Mars Tsunuki Japanese Whisky 2022 Edition
Mars Tsunuki Japanese Whisky 2022 Edition is a 50% ABV, 700mL single malt Japanese whisky — matured in ex-bourbon barrels, non-chill filtered with no added color — from Hombo Shuzo's Tsunuki distillery in Kagoshima, available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 50%
- Size: 700mL
- Type: Japanese single malt whisky
- Casks: ex-bourbon barrels
- Filtration: non-chill filtered, no added color
- Distillery: Mars Tsunuki, Kagoshima Prefecture — production began October 2016, inaugural release April 2020
- Release: 2022 Edition — the distillery's first limited annual release (~35,800 bottles)
The Young Distillery's First Annual Release
Tsunuki is Hombo Shuzo's homecoming: the company started making shochu in Kagoshima in 1902, built its first modern whisky distillery (Shinshu) in Nagano in 1985, and in 2016 returned to its birthplace to open a second distillery in the warmer south. Production began in October 2016, the inaugural whisky arrived in April 2020, and the 2022 Edition is Tsunuki's first limited annual release — about 35,800 bottles of ex-bourbon-matured single malt at 50%, non-chill filtered. The distillery runs a faster pace than Shinshu with a heavier distillate (including peated runs from Scottish barley), and even this young it shows the house character: smoke, cooking spice, and orange on the nose; full-bodied, intensely sweet and fruity on the palate; long and warming to finish.
Tasting Notes
Nose: a whiff of smoke with cooking spices and orange; touches of apricot, jammy marmalade, and vanilla (Master of Malt). Palate: full-bodied — intense sweetness and fresh fruitiness, creamy cocoa butter balanced by light citrus acidity and green oak, with mineral and earthy notes. Finish: long and warming, with lingering oaky bourbon sweetness.
How to Enjoy
A youthful dram that opens beautifully with a drop of water — Master of Malt's own advice. Neat for the full 50% experience, or with water to let the marmalade and cocoa notes unfurl. An essential pour for collectors tracking the new wave of Japanese distilleries.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tsunuki the same as Mars Shinshu? Same company, different distillery — Tsunuki (Kagoshima, 2016) is Hombo Shuzo's second whisky distillery after Shinshu/Komagatake (Nagano, 1985).
How old is the whisky? No age statement — the distillery only began production in October 2016, so the 2022 Edition is a young single malt, bottled at natural cask character rather than an age number.
Is it chill-filtered or colored? Neither — it is non-chill filtered with no added coloring, bottled at 50% ABV.
Japan's most exciting young distillery, first annual release — order Mars Tsunuki 2022 Edition online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.