Mars whiskies

History

Kiichiro Iwai was an engineer at a Japanese spirits company who, at the beginning of the 20th century, sent a young chemist to study whisky in Scotland; that young man was Masataka Taketsuru, who would later found Nikka. Iwai ended up working for Hombo Shuzo and designed its first whisky distillery. In the mid-1980s the house opened the Shinshu distillery in the mountains of Nagano, but it closed a few years later, during the slump in consumption in Japan. With the revival of Japanese whisky it reopened at the beginning of the 2010s and has been renovated since.

House style

Mars Iwai Tradition’s style is smooth and rounded: honey, vanilla, ripe fruit, cereal and a touch of spice. Shinshu’s altitude, with very cold winters, slows down maturation and gives balanced whiskies. The house combines bourbon, sherry and wine casks. It is a versatile blend, designed for drinking neat, on the rocks or as a highball. The house also releases limited-edition malts with more body and wood.

Where to start

Mars Iwai Tradition is the catalogue’s entry and a good way to get to know an independent Japanese distillery. You’ll like it if you’re after a smooth Japanese blend with some fruit. Drink it as a highball or neat. If you like it, compare it with blends from the big houses, such as Nikka Days or Suntory Toki. If the history of Japanese whisky interests you, follow the trail of Nikka too, linked to the same story.

• Mars Iwai TraditionBlend · 40% ABV