Shinshu Distillery was founded in Nagano Prefecture in 1984 by Hombo Brewing, a Japanese Shochu maker from Kagoshima Prefecture. The distillery, which used to produce whisky only during winter, also produced other distilled liquors, such as brandy. In 1992, it stopped producing whisky due to low demand.
After the recovery of the whisky market in 2007, production resumed in 2011.At a height of 798 metres above sea level, Mars Shinshu is the highest distillery in Japan. The whisky, which is made from water that has passed through granite and contains plenty of natural minerals, has a rich and balanced flavor.A short while after its revival, Mars Maltage 3+25 earned the title of World’s Best Blended Malt Whisky at the WWA. The distinction stunned the whisky industry both internationally and in Japan.
In 2016, Hombo Shuzo reopened and introduced new pot stills to their first distillery location in Kagoshima now known as the Mars Tsunuki Distillery, Japan’s southernmost distillery.
They also built an aging facility on a tiny island known as Yakushima, a National World Heritage site, where they now age spirits from both Shinshu and Tsunuki distilleries.
