Country: Miyada, Japan

Region: Nagano

Style: Single grain

Raw material: Corn, and barley

Alcohol: 40%

The Hombo family has been distilling for more than a century and they added whisky to their repertoire in 1949.

In 1984, Mars Shinshu Distillery was relocated from Kagoshima Prefecture on the southern-most island of Kyushu to Miyada village in southern Nagano Prefecture.

Sited between the Southern Alps and the towering Central Alps, Mars Shinshu is Japan’s highest whisky distillery.

Kiichiro Iwai (pronounced “E – Y”), the namesake for this Mars Whisky, was a silent pioneer of Japanese whisky. This whisky is inspired by the great whiskies of America with a majority of corn balanced with light malt and aged in ex-bourbon barrels.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Light amber

Aroma: Vanilla, dried fruits and oaky

Taste: Sweet with fruit flavours like pear, quince and hints of red fruits and vanilla.

Variants:

IWAI Tradition

IWAI Tradition Sakura Cask

IWAI 45