Single malt Kanosuke was selected for JAL international in-flight sales and will be sold until the end of September.
JAL’s in-flight sales service selects and sells selected items from foreign and domestic brands, including products recommended by flight attendants and JAL original products available only on JAL’s in-flight flights.
In addition, if you use your JAL card with credit card function when paying, you can get a 10% discount on your bill and earn 1 mile per 100 yen.
If you have a chance to use international flights, please check it out!
Reference: JAL International Flights Digital Catalog August-September
What is Single Malt Kanosuke?
Single Malt Kanosuke, selected for JAL’s international in-flight sales, is the first “standard product” single malt Japanese whisky from the Kanosuke Distillery. However, the Kanosuke distillery has announced that they are unable to provide a stable supply of the product at this time, so it is certain to be a rare and hard-to-find whisky for the time being.
1-1. characteristics
Single Malt Kanosuke” is a mellow whisky with the “Kanosuke Distillery” character, utilizing the traditional “distillation” and “barrel storage” techniques of Komasa Brewery cultivated through the production of “Mellow Cranes”. This Japanese whiskey was created with the concept of “a mellow whisky with the Kanosuke distillery’s character.
Non-peat malt is used, and multiple casks are vatted with the key ingredient being the original spirit aged in American white oak litchi casks. Non-chill filtered, watered down to 48% and bottled.
1-2. manufacturer
Komasa Kanosuke Distillery Co.
| Established | August 2021 |
| Head office location | 845-3 Kaminokawa, Hiyoshi-cho, Hioki-shi, Kagoshima 899-2421 |
| Owned distillery | Kanosuke Distillery |
1-3. distillery
Kanosuke distillery
| Location | 845-3, Gannokawa, Hiyoshi-cho, Hioki-shi, Kagoshima 899-2421 |
| Start of operation | 2017 |
The Kanosuke Distillery is located on a 9,000㎡ site along Fukiage Beach on the west coast of Kagoshima Prefecture.
The U-shaped, two-story main building houses distilling facilities, a BAR with a great view, and a store selling original goods.
The main feature of the distillery is that it is equipped with three pot stills (large, medium, and small). Each has a capacity of 6,000 liters, 3,000 liters, and 1,600 liters, respectively.
Craft distilleries (small distilleries) around the world generally have two stills. Whisky is usually distilled twice, and by using pot stills with different shapes of necks and angles of line arms at the top during the second distillation (redistillation), the aroma and flavor of the original whiskey can be changed more richly.
Fukiage beach, where the distillery is located, is one of the “Three Great Sand Dunes of Japan” and has been selected as one of the “100 Best Sandy Beaches in Japan. The beach stretches about 47 km from north to south, and strong winds blow in from the sea. It is hot in the summer and cold in the winter, and it is not unusual for the temperature to drop to near zero degrees Celsius and snow to fall.
For more information on single malt Kanosuke, see also this article.
Lastly: Recommended Books on Japanese Whisky
If you want to learn more about Japanese whisky, which is a global trend, we highly recommend these books.
(1).Whisky Galore Vol.29 December 2021 issue
In the December 2021 issue of Whisky Galore, published by the Whisky Culture Research Institute, we report on 11 Japanese craft distilleries, including some that are open to the public for the first time, under the title of “Japanese Whisky Craft Frontline,” the first of three consecutive issues. Why did the popularity of Japanese whisky and the craft boom occur? We will examine with interviews. Chichibu Distillery / Chichibu No.2 Distillery / Mars Shinshu Distillery / Mars Tsunuki Distillery / Kanosuke Distillery / Hioki Distillery / Ontake Distillery / Osuzuyama Distillery / Kaikyo Distillery / Hanyu Distillery / Konosu Distillery
(2). Japanese Whisky as an Education for Business
This is a book written by Mamoru Tsuchiya, a world-famous whisky critic and representative of the Whisky Culture Research Institute, titled “Japanese Whisky as a Culture that Works for Business” .
The book covers the basics of whisky, the introduction of whisky to Japan, the birth of Japanese whisky, advertising strategies and the rise of Japanese whisky, and the current rise of craft distilleries. This is a book that summarizes Japanese whisky in a very easy to understand way.
(3). Whisky and I (Masataka Taketsuru)
Masataka Taketsuru, the founder of Nikka Whisky, devoted his life to brewing whisky in Japan. This is a revised and reprinted version of the autobiography of a man who simply loved whisky and talked about himself. The book vividly depicts the days when he went to Scotland alone to study as a young man and overcame many hardships to complete Japanese whisky, as well as his companion, Rita.
(4). A Letter of Challenge from a New Generation Distillery
Launching in 2019. With the world experiencing an unprecedented whisky boom, what were the managers of craft distilleries thinking and what were their thoughts as they took on the challenge of making whisky? This book tells the stories of 13 craft distillery owners, including Ichiro Hido of Venture Whisky, famous for his Ichirose Malt, who inspired the birth of craft distilleries in Japan.
(5). Whiskey Rising
This is the Japanese version of Whisky Risng, published in the US in 2016, with much updated content. Not only does it describe the history of Japanese whisky in detail, but it also includes data on all the distilleries in Japan, including the craft distilleries that have been founded in recent years. The book also includes descriptions of the legendary bottles that have been released, as well as information on bars where Japanese whisky can be found.
