Kanosuke & Tsunuki Releases Pair Of All Kagoshima Double Malt Japanese Whisky Blend In New Collaboration

As the Japanese whisky story gets richer by the year, more local distilleries have stepped up to collaborate with one another, allowing not just an exchange of ideas on craftsmanship but also an opportunity to learn from the differences in whiskymaking, maturation and key proficiencies.

To that end, Kanosuke and Mars' Tsunuki distilleries have released a collaboration with the theme "Leading the Way in Kagoshima Craft" in the form of a pair of double malt Japanese whisky blends, based on the exchange of each distillery's new make which was then aged at the other's site and subsequently blended to produce two expressions of Kanosuke-Tsunuki and Tsunuki-Mars whiskies. Whilst this is not either distillery's first collaboration with another Japanese distillery (Kanosuke had most recently linked up with Saburomaru Distillery in Collaboration Series 01, whereas Mars had previously worked with a range of local distillers to produce Mars Whisky Malt Duo Komagatake X Chichibu 2021 and Tsunuki X Akkeshi 2024), this collaboration is all the more special as both distilleries call Japan's southern Kagoshima Prefecture home, making this an all Kagoshima blend!

Kazuto Hombo, President of Hombo Shuzo and Mars Whisky, with Yoshitsugu Komasa, founder of Kanosuke Distillery.

What is perhaps even more interesting is that the collaboration goes all the way back to Spring of 2020 when the two distilleries had swapped new make spirits, with Tsunuki's newmake aged by the Fukiagehama seaside at Kanosuke Distillery and Kanosuke's newmake matured at the inland basin where Tsunuki Distillery is located at for the very first time. After a whopping 6 years of ageing, both distilleries would then begin the blending process, each creating their own blend for the collaboration. This of course begs the question as to what more surprises will come our way, with certainly many more projects still in the midst of R&D, having been laid down likely many years ago.

To inaugurate the collaboration, Kanosuke Distillery will be hosting an Instagram Live session on 2nd November 2026 8:00 PM JST to discuss the whiskies, share more from behind the scenes, answer fan questions and also hold a giveaway.

Kanosuke Collaboration Series 02 Kanosuke X Tsunuki

For the collaboration, Kanosuke would age the Mars Tsunuki newmake in Bourbon and Shochu re-charred casks. The key malt used was then the Kanosuke barley Shochu non-recharred cask aged whisky, along with other whisky components aged to various periods in Bourbon casks, as well as double cask whiskies aged in Shochu recharred casks and finished in Red Wine casks.

The Kanosuke Collaboration Series 02 Kanosuke X Tsunuki will be available from 20th November 2026 via lottery, and is priced at 16,500 Yen (US$104.85).

Official Tasting Notes

Colour: Gold

Aroma: Dried apricots, pears, custard cream, pineapple.

Palate: Custard cream, grated apple, marmalade, grapefruit juice.

Finish: A long-lasting blend of rounded fruit flavours and bitter notes.

ABV: 57%

Mars Whisky Malt Duo Tsunuki X Kanosuke

Mars' blend comes from a vatting of two malt whiskies, one from Tsunuki and the other from Kanosuke, both aged at the Tsunuki Distillery. The whiskies were aged primarily in ex-Bourbon barrels before being vatted.

The Mars Whisky Malt Duo Tsunuki X Kanosuke, bottled at 51% ABV, will be available from 20th November 2026, and is priced at 14,300 Yen (US$90.90).

Excerpt From Kanosuke's Behind The Scenes Of Product Development Interview With Naoko Serikawa, Kanosuke Distillery Blender / Quality Control Section Chief

Q1. For the second release, we tried a new approach with Mars Tsunuki Distillery, exchanging our respective new make spirits and aging them in each other's environments. Looking back on the spirit exchange, is there anything that particularly stands out in your memory?

