Kanosuke DOUBLE DISTILLERY, a new standard product from Kanosuke Distillery, will be released on April 9. Features, price, and details are explained.
Kanosuke DOUBLE DISTILLERY will be released on April 9, 2024 as the third standard product from Kanosuke Distillery, following Single Malt Kanosuke released in January 2023 and Kanosuke HIOKI POT STILL released in December.
The new product is a Japanese whiskey made by selecting new casks from the single malt Kanosuke and the grain of Kanosuke HIOKI POT STILL, and blending them to create an exquisite blend that brings out the best of the two wh iskies.
1. Kanosuke DOUBLE DISTILLERY
Kanosuke DOUBLE DISTILLERY is a blend of whiskies made at two distilleries, the Kanosuke Distillery and the Hioki Distillery, blended and bottled in Hioki, Kagoshima, in a way that brings out the individuality of each distillery’s whiskies.
The barrel-aged shochu “Mellow Kozuru” was born from the challenge of the second generation of Komasa Brewery’s founder, Yoshinosuke Komasa. Enjoy this Japanese whiskey that is a fusion of the individuality of the craftsmen and the two brothers who have inherited their grandfather’s dream, many years after its birth.
This product is not cooled and filtered, and natural cork is used for the cork. Sediment, turbidity, and cork fragments may be found in this product, but these are natural ingredients and do not affect the quality of the product.
Tasting Notes
Color: Tortoiseshell
Nose: Sweet vanilla, mint, lemongrass, apricot, melon, peach Taste: Rich sweetness, clove, black tea, tangerine, Nikki
Finish: Moderately oaky, rich fruity aroma, soft and bitter aftertasteReference: Kanosuke DOUBLE DISTILLERY from Kosho Brewery | WHISKY,WORLD WHISKY,JAPANESE WHISKY,Kanosuke Distillery | THE ULTIMATE SPIRITS
| Product Name | Kanosuke DOUBLE DISTILLERY |
|---|---|
| Sake type | Blended Japanese whiskey |
| Ingredients | Kanosuke Distillery: Malt Hioki Distillery: Barley, Malt |
| Cask type | Shochu rich cask, new American white oak barrels, bourbon barrels, etc. |
| Number of bottles sold | Number of bottles sold |
| Number of bottles sold | 53% (with a minimum of 2.5% alcohol by volume) |
| Price | Suggested retail price: 14,300 yen (tax included) |
| Manufactured at | Kanosuke Distillery |
| Manufacturer | Komasa Kanosuke Distillery Co. |
About the distillery
2-1. kanosuke distillery
Kanosuke Distillery
| Location | 845-3 Gannokawa, Hiyoshi-cho, Hioki-shi, Kagoshima 899-2421 |
| Start of operation | 2017 (the first year of operation) |
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The Kanosuke Distillery stands on a 9,000 m2 site along Fukiage Beach on the west coast of Kagoshima Prefecture.
The U-shaped, two-story main building houses not only the distilling facilities but also 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. Whiskey 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 more richly changed.
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, with temperatures near zero degrees Celsius, and snow flurries are not uncommon.
2-2. Hioki Distillery
Hioki Distillery
| Location | 3309 Hioki, Hiyoshi-cho, Hioki-shi, Kagoshima 899-3101 |
| Start of operation | 1883 |
Originally started out making sake for the Hioki-Hachiman Shrine and distilling authentic shochu. Today, the company manufactures and sells liqueurs, spirits, and whiskey. Its representative brand is the “Kozuru” series of potato shochu.
Among them, “Mellow Kozuru” has its own unique manufacturing process and proprietary know-how, such as being recharged and used in single malt Kanosuke.
The distiller is a stainless steel straight vertical distiller used for shochu.
Image Exhibit: Kanosuke Distillery Official HP
The whiskey produced at Hioki is “grain whiskey,” but it differs from the continuous distillation process normally used for grain whiskey.
At Hioki, whisky is distilled under reduced pressure in a single-stage distiller, which keeps the distillation rate low. This results in a strong whiskey that retains the flavor derived from the ingredients.
This is truly a “Japanese pot still” that only Komasa Jozo, a long-time shochu distiller, can produce.
3. other whiskies from Kanosuke Distillery
3-1. Single Malt Kanosuke
3-2. kanosuke hioki pot still
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.
