"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.
The seventh release is themed after the "Gifucho" (Japanese Luehdorfia), an endemic Japanese species.
Known as the "Goddess of Spring," it features wings with black and yellow-white vertical stripes, adorned with red, blue, and orange spots on the hindwings.
Inspired by this butterfly, we selected a single cask of lightly peated malt whisky distilled at Mars Komagatake Distillery (formerly Mars Shinshu Distillery) in 2013 and matured in an American White Oak cask.
This single cask single malt whisky is bottled at natural cask strength, non-chill filtered, focusing on the rich flavors derived from the barrel.

"In May 2015, on a still-chilly morning, I walked along a mountain path in Shirakawa Village, Gifu Prefecture, where snow still lingered. Suddenly, in an open clearing, a vivid carpet of Dogtooth Violets (Katakuri) appeared. I looked up at the sky repeatedly, praying for the weather to clear. Just as I was getting tired of waiting, the sun finally broke through the clouds. At that moment, I noticed a Gifucho feeding on nectar. Its red hindwings stood out prominently. Despite its flashy appearance, it harmonized perfectly with the gentle spring landscape."