#21 Kanosuke
Bottled exclusively for The Whisky Show 2025
Our first Japanese release is a once-in-a-moment cask: a single malt from Kanosuke Distillery, matured in a rare ex-bourbon quarter cask. It’s a whisky of concentrated elegance - all ripe apricots, toasted marshmallows, and refined black tea.
🥃 Available exclusively at The Whisky Exchange 🥃
ABOUT THIS WHISKY
Single Malt Japanese Whisky
Only 150 bottles created
Cask: Ex-Bourbon Quarter Cask (from What.Three.Words ///jazzy.naptime.cubic)
Distilled: November 2019
Bottled: April 2025
Strength: 54%
Non-chill filtered and no caramel colouring (ever!)
TASTES LIKE
This whisky opens with big, ripe fruit – sun-warmed apricots that soften into honeycomb, lifted by a delicate, fragrant herbal note. On the palate, more apricots and juicy peaches layer with honeycomb that deepens into bittersweet caramel, reminiscent of the charred sweetness of toasted marshmallows, before easing into the refined bitterness of black tea. The finish carries the juiciness of stone fruit long and bright, with a whisper of lemon verbena to close.
Key Takeouts
- Toasted Marshmallows
- Honeycomb
- Black tea
- Lemon Verbena
- Ripe Apricots
MEET THE DISTILLERY
Next Gen Japanese Whisky from Kagoshima's Mellow Coast, Kanosuke is part of the new wave of authentic, highly sought after Japanese Distilleries. Learn more about Kanosuke Distillery HERE
LABEL INSPIRATION
Kanosuke sits on the mellow coast of Kagoshima Prefecture, at the southern tip of Kyūshū. Hioki City, where the distillery is based, means “where the sun sets” in Japanese, and each label carries a golden sun motif as a tribute to this coastal vantage point over the East China Sea. As such, we’ve decided to honour this on our label.
THIS MADE THE CUT BECAUSE
Kanosuke is everything we look for in a partner distillery: a new generation of makers, respectful of tradition yet unafraid to shape a bold future for Japanese whisky.
Together with the Kanosuke team, we identified this cask as a once-in-a-moment find - one that captures the distillery’s spirit in crystalline detail. Matured in an ex-bourbon quarter cask from a renowned American distillery, it delivers concentrated flavour and texture, layering ripe apricots with the charred sweetness of toasted marshmallow, all wrapped in a signature elegance that is unmistakably Kanosuke.
PAIRING SUGGESTIONS
This is an elegant, aromatic whisky with a malty backbone, and you can take the pairing two ways: match malt with malt, or set it against something light and fresh as a platform.
For a classic combination, reach for Kirin Ichiban.
For a fruitier, more characterful partner, try Unbarred Brewery’s Casual Pale Ale.
And for something lower in alcohol that still teases out the whisky’s richer side, pour a Small Beer Co Amber Ale.
