Kanosuke Distillery Single Malt Japanese Whisky 1st Edition 2021

Kanosuke Distillery Single Malt Japanese Whisky 1st Edition is a single malt from the Kagoshima coast in southern Japan.

Hioki, on the Kagoshima coast at the southern end of Kyushu, is an unlikely spot for a malt distillery: the air here carries sea spray for much of the year. The operation belongs to Komasa Jyozo, a shochu house with well over a century behind it, and the still house went into operation in 2017 with three bespoke pot stills, each built with a different neck shape and lyne arm angle so the team can blend distillates of different weights. Casks that previously held the family's barrel-aged shochu are used alongside more conventional wood. This was the first single malt the distillery released.

Rich and rounded, with dried fruit, honey and a warm spiciness that Kanosuke's malts are known for. Best neat in a tulip glass with a few drops of water to open it, or over one large clear cube if the evening is warm. Not one for mixing.