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Established in 1881, Komasa Shuzo is a shochu maker with a long history. Its representative brand is Mellow Kozuru, a barrel-aged rice shochu with a unique sweetness. The company applies its expertise in barrel aging and rice shochu making to whiskey and craft gin.

The Single Malt Kanosuke Distillery Limited Edition Bottle is a single malt that offers a completely different character depending on the combination of barrels and aging period. Like #001, it is hand-numbered.

This time, #002 is made from non-peated barleywine distilled in Kanosuke Distillery’s unique three-pot still and aged for about 1.5 years in bourbon barrels and 2 years in Calvados barrels. Limited edition of 1,099 bottles.

The Bottle

The base of #002 is a 2018 non-peated raw spirit that was made in our original three pot stills.

After maturing in bourbon barrels for about a year and a half, this single malt is aged for two years in Calvados barrels, a distillate made from apples in Normandy, France, before bottling. You can enjoy a well-balanced combination of freshness and depth of flavor.

Reference: Kanosuke Distillery Product Introduction Page

Our Take

The flavor of Calvados is quite strong. There is a sweetness, sourness, and astringency reminiscent of baked apples and plums.

It tastes as if you are eating an assortment of fruits, mainly apples, but you can also feel the sweetness and bitterness of the malt.

By adding water, you can reduce the astringency and bring out more sweetness. Please enjoy it straight or with a twist of whiskey.

Limited edition of 1,099 bottles, 200ml. This is a very rare whiskey with a very high level of perfection, so if you have the chance, you must try it.

(All Images Courtesy of JPWhisky.net)

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