Kanosuke
Kanosuke Distillery – Whisky Born by the Sea
Kanosuke Distillery isn’t tucked in the misty hills of Honshu or hiding among snow-capped northern peaks. It’s coastal. Southern. Sun-soaked. Founded in 2017 on the western shoreline of Kyushu, Japan’s southernmost main island, Kanosuke looks straight out onto the East China Sea. That view matters. The distillery’s climate — hot, humid, and exposed to maritime winds — gives its whisky a style that’s anything but shy: round, expressive, sometimes salty, often surprisingly mature for its age. It’s whisky that wears its place proudly.
Kanosuke is part of Komasa Jyozo, a family-run company that’s been making shochu since 1883. That heritage runs deep. It means a natural fluency with fermentation, an obsession with distillation, and the kind of long-term view that makes sense when you’ve been working with oak casks for over a century. The distillery’s founder, Yoshitsugu Komasa, brought this mindset to whisky not as a departure, but as an evolution. Kanosuke is whisky made by people who understand aging, aroma, and the art of restraint — because they’ve been practicing it in a parallel category for generations.
The production setup is quietly ambitious. Three different copper pot stills — two wash and one spirit — allow Kanosuke to create a variety of distillate styles. Some heavy and oily. Some crisp and fruity. That flexibility gives the team a wide canvas when it comes to blending. All distillation is slow and deliberate, aiming for maximum texture. Water comes from an underground spring beneath Mt. Shibi. Fermentation times vary. Yeasts are selected for depth and persistence, not just speed. In other words, nothing is rushed, even when the climate moves fast.
Maturation is where things really get interesting. Kanosuke’s warehouses sit just above sea level, a stone’s throw from the surf. That ocean air — rich in salt and humidity — interacts with the casks in subtle ways. The result is a house style that feels both mellow and mineral. Aging takes place in an eclectic mix of wood: ex-bourbon, ex-sherry, Mizunara (Japanese oak), wine casks, and — a signature touch — American oak barrels that previously held mugi shochu. That last one is a nod to the distillery’s roots, and it adds a rounded sweetness not found in typical ex-bourbon barrels.
Since launching their first official single malt in 2021, Kanosuke has moved quickly but with precision. The 2021 First Edition introduced their signature character — silky texture, gentle spice, and seaside depth. The 2022 and 2023 Limited Editions leaned further into structure and oak influence. Then came the experimental series: Double Distilleries (blended malt from both Hioki and Kanosuke sites), Manzanilla Finish, and the Hioki Pot Still releases — showcasing vacuum distillation and unmalted barley blends. Each of these bottlings tells a different story, but all retain a sense of balance. No raw edges. No harsh peaks. Just integration, polish, and purpose.
In 2024, Kanosuke worked with Casa de Vinos to bottle the first-ever fully sherry-matured single cask for Australia. That release, debuted at Whisky Abbey, marked a new high point for the brand here — dark, brooding, and velvety, it showed what Kanosuke’s spirit can become in sherry wood over time. You can still taste it by the nip at Casa de Vinos Lounge, alongside core releases and back-vintages when available.
Casa de Vinos is the exclusive Australian importer and distributor for Kanosuke Distillery. For trade allocations, email wholesale@casadevinos.com.au. For corporate tastings or event inquiries, contact sales@casadevinos.com.au.
