(Image Source: Kanosuke)

Kanosuke has really been on fire lately, so much so that I've actually been getting queries about what I thought of their stuff from folks in more Western countries. Particularly places like the US and Australia where generally the penetration of Japan whisky fever doesn't seem to have quite reached fever pitch as they have over in Asia, which is part of what is somewhat surprising to me. The hurdles to bringing Japanese whiskies to these places obviously plays a huge role in why it's been hard to spread the good word on these whiskies up until this point. Hence, you might imagine my surprise that Kanosuke's quality has made its way in spite of all of that, mostly through whispers of having heard how good it is.

While the positive implications for Kanosuke Distillery are obvious, it is definitely heartening to see, as I believe it'll be great encouragement for craft Japanese whisky producers to see that there is a demand and market for their whiskies larger than the shrinking market that is Japan. Keep in mind that for a couple of these new distilleries, their whiskies are a hail mary for the decreasing demand for their local spirits such as Shochu. As such, they've turned to whisky production to stay afloat. This validation is truly a light at the end of the tunnel for these folks and will hopefully help sustain the momentum.

Many Shochu producers have looked to whiskies as a hail mary from a decreasing appetite for Shochu locally. Kanosuke's parent, Komasa Jyozo, is a well-known Shochu-maker which pioneered oak cask-aged Shochu. (Image Source: FUCOA)

In fact, for those who aren't well-versed with Kanosuke's story, the whiskymaker itself is actually the brainchild of Shochu-maker Komasa Jyozo's fourth-generation chief Yoshitsugu. His theory was that whisky was much more of an internationally recognised spirit and could serve as a gateway to getting fans to try his family's Shochu.

Read more about the distillery that goes by the tagline Mellow Land, Mellow Whisky here - Kanosuke Distillery.

One of the more interesting aspects of Shochu-makers turning into whiskymakers is exemplified by how Kanosuke has matured some of its whiskies in their own Shochu casks which they've mentioned will go towards defining their house style of whiskies. Their 2021 First Edition Single Malt is an example of that, and was met with great reviews as far as I can tell.

The two editions were meant to allow fans to compare Kanosuke's whiskies as matured in the two primary types of casks the distillery plans to use - Shochu casks and Bourbon barrels. (Image Source: Whisky Auctioneer)

Today, I've gotten hold of the 2021 Second Edition which, unlike the First Edition which primarily used Shochu casks, instead this expression focuses on the use of the more standard first-fill bourbon barrel. The broader goal was outlined by Yoshitsugu as having wanted fans to be able to compare Kanosuke's whiskies in Shochu casks versus Bourbon barrels, which are the two primary types of casks Kanosuke intends to use, and will eventually together form the distillery's core single malt.

As you might imagine, the First Edition was met with much more excitement. The Second Edition is alittle less interesting as it appears to be closer to what we'd usually expect from most whiskies anyway. In any case, we'll take what we can get and try to piece together a better sense of what Kanosuke's whiskies are like. Who knows, it might surprise us! As they say, don't judge a whisky by its finish.

Kanosuke 2021 Second Edition, 57% ABV - Review

Color: Light Amber

Aroma: It starts off honeyed and spiced - cinnamon and paprika comes to mind, Evolving to showcase rich and ripe orchard fruits, namely apples, red and green, apricots, cherries. There’s a light tannic bitterness that suggests peach oolong tea, layered with vanilla cream and caramel. There is a light zest of grapefruit just towards the end.

Taste: Rich, thick spiced honey - fairly consistent with what was available on the nose, but think punchier. It has a medium weight and is neither viscous nor watery, but boy does it bring the heat with lots of warmth. The honeyed sweetness is accompanied by the same cinnamon spice and vanilla. The orchard fruits follow as well, with spiced apples, red and green. Black tea notes with much more acidity show up with a more oaky astringency.

Finish: The acidity is quite apparent here, with a noticeably drying and more bitter finish that fades into granulated brown sugar and light honey. A superbly long finish.

My Thoughts

Bourbon barrel aged whisky is the white bread of the whisky world, most whiskies are either first aged in a Bourbon barrel before being finished in something with more pizzazz, or completely matured in a Bourbon barrel. Which explains why this release didn't carry nearly as much excitement as the First Edition which was aged in Shochu casks. That said, just because something isn't unique doesn't mean it can't be good - and this was a great example of that. 

While it enjoyed a fairly standard aging, this was a really good whisky. The weight and mouthfeel was luscious and velvety, with consistent notes of spiced honey from start to finish, that made it thoroughly delectable. Yet, it doesn't ever get cloying, demonstrating a good amount of restraint with acidity to cut through the sweetness. It was well-rounded, with such pronounced yet approachable notes and great integration that betrays its age. It doesn't whip out anything unexpected or jaw-dropping but it really is a solid top-notch whisky.

I'm keeping the one-third leftover of my sample away for when I need a pick-me-up. It sure slapped a smile on my face.

Kanpai!

@111hotpot