Kanosuke Hioki Pot Still Japanese Whiskey

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 51% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

Hioki combines malted and unmalted barley with production methods rooted in shochu experience. Saccharification and fermentation take place simultaneously, after which the mash is distilled in stainless steel pot stills under reduced pressure. The barley recipe draws on Irish pot still whisky, while maturation takes inspiration from bourbon production. The result is a Japanese single grain whisky with a creamy character, pastry notes and subtle spice.

Maturation takes place in new American white oak casks and bourbon casks. The new oak gives the whisky strength and a pronounced wood influence, while the bourbon casks add sweet, fragrant aromas to the creamy spirit. For the new oak casks, large puncheons with a capacity of around 450 litres were chosen instead of smaller barrels. This choice accommodates Hioki's climate, where maturation progresses rapidly.

Whisky production at Hioki began in 2020. The spirit was originally intended as a component of Kanosuke Double Distillery. The positive response to its distinctive character led to the release of Kanosuke Hioki Pot Still as a permanent product in December 2023. The whisky is bottled at 51%, without chill filtration or added colouring, and comes in gift packaging.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: The nose brings together buttery pastries, kabosu citrus, apricot and ume compote.
• Palate: On the palate, madeleine cakes and oak meet moderate saltiness, jam and satsuma mandarin.
• Finish: Vanilla, dry ginger and cinnamon shape the spicy finish, with a gentle sweetness that lingers.

Distillery/Bottler:

Hioki Distillery belongs to the shochu producer Komasa Jozo in Kagoshima. To begin making whisky, the team used the existing shochu equipment and added a mobile mill for the malt. Ground malt, steamed and cooled unmalted barley, water and yeast are brought together in open fermentation tanks. Production takes place in winter and early spring, when no sweet potato shochu is being prepared there. The temperature of the steamed barley is adjusted to the weather conditions to ensure that fermentation starts reliably.

Kanosuke Distillery began operating in 2017 on Kagoshima's west coast, alongside Fukiagehama beach. It now handles the maturation of whisky spirits produced at Hioki; initially, maturation also took place at Hioki. Both sites build on the Komasa family's experience with the cask-matured shochu Mellowed Kozuru. Its production provided valuable knowledge for selecting oak casks and for maturing and marrying whiskies.

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