If you have been following this blog then you have heard of Mars Whisky from Hombu Shuzo, Japan’s third largest distillery. The names can be a bit confusing, Honbu Shuzo is the name of the company, while the distillery is called Mars. We prefer calling the whisky Mars whisky as it is easier to remember.

Anyway, people tend to overlook Mars in favor of Suntory and Nikka as they really are the giants of the Japanese whisky scene, Mars does however really produce ts own excellent series of whiskies. We at dekanta thought we’d present to you a few bottles you should keep in mind if you want to try out the whisky that comes out of the Mars distillery:

1. Moshi-Moshi 73 USD

A nice little bottle in a nice little box, Moshi Moshi is the prefect bottle for those who have never tried out Mars, but want to give it a chance. A blended whisky with a somewhat sweet taste, an excellent choice.

2, The Lucky Cat 200 USD

If there ever was an expression of passion, then this whisky is it, the whisky is named in honor of the owners housecat, the reddish color of it makes it look extremely tateful. And the taste is excellent as well. We wholeheartedly recommend that you give this a try.

3. Iwai Tradition 100 USD

Hombu Shuzo produces all kinds of drinks, including wine, it is therefore a bit surprising how long it took them to hit on the idea of using red wine casks from their Chateau Mars winery in neighbouring Yamanashi prefecture to finish their whiskies. For their first project in this field, they decided to use their blended whisky ‘Iwai Tradition’ and finish it for over a year in ex-red wine casks. Thank God they eventually did as we think it turned out rather well.

4. Mars Whisky Tarudashigenshyu Sangaku-Series Cask strength Limited bottling 3.500 USD

And finally, the cream of the crop from Honbu Shuzo, their finest product. Never mind the somewhat difficult to pronounce name, this is the finest expression of what Honbu is capable off. This single malt 59,3% comes in a specially made ceramic bottle with a handwritten label. A true collectors item!