Kanosuke Japanese whisky heads to US
Japan's Kanosuke Distillery is introducing three expressions to the US, including a single malt, single grain, and blended whisky.
Kanosuke Distillery has announced that its core range of whiskies will be arriving in the US this summer. That range includes three expressions: a single malt, a grain whisky, and a blended whisky. “We are very proud to share Kanosuke Distillery’s core range with American whiskey connoisseurs,” Yoshitsugu Komasa, Kanosuke founder, CEO and master blender said. “We are excited to bring our whiskies to the US and raise the visibility and prestige of Japanese spirits overall.” Kanosuke Japanese Single Malt is made using all three of the distillery’s Miyake copper pot stills and includes ex-mellowed Kozuru casks, or casks that previously held shochu, in its ageing regimen. It is bottled at 48% ABV, and priced at US$100, with notes of banana, lemon cake, ginger, and campfire smoke. Hioki Japanese Pot Still Grain whisky is inspired by Irish pot still whiskey and as such, uses malted and unmalted barley. It employs a stainless steel pot still and vacuum distillation as used in shochu production. The whisky is bottled at 51% ABV, priced at US$110, and has notes of stone fruit, citrus, vanilla, and almonds. Double Distillery Japanese blended whisky marries Kanosuke single malt and Hioki Pot Still Single Grain whiskies. It was blended by the grandsons of Kanosuke Komasa who now lead the Kanosuke and Hioki sister distilleries. The whisky is bottled at 53% ABV and priced at US$120 with notes of melon, black tea, clove, and orange peel. Kanosuke is among a wave of craft distillers reshaping Japanese whisky. In 2021, Diageo invested in Kanosuke through its drinks incubator Distill Ventures, acquiring a minority stake in the Japanese whisky producer for an undisclosed sum.