Serikawa: It was very impressive to be able to exchange raw spirits with distilleries that are all working on whisky making in Kagoshima, but each has its own distinct character. In particular, it was special to be able to actually age the raw spirit made by the people at Mars Tsunuki Distillery, with whom we have regular contact. We were entrusted with raw spirits from producers whose faces we knew, and we built the quality of the spirit by interpreting it in our own way through the environment and casks at Kanosuke Distillery. There was great anticipation and excitement in that process.

Q2. What was your impression when you first tasted Tsunuki's unpasteurized sake?

Serikawa: The first thing I noticed about the Tsunuki raw spirit was its power, the fresh fruitiness reminiscent of pears, and a pleasant bitterness. These characteristics were consistently present from the new make stage to the post-aging stage, and I think they symbolize what makes Tsunuki unique. I was really looking forward to seeing what kind of changes would occur when that new make spirit was aged in KANOSUKE's shochu re-charred casks. The raw spirit aged in the shochu re-charred casks revealed a richness of malt, a sweetness reminiscent of brown sugar, herbal nuances, and an oily texture.

On the other hand, the raw spirit aged in bourbon casks had a refreshing and gorgeous aroma at the top. It had a fruitiness reminiscent of yellow peaches, almond tofu, and pomelo, and the characteristic bitterness of Tsunuki remained firmly in the background. Even with the same new make spirit, different expressions were brought out depending on the cask. I think being able to see that change was one of the interesting aspects of this project.

Q3. What kind of spirit quality were you aiming for with this blend?

Serikawa: For KANOSUKE's key malts, we used barley shochu unre-charred cask-aged raw spirit and atmospheric-pressure distilled raw spirit aged in puncheon casks. These spirits express the three-dimensionality and depth characteristic of KANOSUKE, as well as the rich body derived from the barley shochu casks. 

Furthermore, by combining it with a heavy, long-aged bourbon cask-aged raw spirit and layering it with the fruitiness of the younger spirit, we have given the flavor more depth. In addition, we added a double cask-aged raw spirit that was aged in shochu re-charred casks and then further aged in red wine casks, bringing out a complex sweetness and a pleasant bitterness. We focused on how to harmonize the Tsunuki spirit with the mellow taste characteristic of KANOSUKE, and we built the blend while carefully considering that balance.

Q4. What aspects of the finished sake do you feel are characteristic of "TSUNUKI"?

Serikawa: It's definitely the power. And the fruitiness reminiscent of fresh pears, and the pleasant bitterness that lingers in the finish. These are characteristics that symbolize Tsunuki's style and give this sake a solid structure. I feel that this contributes to the strength and flavor profile that cannot be achieved with KANOSUKE's undiluted sake alone.

Q5. On the other hand, where does "KANOSUKE's unique style" come through?

Serikawa: I think what symbolizes the essence of KANOSUKE is its rich sweetness reminiscent of ripe fruit. Specifically, it has the nuances of full-bodied, ripe fruit, like dried apricot, pineapple, and grated apple. This rich fruitiness gives the overall flavor roundness and depth. The fresh fruitiness of Tsunuki and the sweetness reminiscent of ripe fruit of KANOSUKE - I think the combination of these different types of fruitiness has created a sake quality unique to this collaboration.

Q6. How did you feel when you tasted the finished bottle for the first time?

Serikawa: To be frank, I thought it was "really delicious."

The depth of flavor and the lingering finish created by combining the unique characteristics of KANOSUKE and Tsunuki exceeded my expectations. It has a different character from the usual KANOSUKE blend, and I felt that the addition of Tsunuki's raw spirit brought out a new charm. Two producers who know each other personally exchanged raw spirits, matured them in their respective environments, and finished them into a single whisky with their own interpretation. I feel a great sense of accomplishment that this initiative, which started from interaction between producers, has taken shape as a spirit of unprecedented quality.
I would like everyone to experience the new possibilities of Kagoshima craft whisky that have been born from the resonance of different personalities.

88 Bamboo Editorial Team