Kanosuke

Kanosuke Distillery stands near Fukiage beach in Hioki, Kagoshima Prefecture, on the southern Japanese island of Kyushu. It was built by Komasa Jyozo, a long-established shochu producer, and began distilling malt whisky in 2017. The name honours Kanosuke Komasa, a former head of the family company.

The distillery runs pot stills of different shapes, which lets it make a range of spirit styles, and the warm southern climate speeds up maturation. Komasa's shochu background shows in its use of casks that once held shochu alongside bourbon, sherry and wine casks.

The main bottlings are Kanosuke Single Malt and a series of Limited Editions, released yearly since 2021. Collectors also meet Artist Editions, retailer exclusive single casks and the Brush Stroke Series set.

The Hioki Pot Still single grain is made at the company's Hioki shochu distillery, and Double Distillery blends spirit from both sites. Independent bottlings of Kanosuke are rare.