The Mars Shinshu Mars Tsunuki Aging

Mars Tsunuki Aging is a single malt that begins its life at Hombo Shuzo's Tsunuki distillery in Kagoshima prefecture, on the warm southern coast of Kyushu, before the new-make spirit is transferred north to Mars Shinshu in Miyada, Nagano prefecture, for maturation in the cool Alpine climate of the Central Alps. The 2020 bottling for global markets was matured in Ex-Bourbon casks and bottled at cask strength at 54%.

The Tsunuki Aging concept captures the intersection of two very different Japanese climates: the warm, humid south that shapes the new-make character and the cool, thin-aired mountain environment that slows and refines the maturation. At this early stage of Tsunuki's distilling history, the 2020 release carries a notably direct, coal-gas and raw spirit note that reflects an unmasked young distillate finding its character through Ex-Bourbon wood. Bottled at 54% cask strength, it is a transparent and honest window into the Tsunuki distillery's early production.