The Honbo Brewery, which had been striving to make shochu, a Japanese distilled spirit, in Kagoshima, obtained a license to produce whisky in 1949. Since then, the company has held on to the dream of “someday making real whisky that takes full advantage of the Japanese climate.
After several years of whisky production in Kagoshima, he established the Mars Yamanashi Winery, a factory for wine and whisky production, in Yamanashi in 1960. Then, in order to engage in whisky production in earnest, he searched for an even more ideal location.
The natural conditions for whisky making are very demanding: cold climate with clean air, moderate humidity, and good quality water.
In 1985, after searching for land that met these conditions, Mars Shinshu Distillery was established at an altitude of 798 meters at the foot of Komagatake Mountain in the Central Alps, Nagano Prefecture, in search of the best environment for whisky making.
In 1992, distillation was halted due to sluggish demand for whisky. In 2009, when demand for Japanese whisky was recovering and Japanese whisky was gaining worldwide recognition, the distillery decided to resume distilling and started again in February 2011.
In September 2020, the distillery underwent a complete renewal for the first time in 35 years. The investment will be approximately 1.2 billion yen.
From May 2019, a new whisky distillation building (including a barrel cellar) will be built to renovate aging facilities and improve the barrel cellar facilities with a view to increasing whisky production, and a new visitor building will be built to sell original whisky and goods, and existing facilities and equipment will be renovated.
The new whisky distillation building has a total floor area of 1,996m2 (including the barrel cellar, which will hold approximately 2,500 barrels), and the visitor’s building has a floor area of 746m2.
Reference: Hombo Brewery official website
The new arrival, Single Malt Komagatake IPA Cask Finish 2024, is a single malt whisky finished in empty casks aged with India Pale Ale (IPA), a medium dark beer brewed with plenty of hops at the Minami Shinshu Beer Komagatake Brewery.
The result is a bottle with a fresh, lively aroma reminiscent of citrus fruits derived from hops, a clear sweetness like grapefruit and lime, and a crisp, bitter finish, making it an excellent match for highballs.
Citation: Single malt Komagatake IPA Cask Finish Bottled in 2024 | Japanese whisky | Hombo Shuzo official website (hombo.co.jp)
At “BAR SHINKAI,” a glass is available for 45ml: 2970 yen, 30ml: 1980 yen, and 15ml: 990 yen.
For more information on “Single Malt Komagatake IPA Cask Finish 2024” please see this article.
For a full list of BARShinkai’s whisky menu, click here.
