Lottery applications for Single Malt Komagatake IPA Cask Finish Bottled in 2024 from Hombo Shuzo are now open. Features, price, and lottery application procedures are explained.
The popular “Komagatake IPA Cask Finish” series has been released every year since 2020. The number of bottles sold is limited to less than 3,000, and it is difficult to obtain a bottle without an official lottery.
The lottery application has started on the official website. Don’t forget to apply for the lottery as the period is short.
1. About the lottery application
Lottery applications have started on the official Hombo Shuzo website.
Click here for the application page.
Application period: until 23:59 on August 01, 2024.
Lottery results: “Winners only” will be notified by August 3 to the e-mail address entered at the time of application.
*Multiple applications will all be disqualified.
2. Features of Single Malt Komagatake IPA Cask Finish Bottled in 2024
“Single Malt Komagatake IPA Cask Finish” is a single malt whiskey finished in an empty cask of India Pale Ale (IPA), a dark beer brewed at Minami Shinshu Beer Komagatake Brewery using plenty of hops.
The result is a bottle with a fresh, lively aroma reminiscent of citrus fruits derived from hops, a clear sweetness like grapefruit and lime, and a crisp, bitter finish that makes it an excellent match for highballs.
| Product name | Single Malt Komagatake IPA Cask Finish Bottled in 2024 |
|---|---|
| Distinction by alcohol | Single Malt Japanese Whisky |
| Ingredients | Malt (made in Japan) |
| Cask type | Mainly bourbon barrels (additional aging: Minami-Shinshu Beer IPA barrels) |
| Number of bottles | Limited to 2,730 bottles |
| Strength | 52% |
| Price | Suggested retail price: 9,900 yen (tax included) |
| Manufactured at | Mars Komagatake Distillery |
| Manufacturer | Hombo Shuzo Co. |
3. About Mars Komagatake Distillery
The distillery is “Mars Shinshu Distillery” located in Miyata Village, Nagano Prefecture, and its name has been changed to “Komagatake Distillery” since March 2024.
| Distillery name | Mars Komagatake Distillery |
| Location of distillery | 4752-31 Miyata-mura, Kamiina-gun, Nagano 399-4301 |
| Start of operation | 1985 |
In 1949, Hombo Shuzo, which had been striving to make “shochu”, a Japanese distilled spirit, in Kagoshima, obtained a license to produce whisky. Since then, the company has held on to the dream of “someday making real whisky that makes the most of the Japanese climate”.
After several years of whisky production in Kagoshima, in 1960, he established the “Mars Yamanashi Winery“, a factory for wine and whisky production in Yamanashi. Then, in order to engage in whisky production in earnest, he searched for an even more ideal location.
The natural conditions for whisky making are very demanding: a cold region with clear air, and also blessed with moderate humidity and good quality water.
After searching for a site that satisfied these conditions, Mars Shinshu Distillery was established in 1985 at an altitude of 798 meters at the foot of Komagatake Mountain in the Central Alps, Nagano Prefecture, in search of the best environment for whisky making.
In 1992, distillation was halted due to sluggish demand for whisky. In 2009, when demand for Japanese whisky was recovering and Japanese whisky was gaining worldwide recognition, we decided to resume distilling and started again in February 2011.
In September 2020, the distillery underwent a complete renewal for the first time in 35 years. The investment will be approximately 1.2 billion yen.
From May 2019, renovation of existing facilities and equipment, including renovation of aging facilities, construction of a whisky distillation building (including a barrel cellar) to increase whisky production, and a visitor’s building to sell original whisky and other goods.
The new whisky distillation building has a total floor area of 1,996m2 (including the barrel cellar, which will hold approximately 2,500 barrels), and the visitor’s building has a floor area of 746m2.
Reference: Hombo Shuzo official website
■Production capacity: 1.1 tons of malt/day
■Manufacturing capacity: approximately 700L/day, approximately 185KL/year (planned for FY2020)
■Main facilities: 1 malt crusher, 1 mash tun reuter (saccharification tank) 6KL, 3 stainless steel fermentation tanks 6KL, 3 Douglas fir wooden fermentation tanks (relocated) 6KL, first distillation kettle (relocated)
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For more information about Mars Komagatake Distillery, please visit.
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.
