Mars Tsunuki Distillery will celebrate its 6th season in 2022.
Bottled at Tsunuki Distillery as a private bottle of CLAUDE WHISKY. Mr. Tatsuro Kusano, who is in charge of distilling at the Tsunuki distillery, selects raw materials, mills, saccharifies, ferments, distills, and matures the sherry hogshead for about 5 years before bottling this single cask.
1. Manufacturer
Hombo Shuzo Co.
| Established | 1872 |
| Head office location | 3-27, Minamisakae, Kagoshima City, Kagoshima Prefecture, 891-0122, Japan |
| Owned distilleries | Mars Shinshu distillery, Mars Tsunuki distillery |
2. Distillery
Mars Tsunuki Distillery
| Location | 6594 Tsunuki, Kaseda, Minamisatsuma City, Kagoshima Prefecture, 899-3611, Japan |
| Start of operation | 2016 |
Tsunuki, Kaseda, Minami-Satsuma City. Here in the southwestern part of the Satsuma Peninsula, in the midst of mountains full of greenery. Mars Tsunuki Distillery, the southernmost whisky distillery on the mainland This is the first time I’ve been here.
Tsunuki, located in the southwestern part of the Satsuma Peninsula, is in a long basin along the Kaseda River, a tributary of the Manose River. Surrounded by the mountains of Mt. Kurata (475m) to the east and Mt. Nagaya (513m) to the west, the topography of the area is basin-like, so the summers are hot and the winters are cold, which is extremely harsh in southern Satsuma.
The area has a natural environment that is a “blessing” with good water resources (Mt. Kurata spring water), and the cultivation of oranges, known as “Tsunuki oranges” is flourishing by making effective use of the mountain slopes.
Tsunuki, blessed with a mild climate and good water resources, is the birthplace of the Hombo Sake Brewery. It has been more than a hundred years since the brewery began making shochu using Satsuma sweet potatoes, one of Satsuma’s most famous specialties.
Reference: Mars Tsunuki Distillery official website
3. Product name and photo
Tsunuki Single Cask Sherry Hogshead for CLAUDE WHISKY
4. Characteristics
4-1. Tasting Notes
| Nose | Raisins, chocolate |
| Taste | Slightly viscous, pomegranate-like fruit, bitter chocolate, syrup |
| Aftertaste | Bitter chocolate like sweetness and bitterness. |
4-2. Product Specifications
| Alcohol content | 58% |
| alcohol category | Single Malt Japanese Whisky |
| Cask Type | Sherry hogshead |
| Contents | 700ml |
| Number of bottles sold | Limited quantity |
| Suggested retail price | 15,950 yen (tax included) |
| Release date | January 26, 2022 |
5. Awards
No awards have been received at this time.
6. Price
6-1. Manufacturer’s suggested retail price
| Product name | Tsunuki Single Cask Sherry Hogshead for CLAUDE WHISKY |
| Volume | 700ml |
| Suggested retail price | 15,950 yen (tax included) |
6-2. Resale price on Mercari
We have not been able to confirm any listings on Mercari. (*As of February 2, 2022)
6-3. Yahoo Auction Sold Price
We have not been able to confirm any bids on Yahoo Auction. (*As of February 2, 2022)
6-4. Rakuten, Yahoo Shopping, Amazon
We have not been able to confirm any listings on mail order sites. (*As of February 2, 2022)
6-5. Price offered at BAR SHINKAI
Bar Shinkai, which is operated by this website, offers 1 glass, 45ml: 4,290 yen, 30ml: 2,860 yen, 15ml: 1,430 yen You can find it at
7. Summary
Because it is made with hogshead, you can experience a rich sherry flavor. If you like sherry, this is the bottle for you.
Adding water gives it a lighter texture, hides the bitterness, and increases the sweetness. I recommend drinking it straight, or twisting it up.
Incidentally, a hogshead is a bourbon barrel that has been dismantled and reassembled. A hogshead made from a sherry barrel is called a sherry hogshead.
It is called a hogshead because the weight of a barrel filled with whisky is roughly equivalent to a pig’s head.
When you think of a single cask of a pig’s head, you can understand its rarity.
Thankfully, we have been able to display it in our store, so we will be able to offer it to whisky fans. We are very happy to be able to offer this whisky to many whisky fans.
Please check out the other whisky articles from Honbo Shuzo.
[clink url=https://jpwhisky.net/tsunuki-2022-edition-13100/]
[clink url=https://jpwhisky.net/komagatake-2021-edition-9279/]
Lastly: Recommended Books on Japanese Whisky
If you want to learn more about Japanese whisky, which is a global trend, we highly recommend these books.
(1).Whisky Galore Vol.29 December 2021 issue
In the December 2021 issue of Whisky Galore, published by the Whisky Culture Research Institute, we report on 11 Japanese craft distilleries, including some that are open to the public for the first time, under the title of “Japanese Whisky Craft Frontline,” the first of three consecutive issues. Why did the popularity of Japanese whisky and the craft boom occur? We will examine with interviews. Chichibu Distillery / Chichibu No.2 Distillery / Mars Shinshu Distillery / Mars Tsunuki Distillery / Kanosuke Distillery / Hioki Distillery / Ontake Distillery / Osuzuyama Distillery / Kaikyo Distillery / Hanyu Distillery / Konosu Distillery
(2). Japanese Whisky as an Education for Business
This is a book written by Mamoru Tsuchiya, a world-famous whisky critic and representative of the Whisky Culture Research Institute, titled “Japanese Whisky as a Culture that Works for Business” .
The book covers the basics of whisky, the introduction of whisky to Japan, the birth of Japanese whisky, advertising strategies and the rise of Japanese whisky, and the current rise of craft distilleries. This is a book that summarizes Japanese whisky in a very easy to understand way.
(3). Whisky and I (Masataka Taketsuru)
Masataka Taketsuru, the founder of Nikka Whisky, devoted his life to brewing whisky in Japan. This is a revised and reprinted version of the autobiography of a man who simply loved whisky and talked about himself. The book vividly depicts the days when he went to Scotland alone to study as a young man and overcame many hardships to complete Japanese whisky, as well as his companion, Rita.
(4). A Letter of Challenge from a New Generation Distillery
Launching in 2019. With the world experiencing an unprecedented whisky boom, what were the managers of craft distilleries thinking and what were their thoughts as they took on the challenge of making whisky? This book tells the stories of 13 craft distillery owners, including Ichiro Hido of Venture Whisky, famous for his Ichirose Malt, who inspired the birth of craft distilleries in Japan.
(5). Whiskey Rising
This is the Japanese version of Whisky Risng, published in the US in 2016, with much updated content. Not only does it describe the history of Japanese whisky in detail, but it also includes data on all the distilleries in Japan, including the craft distilleries that have been founded in recent years. The book also includes descriptions of the legendary bottles that have been released, as well as information on bars where Japanese whisky can be found.
