Honshū
Mars Shinshu
Japan's highest distillery, in the Southern Alps
Founded 1985Signature · Komagatake Single Malt
At 798 metres in the Kiso mountains, Mars Shinshu is Japan's highest whisky distillery — cold, quiet and slow, which suits its softly fruity malt. The Hombo family's distilling licence dates to 1949, drawn up by Kiichiro Iwai, whose protégé's notebooks from Scotland (yes, Taketsuru's) shaped its stills. Mothballed in the lean years and rekindled in 2011, its Komagatake releases and Tsunuki sister distillery now anchor Japanese whisky's independent wing.
House style
Alpine-soft and fruity — the independent Hombo family style.