Special seminar for advanced users will be held at the Hioki/Kanosuke Distillery Festival 2024. Details and how to apply for the lottery are explained.
Special seminars will be held on Sunday, November 10, 2024 at the “Hioki/Kanosuke Distillers Festival 2024” for advanced students. 4 seminars will be offered and registration by lottery is required.
1. How to apply for a special seminar
●Application period: Friday, September 27 – Thursday, October 3, 2024
●Announcement of winners: Wednesday, October 9, 2024
●How to apply: Apply using the application form. Click here for the Advanced Seminar Application Form.
●Amount: 3,000 yen per session (advance ticket purchase)
●Capacity: 20 people per session (by lottery)
If you wish to apply for all four types of seminar, you will need to apply for multiple sessions.
2. Special seminar details
2-1. Venue details
| Venue |
Former Hiyoshi Primary School
493 Hiyoshi-cho, Hioki-shi, Kagoshima 899-3101 |
| Access |
Large shuttle bus from Ijuin Station on the JR Kagoshima Honsen Line to the former Yoshida Elementary School.
There is a minibus service between Hioki Distillery, Kanosuke Distillery and the former Yoshida Elementary School. |
| Date and time of event | Sunday, November 10, 2024 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. |
| Event website | Hioki-Kanosuke Distillery Festival 2024 | Kanosuke Distillery (kanosuke.com) |
2-2. Seminar details
| ◆The world of shochu, the world of Komasa Brewery. The world of shochu, from koji, yeast, raw materials, distillation to storage… will be introduced. Opening hours: 10:30-11:20 Duration: 50 minutes Instructor: Saori Kikuchi, Komasa Brewery Tasting items: 8 types of sake, including unpublished sample sake with characteristic aroma and commercial products. |
| ◆KANOSUKE New Pot and the latest brewing Experience the differences in sake quality produced by the characteristics of raw materials and micro-organisms. Time: 11:45-12:35 Duration: 50 minutes Instructor: Naoko Serikawa, Kanosuke Distillery Tasting items: New Pot, etc. |
| ◆Welcome to the beautiful pot still whisky swamp! By understanding the different distilleries that make pot still whisky and the differences in ingredients, we will introduce you to the depth of Hioki Kura’s pot still whisky. Opening hours: 13:00-14:00 Duration: 60 minutes Instructor: Tatsuya Ishihara, Kanosuke Distillery Tasting items: 5 whiskies from domestic and overseas distilleries |
| ◆ Explore the wonders of KANOSUKE’s cellar Become a KANOSUKE master by finding out about the characteristics of the five cellars owned by the Kanosuke Distillery, which are not normally open to the public. Time: 14:25-15:15 Duration: 50 minutes Instructor: Ryota Jono, Kanosuke Distillery Tasting items: 4 types of matured wines from different storage environments. |
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.
