Kanosuke Single Malt 2023 Limited Edition

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 59% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

The limited 2023 release brings together peated malt and Kanosuke's distinctive tradition of using shochu casks. The marriage consists mainly of whiskies matured in re-charred former shochu casks and sherry casks, complemented by whiskies from other casks. The spirits were distilled in 2018 and 2019 and matured for at least three years before being married.

Bottling at a cask strength of 59% preserves this edition's powerful character. Its sweetness meets smoky and spicy impressions, while citrus notes linger in the finish. The whisky is non-chill-filtered, has no added colouring and comes in a 0.7-litre bottle with gift packaging.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: On the nose, banana and egg custard sit alongside cinnamon sweets. A smoky, pickled note recalls smoked radish.
• Palate: On the palate, salted caramel and black tea combine with blood orange. There is also a note of Yatsuhashi, a Japanese rice-flour sweet flavoured with cinnamon.
• Finish: The citrus notes of the Japanese summer orange Natsumikan, Sichuan pepper and campfire smoke linger gently in a lasting finish.

Distillery/Bottler:

Kanosuke Distillery is situated in Hioki on the west coast of Kagoshima Prefecture, near Fukiagehama Beach and the East China Sea. Yoshitsugu Komasa founded it in 2017 and named it after his grandfather Kanosuke. The family's history as drinks producers dates back to 1883. An important milestone was the introduction of Mellowed Kozuru in 1957: Kanosuke Komasa had matured this rice shochu in oak casks for six years. This experience with cask maturation and shochu also provides a foundation for the distillery's whisky production today.

Kanosuke uses a long, slow fermentation and three pot stills with different neck shapes and lyne-arm angles. Their selective use produces different spirit profiles that can later be combined. The distillery also makes use of contrasting storage conditions: alongside coastal warehouses, it has partially underground spaces with more stable temperatures. Different cask types and storage conditions thus broaden the selection available for future marriages.

Facts: