Papillon series from Honbo Shuzo. Le Papillon Single Cask “P.memnon”,features, price and how to purchase.
1．About Mars Malt Le Papillon series
The “Mars Malt Le Papillon” series is a series of whisky casks that expresses the splendor of Japan’s seasonal climate and its natural environment, which forms the environment in which whisky is matured, using butterflies that inhabit Japan as a motif.
This is the 16th release in the Papillon series, with the original spirit distilled at the Mars Tsunuki distillery in 2019 and aged in sherry casks in the Yakushima aging cellar.
| Product Name | Cask | Number of bottlings | Price (tax included) | |
| 1st Release | S. divinus barine | American White Oak | 599 bottles | 10,450 yen |
| 2nd Release | Graphium sarpedon | Bourbon barrel | 215 bottles | 9,900 yen |
| 3rd Release | Aporia hippia | American White Oak | 585 bottles | 9,900 yen |
| 4th Release | Hebomoia glaucippe | Bourbon barrel | 182 bottles | 12,100 yen |
| 5th Release | Papilio maackii Ménétriés, | American White Oak | 560 bottles | 11,000 yen |
| 6th Release | Cyrestis thyodamas | Sherry cask | 464 bottles | 11,000 yen |
| 7th Release | Luehdorfia japonica | American White Oak | 576 bottles | 13,200 yen |
| 8th Release | Acytolepis puspa | 469 bottles | 12,100 yen | |
| 9th Release | Anthocharis cardamines | Sherry Butt | 643 bottles | 12,100 yen |
| 10th Release | Inachis io | Sherry Bat | 635bottles | 12,100 yen |
| 11th Release | Papilio helenus | Bourbon Cask | 433 bottles | 11,000 yen |
| 12th Release | Mars Malt Le Papillon, Takahide Komatsu Edition | American White Oak | 365 bottles | 297,000 yen |
| 13th Release | C. brillantinus | Umeshu (plum wine) barrel | 567 bottles | 13,200 yen |
| 14th Release | Leptidea amurensis | Bourbon cherry head cask | 567 bottles | 12,100 yen |
| 15th Release | Plebejus argyrognomon | Sherry cask | 818 bottles | 14,300 yen |
| 16thRelease | Papilio memnon | Sherry cask | 621 bottles | 15,400 yen |
All the whiskies in this series are bottled in single or double cask, so the limited number of bottles each time is very small, making it one of the rarest and most scarce Japanese whiskies.
For product details and past series, click here.
2．About Mars Tsunuki Distillery
Mars Tsunuki Distillery
| Location | 6594, Kaseda-Tsunuki, Minami-Satsuma-shi, Kagoshima 899-3611 |
| Start of operation | 2016 |
“Tsunuki”in Kaseda, Minamisatsuma City. “The Mars Tsunuki Distillery”, the southernmost whisky distillery on the mainland, is located in the green mountains southwest of Satsuma Peninsula.
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 Mt. Kurata (475m) to the east and Mt. Nagaya (513m) to the west, the basin-like topography makes the summers hot and the winters cold, which are extremely severe in South Satsuma.
The area has a natural environment that is a “blessing from nature” with good water resources (Mt. Kurata spring water), and is known as “Tsunuki Mikan” (mandarin orange), which is cultivated by effectively utilizing the mountain slope.
Blessed with a mild climate and good water resources, Tsunuki is the birthplace of the Honbo Sake Brewery. It has been more than 100 years since the brewery started making shochu using Satsuma sweet potatoes, one of Satsuma’s representative specialties.
Reference: Mars Tsunuki Distillery official website
3．Product name and photo
MARS MALT Le Papillon Single Cask “Nagasakia Swallowtail
MARS MALT Le Papillon Single Cask P.memnon
4．Characteristics
Mars Malt Le Papillon” is a series of whiskies that expresses the splendor of Japan’s seasonal climate and natural environment, which forms the environment in which whisky is matured, using butterflies that live in Japan as a motif. The theme of this product is the large butterfly “Nagasakia swallowtail butterfly,” whose name comes from the fact that Siebold collected it in Nagasaki, and the barrels were selected based on the image of a female with whitened wings, which can be seen in the Nansei Islands in Japan, sucking honey from hibiscus flowers, which is a typical tropical scene. This single cask single malt whiskey is a gem of a single cask single malt whiskey, distilled in 2019 at the Mars Tsunuki distillery and bottled at natural cask strength and non-chill filtered from a single cask aged in sherry casks at the Yakushima aging cellar.
Reference: Hombo Shuzo official online store / Mars Malt Le Papillon Single Cask.
4-1. Tasting Notes
| Aroma | Peat, gateau chocolate, leather goods, minerals, lemon, clove, apple when watered |
| Taste | Bonfire-like smoke, dark cherries, almonds, smoked salmon roe, apple pie. |
| Aftertaste | Sherry bitterness and sweetness lingers long after the peat is slightly gone. |
4-2. Product Specifications
| Alcohol content | 59% alcohol by volume |
| By Sake | Single Malt Japanese Whiskey |
| Cask type | Sherry cask |
| Content volume | 700ml |
| Number of bottles sold | 621 bottles |
| Suggested retail price | 15,400 yen (tax included) |
| Release date | March 2024 |
5. Awards
No awards received at this time.
6. Price
6-1. Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price
| Product name | Mars Malt Le Papillon Single Cask “Nagasakia Swallowtail |
| Capacity | 700ml |
| Suggested Retail Price | Tax included: 15,400 yen |
6₋2. Resale price on Mercari
Resale prices on Mercari are around 38,000 yen to 50,000 yen (before official lottery sales). (As of 3/19/2024).
6-3. Yahoo Auction Sold Price
There are currently no confirmed resales on Yahoo! Auctions. (As of 3/19/2024) 6-4.
6-4. Rakuten, Yahoo Shopping, Amazon
(*as of 3/19/2024)
6-5. Prices offered at BAR Shinkai
At “BAR Shinkai” operated by this site, we offer small quantities such as 1 cup, 45ml: 4,620 yen, 30ml: 3,080 yen, 15ml: 1,540 yen, etc.
7. Summary
The Papillon series is now Tsunuki Sherry Cask Yakushima Aged.
The list is shown at the beginning, but due to the small number of bottlings, the resale price of the Papillon series has risen considerably, and some of the past products are currently being sold for over 100,000 yen (Mercari, Yahoo! Auctions).
The series will continue in the future, so watch out for the next installment.
■Please check out our other articles on the Hombo Sake Shuzo and Papillon series.
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.
