Mars Shinshu holds the title of Japan's highest altitude distillery, sitting 798 metres above sea level in the picturesque Japanese Alps. This unique alpine environment plays a massive role in the maturation process, with the cool temperatures and pristine snowmelt water resulting in whiskies of exceptional purity and character. While the Mars brand has a complex history stretching back to the earliest days of Japanese whisky production, their modern releases under the Komagatake label have garnered massive international acclaim. They're known for their meticulous attention to detail and limited production runs, meaning bottles like this 2021 edition disappear from shelves incredibly fast.