Mars Kura Japanese Whisky

More widely known as the Mars Shinshu Hombo Shuzo distillery, you’ll see bottlings simply referred to as Mars on the international circuit. Founded in 1985 in Miyada Village, this initial investment was to take advantage of the Japanese whisky boom at that time. Sadly, as boom and bust economics show us, the boom was short-lived and Mars closed in 1992 without really establishing itself. The arrival of another boom in demand prompted its owners to revive the distillery in 2011, even then, the revival was very modest with only seasonal production being pursued. However, with the ongoing thirst for Japanese whisky, Hombo Shuzo is producing almost all-year-round thanks to further internal investment in 2014. Further expansion came online in 2019, including warehousing and a visitor centre, as the range continues to expand and gain international acclaim.