Mars Iwai Blended Whisky - 75cl
Mars Maltage COSMO Blended Malt Whisky - 70cl
Mars Iwai Tradition Blended Whisky - 75cl
Mars Whisky — Iwai & Maltage Japanese Whisky by Hombo Shuzo
Buy Mars whisky in Singapore at The Liquid Collection — characterful, brilliant-value Japanese whisky from Hombo Shuzo, made at the Mars Shinshu distillery in the Nagano Alps, the highest in Japan. The range runs from the bourbon-cask Iwai Blended Whisky at $81 SGD, perfect for a highball, through the refined Iwai Tradition at $95 SGD, to the Maltage COSMO Blended Malt at $131 SGD, which marries Japanese and Scottish malts. Named for Kiichiro Iwai, a true pioneer of Japanese whisky. Free islandwide delivery.
Buy Mars Japanese Whisky in Singapore — Great Value, Real Heritage
Mars is one of Japanese whisky's great-value names, made by Hombo Shuzo, a family company from Kagoshima with a long history in spirits. Its whisky story runs deep: Hombo obtained a whisky licence in 1949, when engineer Kiichiro Iwai designed its first pot stills — the same Iwai who decades earlier had supervised Masataka Taketsuru, the future founder of Nikka and a father of Japanese whisky. Seeking a cooler climate, Hombo opened the Mars Shinshu distillery in Nagano in 1985, at 798 metres the highest whisky distillery in Japan, before adding the warmer Mars Tsunuki distillery in Kagoshima in 2016.
The accessible heart of the range is Mars Iwai Blended Whisky at $81 SGD — named after Kiichiro Iwai and inspired by American whiskey, matured largely in ex-bourbon barrels for a smooth, sweet, vanilla-led character that makes a superb highball. Step up to Mars Iwai Tradition at $95 SGD, a more refined blend with wine-cask influence adding dried fruit and depth for slower sipping.
At the top sits Mars Maltage COSMO at $131 SGD, a blended malt that marries single malts from the Shinshu distillery with malts from Scotland — honeyed, fruity and lightly smoky, and named after Mount Cosmo in the Central Alps. All three are among the most affordable ways into Japanese whisky, with the heritage and quality to back it up.
For more from Japan, explore the wider Japanese Whisky range or the cult Chichibu & Ichiro's Malt collection, alongside the full Whisky selection and the Scotch range. For recommendations and gifting, message the team on WhatsApp at +65 9680 5856.
Mars Whisky at TLC — Key Facts at a Glance
- Total SKUs at TLC
- 3 Mars whiskies, all Japan
- Entry SKU
- Mars Iwai Blended Whisky — $81 SGD
- Apex SKU
- Mars Maltage COSMO Blended Malt — $131 SGD
- Price range
- $81 – $131 SGD
- Producer
- Hombo Shuzo Co., Ltd.
- Main distillery
- Mars Shinshu, Miyada, Nagano — Japan's highest (798 m)
- Second distillery
- Mars Tsunuki, Kagoshima (opened 2016)
- Whisky licence
- 1949; first pot stills designed by Kiichiro Iwai
- Iwai legacy
- Iwai mentored Masataka Taketsuru, founder of Nikka
- Shinshu timeline
- Opened 1985; mothballed 1992–2011
- Iwai style
- Ex-bourbon, US-inspired, highball-friendly
- Maltage COSMO
- Blended malt — Shinshu + Scottish malts (since 2015)
- House character
- Approachable, honeyed, fruity, gentle smoke
- Best uses
- Iwai for highballs; COSMO neat or on ice
- Formats
- 70cl / 75cl single bottles
The Mars Story — A Whisky Heritage
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1949 | Hombo Shuzo gains a whisky licence; Kiichiro Iwai designs the first pot stills |
| 1985 | Mars Shinshu distillery opens in Nagano — Japan's highest, at 798 m |
| 1992 | Production mothballed during the Japanese whisky downturn |
| 2011 | Shinshu resumes production as global demand returns |
| 2015 | Mars Maltage COSMO blended malt launched |
| 2016 | Mars Tsunuki distillery opens in Kagoshima |
The Mars Range
Mars' Two Distilleries
| Feature | Mars Shinshu | Mars Tsunuki |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Miyada, Nagano (Central Alps) | Kagoshima (Kyushu, south) |
| Opened | 1985 | 2016 |
| Altitude / climate | 798 m — cool, Japan's highest | Low, subtropical & humid |
| House style | Clean, delicate | Rich, robust, more smoke |
| Single malt | Komagatake | Tsunuki |
Frequently Asked Questions — Mars Whisky Singapore
What is Mars whisky?
Mars is a Japanese whisky brand made by Hombo Shuzo, a long-established producer from Kagoshima with deep roots in shochu. Mars whisky is made at two distilleries: Mars Shinshu, opened in 1985 high in the Nagano Alps and the highest whisky distillery in Japan, and Mars Tsunuki, opened in 2016 in warmer Kagoshima. The brand is admired for characterful, well-priced whiskies that punch above their weight, from easy-drinking blends to acclaimed single malts. At The Liquid Collection, the Mars range is three expressions from $81 to $131 SGD: the Iwai Blended Whisky, the Iwai Tradition, and the Maltage COSMO Blended Malt. They are among the best-value entry points into the world of Japanese whisky.
Who makes Mars whisky?
Mars whisky is made by Hombo Shuzo Co., Ltd., a family company from Kagoshima in southern Japan with a long history in shochu and other spirits. Hombo first obtained a whisky licence in 1949, when the engineer Kiichiro Iwai designed its original pot stills, and after some early production in Kagoshima the company sought a cooler climate, opening the Mars Shinshu distillery in Nagano in 1985. Production was paused from 1992 to 2011 during a downturn in Japanese whisky, then revived as global demand returned. Today Hombo runs two whisky distilleries and an ageing facility on the island of Yakushima. The Liquid Collection stocks three of its core Mars releases, from $81 to $131 SGD.
