Shinshu Mars & Tsunuki Japanese Whisky

Shinshu Mars distillery was opened at the high altitude of 798 meters in the small village of Miyata in Nagano prefecture in 1985.  The humidity during summer is moderate and the water is of high quality, making the area an ideal location for whisky production. 

In 1990, the Japanese economy stagnated and demand for whisky dropped dramatically. Mars, being a relativity young player in the field, halted production in 1992. By 2007, the whisky market started to recover and Shinshu Mars resumed production in 2011, after almost a two-decade hiatus.