Kanosuke Double Distillery Japanese Whiskey

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 53% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

Kanosuke Double Distillery brings together two different whisky types from the Komasa family's distilleries: Kanosuke Single Malt and Kanosuke Hioki Pot Still. The single malt contributes an elegant sweetness, while the pot still whisky adds rich sweet and spicy flavours. The name Double Distillery refers to the two distilleries of origin, not the number of distillations. Both components are distilled within the family business; neither purchased malt nor neutral grain whisky forms the basis of the blend.

Combining the two components also brings together experience in shochu-making and whisky production. Hioki Pot Still was originally developed specifically for this blend before being released as a standalone bottling. Double Distillery is bottled at 53%, is non-chill-filtered and contains no added colouring. The bottle holds 0.7 litres and comes in gift packaging.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: On the nose, sweet vanilla notes mingle with mint and lemongrass, alongside apricot, melon and yellow peach.
• Palate: On the palate, rich sweetness accompanies a spicy interplay of clove and Japanese cinnamon. Black tea and mandarin complete the flavour profile.
• Finish: The finish remains distinctly fruity, with a moderate oak influence. It is soft and delicately bitter.

Distillery/Bottler:

Brothers Yoshitsugu and Norihisa are behind the two distilleries in Kagoshima. Yoshitsugu ran the shochu company Komasa Jyozo as its fourth-generation leader and began producing whisky in 2017. In doing so, he built on the work of his grandfather Kanosuke, who had developed the cask-aged shochu Mellowed Kozuru. For Kanosuke's single malt production, Yoshitsugu had casks previously used for this shochu re-charred and used them to mature whisky.

As a fifth-generation master distiller, Norihisa further developed the processes at Hioki. Its pot still whisky is made from malted and unmalted barley, using pot still and vacuum distillation. Hioki matures it in new American white oak casks and bourbon casks. For the new oak casks, the choice fell on puncheons holding around 450 litres rather than smaller barrels: Hioki's warm climate accelerates maturation and influenced this decision. The two distilleries therefore differ not only in their whisky types but also in their approaches to distillation and cask maturation.

Facts: