Lottery for “KANOSUKE DOUBLE DISTILLERY & KANOSUKE HIOKI POT STILL” from KANOSUKE Distillery is now available. Includes lottery application details and past products from the Komasa Kanosuke Distillery.
The lottery application for the two bottles of “Kanosuke DOUBLE DISTILLERY” and “Kanosuke HIOKI POT STILL” has been released in the mail magazine of Komasa Kanosuke Distillery Co.
You can choose either a single bottle of “Kanosuke DOUBLE DISTILLERY” or a set of two bottles of “Kanosuke DOUBLE DISTILLERY” and “Kanosuke HIOKI POT STILL”.
1. How to apply for the lottery
①Apply for the Web Lottery Sales
Click here for the web lottery application form
Application period: April 17 – April 22
Announcement of winners: Only winners will be notified by e-mail on May 1 (Wed.)
Multiple entries from the same name and address will be void.
2. Characteristics of 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 enhances the individuality of each distillery’s whiskies.
The barrel-aged shochu “Mellowed 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 Distillery official website
| Product Name | Kanosuke DOUBLE DISTILLERY |
|---|---|
| Sake type | Blended Japanese whisky |
| 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 | ー |
| Alcoholic content | 53% |
| Volume | 700ml |
| Price | 14,300 yen (tax included) |
| Manufacturer | Kanosuke Komasa Distillery Co. |
3. Characteristics of KANOSUKE HIOKI POT STILL
“Kanosuke HIOKI POT STILL” is made from barley and malt at the Hioki Distillery, saccharified and fermented in a unique process, carefully distilled in a single distiller, and stored in new American white oak and bourbon barrels at the Kanosuke Distillery.
Please enjoy this powerful yet gentle new Japanese whisky, which was nurtured in Hioki, “a place where you can see the sunset” as if the sun had been set.
Tasting Notes
Color: deep tortoiseshell
Nose: Buttersand, kabosu, apricot, plum compote
Finish: Vanilla, dry ginger, gentle sweetness lingers on the palate.Reference: Kanosuke Distillery official website
| Product name | Kanosuke HIOKI POT STILL |
|---|---|
| Sake type | Grain Whisky |
| Ingredients | Barley, malt |
| Casks | Bourbon barrels, new American oak barrels |
| Number of bottles sold | ー |
| Alcoholic content | 51% |
| Volume | 700ml |
| Price | 12,100 yen (tax included) |
| Manufacturer | Kanosuke Komasa Distillery Co. |
4. About the distillery
4-1. 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 site of approximately 9,000 m2 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 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.
4-2. 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 whisky. Its representative brand is the “Kozuru” series of potato shochu.
Among them, “Mellowed 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 source: Kanosuke Distillery Official HP
The whisky produced at Hioki is “grain whisky,” but it differs from the continuous distillation process normally used for grain whisky.
At Hioki, whisky is distilled under reduced pressure in a single-stage distiller, which keeps the distillation rate low. This results in a strong whisky 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.
5. Kanosuke Distillery’s past lineup
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.
