Japanese craft whisky from the Kanosuke Distillery, a family-owned producer in Japan’s southern Kagoshima region, is now available in the UK. Kanosuke is introducing three core, no age statement, expressions along with a limited-edition release. All its whiskies are distilled, aged, and bottled in Japan, using multiple stills, new-make spirits, and various cask types.
The range includes Kanosuke Japanese Single Malt, Kanosuke Hioki Japanese Pot Still Grain Whisky, and the limited edition Kanosuke Single Malt 2023.
For admirers of Japanese drams, the distillery’s arrival is an exciting chance to experience the flavours of a fascinating craft whisky scene.
All its whiskies are distilled, aged, and bottled in Japan, using multiple stills, new-make spirits, and various cask types…
Founded in 2017 by Yoshitsugu Komasa, Kanosuke Distillery honours the legacy of Yoshitsugu’s grandfather, Kanosuke Komasa, a pioneer in Japanese distilling.
The distillery builds on the Komasa family’s rich history, which began with producing rice shochu at Komasa Jyozo. Drawing on traditional shochu-making techniques and Yoshitsugu’s experience in Scotland and the USA, Kanosuke whiskies are crafted with a distinctive sense of place.
The distillery’s location on the coast of Kagoshima, combined with the region’s warm summers and cool winters, allows the whisky to mature quickly, developing complex, mellow flavours in just a few years.
The Kanosuke range is produced using three different pot stills with varying lyne arms, allowing the distillery to create a wide range of flavour profiles. Each expression is non-chill filtered.
Kanosuke Single Malt Japanese Whisky, £89.95
The core expression in the Kanosuke range, this single malt whisky is made from a blend of peated and non-peated malt and aged in a variety of casks, including ex-shochu, ex-sherry, and American white oak barrels. The result is a whisky with a distinctive coastal character, reflecting the distillery’s seaside location.
Tasting Notes speak of banana, salted caramel, and cinnamon sugar on the nose, with candied quince, ginger, orange peel, and honey on the palate. The finish is said to be gentle and mellow.
Bottled at 48% ABV, this single malt is aged in ex-mellowed Kozuru Shochu Casks, Ex-Sherry Butts, and ex-Bourbon Barrels.
The Kanosuke Japanese whisky range is now available from The Whisky Exchange.
The Whisky Exchange has dropped three new exclusive bottlings to mark the start of 2026, spanning Scotch whisky, American bourbon and Jamaican rum. The limited collection comprises an experimental single-cask Torabhaig from the Isle of Skye, a punchy single-barrel bourbon from Bardstown Bourbon Company, and a sherry-cask-aged Hampden Estate rum that leans fully into the…
Just in time for Burns Night, Orkney-based Highland Park has announced a limited-edition cask strength single malt whisky. The new release, Cask Strength: Heather, is made using 100 per cent Orkney peat-smoked barley, with peat sourced responsibly from Hobbister Moor, just a few miles from the distillery. Given Orkney’s northern latitude, trees struggle to grow,…
January may feel long and grey, but one undoubted bright spot is Burns Night, the annual celebration held on January 25, marking the birthday of Scotland’s national poet, Robert Burns. For whisky lovers, it’s one of the most convivial fixtures of the year: a night where poetry, food and Scotland’s greatest export meet in cheerful,…
The Luxe Review 
Japanese craft whisky from the Kanosuke Distillery, a family-owned producer in Japan’s southern Kagoshima region, is now available in the UK. Kanosuke is introducing three core, no age statement, expressions along with a limited-edition release. All its whiskies are distilled, aged, and bottled in Japan, using multiple stills, new-make spirits, and various cask types.
The range includes Kanosuke Japanese Single Malt, Kanosuke Hioki Japanese Pot Still Grain Whisky, and the limited edition Kanosuke Single Malt 2023.
For admirers of Japanese drams, the distillery’s arrival is an exciting chance to experience the flavours of a fascinating craft whisky scene.
Founded in 2017 by Yoshitsugu Komasa, Kanosuke Distillery honours the legacy of Yoshitsugu’s grandfather, Kanosuke Komasa, a pioneer in Japanese distilling.
The distillery builds on the Komasa family’s rich history, which began with producing rice shochu at Komasa Jyozo. Drawing on traditional shochu-making techniques and Yoshitsugu’s experience in Scotland and the USA, Kanosuke whiskies are crafted with a distinctive sense of place.
The distillery’s location on the coast of Kagoshima, combined with the region’s warm summers and cool winters, allows the whisky to mature quickly, developing complex, mellow flavours in just a few years.
The Kanosuke range is produced using three different pot stills with varying lyne arms, allowing the distillery to create a wide range of flavour profiles. Each expression is non-chill filtered.
Kanosuke Single Malt Japanese Whisky, £89.95
The core expression in the Kanosuke range, this single malt whisky is made from a blend of peated and non-peated malt and aged in a variety of casks, including ex-shochu, ex-sherry, and American white oak barrels. The result is a whisky with a distinctive coastal character, reflecting the distillery’s seaside location.
Tasting Notes speak of banana, salted caramel, and cinnamon sugar on the nose, with candied quince, ginger, orange peel, and honey on the palate. The finish is said to be gentle and mellow.
Bottled at 48% ABV, this single malt is aged in ex-mellowed Kozuru Shochu Casks, Ex-Sherry Butts, and ex-Bourbon Barrels.
The Kanosuke Japanese whisky range is now available from The Whisky Exchange.
Drink in 2026 with these Jamaican sherried rum, peated whisky, and high-strength bourbon exclusives
The Whisky Exchange has dropped three new exclusive bottlings to mark the start of 2026, spanning Scotch whisky, American bourbon and Jamaican rum. The limited collection comprises an experimental single-cask Torabhaig from the Isle of Skye, a punchy single-barrel bourbon from Bardstown Bourbon Company, and a sherry-cask-aged Hampden Estate rum that leans fully into the…
New Cask Strength Highland Park whisky puts Orkney heather front and centre
Just in time for Burns Night, Orkney-based Highland Park has announced a limited-edition cask strength single malt whisky. The new release, Cask Strength: Heather, is made using 100 per cent Orkney peat-smoked barley, with peat sourced responsibly from Hobbister Moor, just a few miles from the distillery. Given Orkney’s northern latitude, trees struggle to grow,…
Toasting the Bard: Where to eat, drink and celebrate Burns Night 2026
January may feel long and grey, but one undoubted bright spot is Burns Night, the annual celebration held on January 25, marking the birthday of Scotland’s national poet, Robert Burns. For whisky lovers, it’s one of the most convivial fixtures of the year: a night where poetry, food and Scotland’s greatest export meet in cheerful,…
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