Mars Iwai 45 Japanese Whisky
Mars Iwai 45 Japanese Whisky is the full-strength expression of the Iwai line — 45% ABV (90 proof), 750mL, a corn-led blended Japanese whisky from the Mars Shinshu Distillery in Miyada, Nagano, aged in ex-bourbon barrels high in the Japanese Alps. Per distiller notes the blend runs 70% corn to 30% malted barley, aged two to five years — bourbon-like in build, distinctly Japanese in polish. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- ABV: 45% (90 proof) — the "45" is the strength
- Size: 750mL
- Blend: 70% corn, 30% malted barley (distiller notes)
- Ageing: Ex-bourbon barrels, 2–5 years (distiller notes); no age statement on the bottle
- Origin: Mars Shinshu Distillery, Miyada, Nagano, Japan — Japan's highest distillery at 798 m
- Producer: Hombo Shuzo — named for Kiichiro Iwai, mentor of Masataka Taketsuru
Bourbon Bones, Alpine Polish
Kiichiro Iwai was the man who sent Masataka Taketsuru to Scotland and quietly shaped Japanese whisky from behind the scenes; Mars Shinshu's Iwai line carries his name. The distillery sits at 798 metres in Miyada village between the Southern and Central Alps — the highest whisky distillery in Japan — working with soft, granite-filtered snowmelt in a cool alpine climate. Iwai 45 takes that setting and a corn-dominant, bourbon-barrel-aged blend and bottles it at a cocktail-ready 45%, where the standard Iwai sits at 40%. Whisky Advocate scored it 90 points and flagged it a Best Value. Explore it in our Japanese whisky collection and the wider whisky shelves, or visit the Mars Shinshu Distillery vendor page.
Tasting Notes
Nose: Honey, ripening pear and barley with exotic woods and citrus; chocolate-covered shortbread in the distiller's own notes. Palate: Honey sweetness, sugar cubes, vanilla, pear and apricot with gentle spice — bourbon-like from the corn, but lighter on its feet. Finish: Honey, breakfast cereal, nougat and white chocolate, with a whisper of red fruit.
How to Enjoy
The 45% bottling exists for mixing headroom: a Highball with plenty of soda and a lemon twist, or a Whisky Sour where the corn sweetness carries. It also sips neatly over a single large cube.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the 45 in Iwai 45 mean? The strength — 45% ABV (90 proof). It is the higher-proof version of the standard Iwai blended whisky, which is bottled at 40% ABV, made for greater cocktail versatility.
Is Mars Iwai 45 a single malt? No. It is a blended Japanese whisky — corn-led (70% corn, 30% malted barley per distiller notes) and aged in ex-bourbon barrels at the Mars Shinshu Distillery in Nagano.
Where is Mars Shinshu? In Miyada village, Nagano Prefecture, between the Southern and Central Japanese Alps — at 798 metres it is Japan's highest whisky distillery, owned by Hombo Shuzo.
Alpine air, bourbon barrels, full 45% strength — order Mars Iwai 45 Japanese Whisky online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.