Japanese whiskymaker Mars is back with their much beloved (and collected) Mars Malt Le Papillon, also known as the Butterfly series. This time with a double cask matured whisky, made at the Nagano Alps-based Shinshu Distillery, and then matured in a Bourbon barrel and then a barrel with Cherry wood heads.

The series expresses the four seasons of Japan's climate which influences the environment for maturing whiskies - best represented with the motif of local native species of butterflies from Japan.

The new expression features the L. amurensis buttterfly and is the 14th release from the Papillon series. This genus of butterfly lives mainly in grasslands with short grasses.

“In May 2020, the grassland on the site of the Nagano Winter Olympics was well maintained, and many horsetails were showing their faces. I saw a small white butterfly. I can't see them anymore, but here, two or three of them flew out from my feet. In the distance, the snow-covered mountains and the cherry blossoms in full bloom. Blowing in the gentle breeze, I forgot the time as these butterflies flying softly like cherry blossom petals."

The whisky was distilled in 2015 and bottled in 2022 at cask strength of 60% ABV, with a total outturn of 829 bottles, with the photo and text on the label rendered by Kyoji Osawa. 

The whisky is priced at 12,100 Yen and is available via ballot.

Ballot Details

Deadline: 10 AM (Japan Time), 23 March 2023

Link to Ballot here. 

Images courtesy of Mars.

Kanpai!

88 Bamboo Editorial Team