"MARS MALT Le Papillon" is a series that captures the splendor of Japan's natural environment and its four distinct seasons—which shape our whisky's maturation—through the motif of butterflies native to Japan.
This expression is themed after the "Yakushima-Rurishijimi" (Yakushima Blue), a southern butterfly featuring a vivid, radiant blue appearance reminiscent of the southern seas.
To capture this image, we vatted two ex-Bourbon barrels.
Distilled at Mars Komagatake Distillery (formerly Mars Shinshu Distillery) in 2015 and matured in the Mars Yakushima Aging Cellar, this single malt whisky is a true masterpiece.

K. Hombo:"During my college summer vacations, my family home in Kagoshima served as a base camp for friends from the insect research club on their expeditions to the southern islands. I often took them to Terayama Park in northern Kagoshima City. It was an exciting collecting spot where we could see various butterfly species.Among them, we frequently caught the small 'Yakushima-Rurishijimi' (Yakushima Blue). Even among blue butterflies, it is delicate, with a deep, vivid color evoking the southern sea.Using malt whiskies matured on the southern island of Yakushima—which shares the butterfly's name—we vatted two barrels and brought them to proof to create a single malt that expresses the beautiful blue radiance of this butterfly."