What is Mars Iwai whisky?
Mars Iwai is the brand's flagship blended whisky, named in honour of Kiichiro Iwai, the man who designed Hombo Shuzo's first pot stills. Inspired by the great whiskeys of the United States, it is matured largely in ex-bourbon barrels, giving a smooth, sweet, easy-drinking profile with vanilla, caramel and soft fruit. That bourbon-cask character makes it especially good in a Japanese-style highball, as well as neat or over ice. At The Liquid Collection, Mars Iwai Blended Whisky is the entry point to the range at $81 SGD, with the more refined Iwai Tradition at $95 SGD. It is one of the most affordable and approachable Japanese whiskies available.
Who was Kiichiro Iwai?
Kiichiro Iwai is a key figure in the history of Japanese whisky. Decades before Mars existed, he supervised Masataka Taketsuru — later the founder of Nikka and a father of Japanese whisky — when Taketsuru travelled to Scotland to study whisky-making. Years later, in 1949, Iwai drew on Taketsuru's research notes to design the pot stills for Hombo Shuzo's first whisky operation. The Mars Iwai range is named in his honour, linking the brand directly to the earliest days of the Japanese whisky industry. It is a genuine piece of whisky heritage, and the Iwai whiskies at The Liquid Collection carry that story in every bottle.
What is the difference between Iwai and Iwai Tradition?
Both are blended whiskies from Mars, but they take different inspiration. The standard Mars Iwai at $81 SGD looks to American whiskey, matured mainly in ex-bourbon barrels for a sweet, smooth, vanilla-led character that shines in a highball. Mars Iwai Tradition at $95 SGD is the more refined, Scotch-influenced expression, with a portion of wine-cask maturation adding extra depth, dried fruit and a rounder, more complex profile suited to sipping. In short, the standard Iwai is the easy everyday mixer and the Tradition is the step up for slower enjoyment. The Liquid Collection stocks both, so you can compare the bourbon-led and wine-influenced styles side by side.
What is Mars Maltage COSMO?
Mars Maltage COSMO is a blended malt whisky that marries single malts distilled at the Mars Shinshu distillery in Nagano with single malts from Scotland, vatted together by Hombo Shuzo. First released in 2015 and now a core product, it is named after Mount Cosmo in the Central Japanese Alps near the distillery, and its label evokes the night sky seen from Shinshu. The result is honeyed and fruity, with caramel sweetness, ripe fruit and a subtle hint of oak and smoke — polished and very approachable. Because it combines Japanese and Scottish malts, it is best understood as a world blended malt. At The Liquid Collection it is the top of the Mars range at $131 SGD.
Where is Mars whisky made?
Mars whisky is made at two Hombo Shuzo distilleries in Japan. The original, Mars Shinshu, sits at 798 metres in the village of Miyada in Nagano Prefecture, at the foot of Mount Komagatake in the Central Alps — the highest whisky distillery in Japan, chosen for its cool climate, clean air and soft mountain water, which produce a clean, delicate style. The second, Mars Tsunuki, opened in 2016 in Kagoshima in subtropical southern Japan, where the warmer, humid climate yields a richer, more robust spirit with more emphasis on body and smoke. Hombo also ages whisky on the World Heritage island of Yakushima. The Mars whiskies at The Liquid Collection draw on this distinctive two-distillery character.
How many Mars whiskies does The Liquid Collection stock?
The Liquid Collection stocks three Mars whiskies, priced from $81 to $131 SGD. They are the Mars Iwai Blended Whisky at $81 SGD, an easy, bourbon-cask-led blend ideal for highballs; the Mars Iwai Tradition at $95 SGD, a more refined blend with wine-cask depth; and the Mars Maltage COSMO Blended Malt at $131 SGD, which marries Shinshu and Scottish single malts. Together they offer an affordable and characterful introduction to Mars and to Japanese whisky generally. All three are available for free islandwide delivery in Singapore, and the team can recommend where to start on WhatsApp at +65 9680 5856.
How should I drink Mars whisky?
It depends on the bottle. The bourbon-cask-led Mars Iwai is tailor-made for a Japanese-style highball — one part whisky to three or four parts chilled soda over plenty of ice, with a lemon twist — though it is also pleasant neat or on the rocks. The more refined Iwai Tradition rewards sipping neat or over a single large ice cube, where its wine-cask depth comes through. The Maltage COSMO blended malt is best enjoyed neat or with a drop of water to open up its honeyed, fruity, lightly smoky character. As a rule, mix the Iwai and sip the COSMO. The Liquid Collection can advise on serves and gifting on WhatsApp at +65 9680 5856.
How much does Mars whisky cost in Singapore, and does The Liquid Collection deliver?
At The Liquid Collection, Mars whisky ranges from $81 to $131 SGD. The Mars Iwai Blended Whisky is $81 SGD, the Mars Iwai Tradition is $95 SGD, and the Mars Maltage COSMO Blended Malt is $131 SGD. All prices are in Singapore dollars for 70cl or 75cl bottles. The Liquid Collection delivers free islandwide across Singapore with no minimum order and a standard window of 3 working days. The team is on WhatsApp at +65 9680 5856 for stock checks, gifting and advice, and the office is at 2 Sims Close, #02-10, Singapore 387298. Mars is some of the best-value Japanese whisky on the market, so it is an easy and affordable place to begin a Japanese whisky collection.