Spirits · Mt. Komagatake, Nagano
Shinshu Mars Distillery
A mountain whisky distillery in Japan's Central Alps, run by Hombo Shuzo.
- Founded
- 1985
- Based in
- Mt. Komagatake, Nagano
Making it since
1985
Their story
The Mars Shinshu distillery belongs to Hombo Shuzo, a Kagoshima drinks company founded in 1872 that began making whisky in 1949. Its early whisky work was guided by adviser Kiichiro Iwai, and in 1985 the company opened Shinshu at the foot of Mt. Komagatake in Nagano, about 798 meters up in the Central Alps.
Falling demand forced a pause in 1992, and the stills sat quiet for 19 years before restarting in 2011. In 2016 Hombo added a second malt distillery, Mars Tsunuki, in its home region of Kagoshima, and in 2024 Shinshu was renamed Mars Komagatake Distillery.
How it's made
Hombo chose the mountain site for its cool climate and natural setting, seen as ideal for making and aging whisky. The distillery produces malt whisky that matures in the thin, cool air of the Central Alps.
Why we carry them
We like Mars for showing a side of Japanese whisky that comes from the mountains rather than the big names. A great bottle for the curious.
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