Mars Bartender’s Choice

Mars Bartender's Choice is a blended malt produced by Hombo Shuzo under the Mars brand and bottled for the Japanese market at 40%. Released in 2014, the NAS bottling begins with Ex-Bourbon maturation before a wine cask finish, a combination intended to give the blend a fruit-forward and accessible character suited to a bartender's toolkit.

The wine cask finish adds a layer of red or white fruit influence over the bourbon-matured base, softening the oak and introducing a gentle sweetness. At 40% the bottling sits at a lighter, more mixable weight, and the blended malt style allows Hombo Shuzo to draw on malt spirit from across its portfolio to build a consistent and approachable house expression.