Review by: Whiskery Turnip
Distillery: Kanosuke.
Bottler: Distillery.
Region: Japan Single Malt.
ABV: 59%. Cask Strength.
Age: N/A. Bottled in 2022.
Cask type: Sherry, Shochu Casks.
Nose: Fruity hard candies, dried grass, salted pickled plums, pop rocks with a twist of tangy lime, chalky earth with a kiss of salty minerality.
Palate: Medium-bodied, dried and pickled fruits, fruit leather, apples and mango candies with a hint of strawberry, a touch of bubble gum led to lacquered wood and dried grass, a modicum of spirited pepper, and underlying earth or cocoa.
Finish: Medium to long, cured fruits and hard candies.
Mental Image: Caught Sticky Fingered in the Crack Seed Store.
Conclusion: Dried fruits with a kiss of salt brought to mind jars brimming with salted, cured, and candied fruits in syrup— plums of all sorts suspended in sour, sweet, and salty syrup. Perfect for topping a strawberry icee or the cream-top on a bowl of shaved ice It was all sweet candied nostalgia, even when hints of earth and bubble gum began to appear.
Unfortunately, I did not find the flavors all harmonious or balanced. The finish was nice and long, but the back felt unrefined as peppery spirit popped out. I preferred the 2023 edition, which took some of these same elements but put them together in a more cohesive package.
Overall, this was lovely— I could see this bottle growing on me— but I am not a big fan of bubble gum notes, and it always felt a bit discordant.
Final Score: 75.
Scoring Legend:
- 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
- 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
- 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
- 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
- 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
- 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
- 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
- 50-59: Save it for mixing.
- 0-49: Blech.
Malt Runners 