Japan’s Mars Distillery Announces Release of Three New Whiskies

Bourbon

November 25, 2020

Japan’s Mars Distillery announced the release of three new whiskies in the American market.

They include IWAI 45, a bourbon-style Japanese whisky; Komagatake 2020, a single malt whiskey aged in sherry casks and American white oak, and Tsunuki the First, another whisky aged in sherry casks and oak.

Here are short descriptions of the whiskies:

IWAI 45: Inspired by America’s Great Whiskies, with a Higher ABV: IWAI Whisky is named for Kiichiro Iwai, a pioneer of the Japanese whisky world. It has an SRP of $34.99 and an ABV of 45%. The mash bill is mostly corn followed by malt and a hint of rye, aged in ex-Bourbon barrels, with a blending of sherry, bourbon, and wine casks with a dash of peat.

Komagatake 2020: Annual Release Aged For Over Three Years: This version of the annual release celebrates the opening of the reconstructed distilling site at Mars Shinshu distillery. It carries an SRP of $169 and is a single malt aged for over three years in sherry casks and American White Oak make barrels.

Tsunuki the First: First Release from Mars’ Southern Distillery: The first release from Mars’ southern distillery, Tsunuki carries an SRP of $219.99 and is a single malt aged for over three years in bourbon barrels and sherry casks. Tsunuki is named for the birthplace of Mars’ Hombo family, and its sea level location results in higher humidity and fluctuating temperatures.

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