While Shizuoka has grabbed alot of attention and hype there are a few other distilleries started around the same time producing their own impressive and distinctive malt whiskies. Kanosuke has gotten some strong recognition from the industry with some major investment. But it is still a young distillery with limited stocks. After trying their new born malt, I knew I’d be in for a big whisky as it reached maturity.

Country/Region: Japan/Kagoshima 

Color: 1.2 chestnut (NCA)   

ABV: 59.0% (NCF) 

Nose: Orange, yuzu, pineapple, rambutan, kiwi,  together with rich maltiness, orange blossom with a significant amount of ethanol on the nose.  With water; the ethanol is tamed and a mild savory beef stock note emerges on the nose.

Palate: Pineapple, rambutan, kiwi, strawberry, raspberry, spiced with cinnamon, white ginger, developing with black tea, banana, strawberry jam, yuzu, and tangerine.  With water; consistent overall but softer and sweeter 

Finish: Medium, Drying with a black tea, black pepper, kiwi, strawberry, kiwi, cinnamon, strawberry jam, yuzu, pickled ginger.  With water; softens the finish, but it retains the length.  

Rating: 88  

Summary: This bottling has improved greatly with alot of air in the bottle as I’ve shared this with friends.  On the palate this benefits from water allowing the flavors to be more distinctive and spacing out the arrival and development. As with alot of young malts this softens the finish but thankfully doesn’t seem to shorten it here. What’s hard to convey is the richness of this spirit. It has density of character and a strong malt backbone without being heavy.