What you need to know:

• Kanosuke is out with a new series, the Artist Edition.
• #001 will be a non-peated whisky that was distilled in 2019, 3 Years Old, that was matured in American Oak recharred casks.
• Limited to 3,000 bottles, with an RRP of 14,850 JPY or $128 USD.
• It will be released on 28 March 2022 at specific liquor stores carrying parent Komasa Jozo's Kura no Shitama Shochu.
• This seems like a clear execution on Kanosuke Distillery's founder's goal of using whisky as a gateway to gaining the interest of drinkers back to Shochu.

Kanosuke will be kickstarting a new series, called the Artist Edition. This will be #001 in the series.⁠
⁠
While it was announced on Kanosuke's site, there was an absence of any other details about the bottling, other than that it will be released on the 28 March 2022 at certain liquor stores handling the special contract Shochu "Kura no Shitama" that is also from Kanosuke's parent, Komasa Jozo.⁠

It will be an annual release.
⁠
It appears to be limited to 3,000 bottles and carries an RRP of 14,850 JPY or $128 USD.⁠
⁠
The label carries what appears to be a print of a watercolor painting of a tree and a horse under it.⁠ This is inspired by the Japanese "Five Elements Philosophy" of daily life - wood, fire, earth, metal and water. Here the motif is "wood" and was designed by artist Mariko Hirasawa.

Artist Mariko Hirasawa. (Image Source: IDEE Lifecycling)

"I painted an oak tree that grows strongly from the earth of Kagoshima to the sky. 

The whisky was born in Europe and is now growing healthily in this region. 

And not only for men, but also for women who live like this tree.

The color of the product is gentle, with the hope that you will hold it in your hand. 

(Wood in the Yin-Yang Five Elements is said to be represented by the color green or light blue.)"

- Artist Mariko Hirasawa
⁠

Some digging also tells us that this will be made of non-peated UK malt distilled in 2019, matured in American Oak recharred casks.⁠
⁠

(Image Source: Kanosuke Distillery)

⁠

Our Take

Big couple of years for Kanosuke! Bagged a whole bunch of awards at the recent 2022 regional rounds for the World Whiskies Awards just to hammer home their worth to new investor, Diageo. And now, what looks to be the start of the Kanosuke fan cult. Editions? Art on labels? It gets the people going! To be fair, the whisky is very good as well.

As such, this is a straightforward recipe for what will probably skyrocket in value and will pose to be yet another Herculean task for collectors.⁠

Don't bother chasing after it, try it at a bar instead. Save yourself the anguish.

Cop the Drop or Not Verdict: Drop
⁠

That aside, its pairing with parent Komasa Jozo's Kura no Shitama Shochu is a clear execution on founder, Yoshitsugu's strategy of going into whisky and using that as a gateway to lure drinkers back into their core Shochu expertise.⁠

Read about Kanosuke Distillery here.

⁠
Looks like its working. And who knew it would be a giant broccoli that done it! 😂⁠

First reported over at nomunication.jp

Kanpai!

@111hotpot