From the shelf
Six of the 10
Click on a bottle for the rest of the details.
Three places, three climates
Two working distilleries fall under the name Mars. Komagatake is in Miyada in Nagano, at eight hundred metres altitude at the foot of the Kiso-Komagatake; it was called Mars Shinshu until March 2024 and was then renamed after the single malt brand. Tsunuki is in Minamisatsuma in Kagoshima and has been distilling since November 2016.
Then there is Yakushima. It is expressly not a distillery but a maturation cellar, opened in 2016 on the island of the same name. What lies there comes from Komagatake and Tsunuki. Cold mountain region, warm Kyushu and a subtropical island: the same company matures the same distillate in three completely different climates.
The bottles we have in stock
Single malts from Tsunuki, blended malts such as Maltage Cosmo and The Y.A., and the blend Kasei. The bottles from that distillery are listed under Mars Komagatake.
Mars The Y.A. #2 Peated Blended Malt Japanese Whisky
Mars The Y.A. #2 Peated Blended Malt Japanese Whisky
€ 144,99
Mars Maltage Cosmo Blended Malt Japanese Whisky
Mars Maltage Cosmo Blended Malt Japanese Whisky
€ 56,99
The man who almost gave Japan its whisky
- A brief history
- 1949The whisky licence, with Kiichiro Iwai as adviser.
- 1985Founding of the distillery in Nagano.
- 1992–2011Mothballed; resumed in February 2011.
- 2016Tsunuki starts distilling; Yakushima opens as a maturation cellar.
Kiichiro Iwai was the manager who sent Masataka Taketsuru to Scotland in 1918 to learn the trade. His employer ultimately decided not to make whisky after all, and Taketsuru left, later founding Nikka. Only decades later, working for Hombo Shuzo, was Iwai finally allowed to design a distillery, with Taketsuru's notes close at hand.
The first Mars distillery stood in Yamanashi and dates from 1960. In 1985 came the installation in Nagano, which lay idle from 1992 to 2011 and was restarted in February 2011. At the end of 2023 it was announced that the name would change from Mars Shinshu to Mars Komagatake as of March 2024.
Two names on the labels call for an explanation. Maltage Cosmo is a blended malt from 2015, named after Mount Kosumo in the mountains near the distillery; according to the company's own product information, it also contains Scotch malt. The Y.A. stands for Yakushima Aging: distillate from Komagatake and Tsunuki that has rested in the cellar on Yakushima. And Kasei is simply the Japanese word for the planet Mars.
The same distillate, three climates, three outcomes.
What these bottles go with
The peated expressions from Tsunuki are a good introduction to what Japan does with smoke: less medicinal than Islay, but clearly present.
Put a bottle from Nagano next to a bottle from Kagoshima: the same house, a different climate, and you can taste it.
Call 0570 541 278 or drop in at Brink 2 in Bathmen.
Frequently asked questions about Mars
How much Mars does ’t Bockje have in stock?
Ten bottles under the name Mars, alongside the bottles listed under Mars Komagatake.
Who makes Mars whisky?
Hombo Shuzo, a family business from Kagoshima that originally made shochu. The whisky licence dates from 1949.
Which distilleries are there?
Two: Komagatake in Miyada in Nagano, and Tsunuki in Minamisatsuma in Kagoshima. Yakushima is not a distillery but a maturation cellar.
Why is Mars Shinshu now called Komagatake?
The name change was announced at the end of 2023 and took effect in March 2024, to align the name of the distillery with that of the single malt brand.
What does Kasei mean?
Kasei is the Japanese word for the planet Mars. It is a blend released under that name.
Can I collect these bottles in Bathmen?
Yes. You can always order online or collect at Brink 2, or simply walk in.
Order, collect or drop by
- In stock in our shop at Brink 2 in Bathmen
- Available to order online and have delivered, including abroad
- Order online or collect in Bathmen
- Personal advice via 0570 541 278 or info@bockje.nl
- Opening hours: Tuesday to Friday 09.00–18.00, Saturday 09.00–17.00. Closed Monday and Sunday
Wij verkopen geen alcohol aan personen onder de 18 jaar. NIX18.
All 9 bottles at a glance
Each bottle shows the details from the label.
Keep browsing
Brink 2, Bathmen
All our stock is in the shop, not in a warehouse somewhere else. If you walk in with a name you couldn't find anywhere, it is often simply here on the shelf. You can also call: 0570 541 278.
Wij verkopen geen alcohol aan personen onder de 18 jaar. NIX18
- Tuesday to Friday 09.00 – 18.00
- Saturday 09.00 – 17.00
- Monday and Sunday closed