Kanosuke Distillery Launches New Limited Edition Whisky
In conjunction with Diageo’s UK launch, Japanese whisky maker Kanosuke is launching a limited edition whisky expression. Kanosuke’s headquarters are located in Kagoshima, a region along Japan’s southern coast. The range includes Kanosuke Japanese Single Malt, Kanosuke Hioki Japanese Pot Still Grain Whisky, and the LE Kanosuke Single Malt 2023.
In 2017, Yoshitsugu Komasa created Kanosuke Distillery, named in honor of Kanosuke Komasa, his grandfather. Originally from Japan, his grandfather created the nation’s first aged rice shochu in 1957.
In 2021, Yoshitsugu, then president of Komasa Jyozo, left the Hioki Distillery to his younger brother, Norihisa Komasa. He then devoted all of his time to the Kanosuke Distillery. It uses three pot stills instead of the usual two, creating a whisky that offers a wide range of flavor profiles.
Kanosuke Distillery Rolls Out New Whisky
The company’s primary single malt is crafted with peated malt and matured in ex-shochu, ex-sherry, and American white oak casks. It features a banana, salted caramel, and cinnamon sugar aroma, candied quince, ginger, orange peel, and honey flavors.
The Hioki expression is derived from traditional Irish pot still whisky and is made with a blend of malted and unmalted barley. It was distilled at Hioki Distillery by Norihisa Komasa, using a stainless-steel pot still and vacuum distillation common when making shochu.
There are notes of freshly cut wood, stone fruit, and citrus in the nose, as well as vanilla, orange marmalade, and almonds on the palate of the Double Distillery whisky (the brothers created this whisky in honor of their grandfather).
Kanosuke and Hioki distilleries produce the whisky from 100% barley, a blend of malted and unmalted whiskies. Both distilleries use Miyake copper pot stills and stainless steel pot stills to double distill.
“We are very proud to share Kanosuke Distillery’s whiskies with UK whisky connoisseurs,” said Yoshitsugu Komasa, founder, master blender, and CEO of Kanosuke Distillery.
“Our Kanosuke whiskies embody the rich heritage and innovative spirit of our family’s shochu-making tradition. We are excited to bring our whiskies to the UK and drive the Japanese craft whisky category forward with innovative, exciting offerings with a real sense of place.”
