Mars 'Komagatake' Limited Edition Japanese Whisky 2020
Mars 'Komagatake' Limited Edition Japanese Whisky 2020 is a non-peated Japanese single malt from Mars Shinshu Distillery, vatted from sherry casks and American white oak and bottled at 50% ABV in a 750mL bottle — a 15,000-bottle worldwide release celebrating the distillery's reconstruction. Order it online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 50%
- Size: 750mL (US release; Japanese market 700mL — confirm from bottle)
- Age statement: NAS (non-age statement)
- Casks: Sherry casks + American white oak (sherry–bourbon)
- Bottles: 15,000 worldwide
- Distillery: Mars Shinshu Distillery (Hombo Shuzo), Miyada, Nagano, Japan — Japan's highest whisky distillery (~800m)
- Style: Non-peated single malt; Japanese-whisky compliant (distilled, matured ≥3 years, bottled in Japan)
A Distillery Reborn at 800 Meters
The Komagatake line is Mars Shinshu's annual limited release, and the 2020 edition carries a special meaning: the label celebrates the reconstruction of the Shinshu distillery site. Perched at roughly 800 meters in Miyada, Nagano — Japan's highest whisky distillery — Shinshu's cool, thin air gives its malts a distinctive character. The 2020 vatting blends multiple single malts matured in sherry and American white-oak casks, unpeated, at 50% — 15,000 bottles for the world.
Tasting Notes
Sherry cask influence leads: dried fruit, dark honey, and cocoa over malt and vanilla from the bourbon oak. The 50% ABV carries the flavors without heat; the finish is long, with the sherry sweetness fading into dry malt.
How to Enjoy
Neat in a Japanese whisky glass, or with a few drops of water to bring the sherry forward. This is a collector's bottle that also happens to be a drinker's bottle — don't let it sit unopened forever.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Mars Komagatake 2020 a single malt?Yes — a Japanese single malt vatted from multiple single malts distilled at Mars Shinshu. It is NAS (non-age statement).
How many bottles were released?15,000 bottles worldwide.
Where is Mars Shinshu Distillery?Miyada, Nagano, Japan — Japan's highest whisky distillery at ~800m. (One retailer's "Kagoshima" origin listing is an error; that's Hombo Shuzo's corporate HQ.) See the Mars Shinshu Distillery shelf at Del Mesa Liquor.
A rebuilt-distillery edition of one of Japan's most collectible annual releases — order Mars 'Komagatake' Limited Edition 2020 online from Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.