to around 35 ppm—roughly Lagavulin territory—it balances generous fruit and malt sweetness with well-integrated smoke.
The nose opens with cream soda, white honey and dulce de leche, wrapped in elegant peat smoke, with cereal and soft fruit underneath. The palate is warm and textured, bringing barley, crisp apple and ripe yellow fruit alongside persistent, sweet smoke. The finish is long and gently smoky, lingering on peat, sweet malt and ripe fruit.
ABV: 50%
Cask Types: Bourbon & Sherry
Peat Level: Mainly 20 & 50 PPM
Style: Japanese Single Malt Whisky
Bottle Size: 700ml
- Mars Tsunuki Single Malt Edition 2022
Following Tsunuki ‘The First’ and ‘Tsunuki Peated’, the 2022 Edition is the distillery’s third single malt and its first core release. Distilled in 2016 and 2017, it is predominantly unpeated, with a small parcel of lightly peated whisky adding a subtle smoky edge.
Matured mainly in bourbon barrels and bottled at 50% ABV, the nose opens with lemon cake, black tea and a wisp of smoke, followed by apricot, marmalade and vanilla. With time, cacao, buttered toast and creamy milk candy emerge.
The palate is lively and bittersweet, with citrus, cocoa butter and maple sweetness balanced by green oak and gentle smoke. Warming spice builds steadily beneath the fruit and chocolate. The finish is long and layered, lingering on bourbon sweetness, citrus, oak and soft smoke.
ABV: 50%
Cask Maturation: Predominantly Bourbon Barrels
Style: Japanese Single Malt Whisky
Bottle Size: 700ml
Awards:
Double Gold – 2023 San Francisco World Spirits Competition
Best in Class Japanese Whisky – 2023 San Francisco World Spirits Competition
Yakushima Ageing
- Mars The Y.A #01
Mars The Y.A. #01 is the inaugural blended malt in the series, combining spirit from Mars Whisky’s Shinshu and Tsunuki distilleries. Peated and unpeated malts were matured mainly in bourbon casks, with some sherry cask influence, at Mars’ ageing cellar on subtropical Yakushima Island. The warm, humid climate lends the whisky a rich texture and a distinctly tropical character.
The nose is generous with orange, pineapple and ripe banana, followed by vanilla, caramel and sweet malt. The palate is creamy and fruit-driven, with banana cream, candied fruit and a touch of salinity, while the lightly peated malt brings only a faint thread of smoke. The finish is long and fruity, lingering on tropical sweetness, malt and gentle smoke.
ABV: 52%
Peat Level: Approx. 2 PPM
Cask Types: Bourbon & Sherry
Components: Malt Whisky from Shinshu & Tsunuki Distilleries
Maturation: Yakushima Ageing Cellar
Style: Japanese Blended Malt Whisky
Bottle Size: 700ml
Award:
Gold – 2023 San Francisco World Spirits Competition