In the city of Hioki in Kagoshima, the evening sun
touches the heart as it sets into the East China Sea.
In this beautiful land, craft Japanese whisky KANOSUKE
is born from a process starting with the distillation of new pot (new make spirit)
and extending all the way to maturation, blending, and bottling.
We started as a shochu distillery
and took on the challenge of making whisky.
In the city of Hioki in Kagoshima, the evening sun
touches the heart as it sets into the East China Sea.
In this beautiful land, craft Japanese whisky KANOSUKE
is born from a process starting with the distillation of new pot (new make spirit)
and extending all the way to maturation, blending, and bottling.
We started as a shochu distillery
and took on the challenge of making whisky.








TERROIR

A warm climate and bountiful nature.
On the west coast of Kagoshima Prefecture, Hioki City faces the East China Sea. This is the home of the Kanosuke Distillery.
One of the three major sand dunes in Japan, Fukiagehama boasts a length of up to approximately 50 kilometres from north to south. Behind stretches a deep mountain range including Mt. Yahazudake, and the area enjoys a plentiful supply of underground water refined by the Shirasu-Daichi plateau. Hioki City is blessed with a geographical location that is both warm and bountiful.

An environment that promotes quick whisky maturation.
However, this gentle scenery changes dramatically when winter hits. Strong winds blow up from the sea surface, and temperatures cool to nearly zero degrees Celsius.
This extreme temperature variation speeds maturation, and the normal whisky peak of ten to twenty years comes sooner. This does have the slight downside of promoting evaporation, and ‘the angel’s share’ (whisky lost naturally during maturation) does increase. But it is also an environment that can produce unique whisky qualities in a short period of time, making it easy to explore new whisky techniques.

The KANOSUKE maturation warehouse cultivates unique flavours.
We have diverse maturation environments nearby our distillery that benefit from the geographical features of Hioki, from semi-subterranean areas without large temperature fluctuations to the sea-breeze swept beach area.
We offer whiskies with a complex and diverse range of flavours that all share the unwavering core which comes from being crafted in the same land.



HISTORY

First, they made for the gods.
The story starts back in 1883. As the shochu maker called Hioki Distillery, the Komasa family made sacred sake for the Hachiman Shrine in the town. Eventually, the first-generation master distiller Ichisuke Komasa started Komasa Shoten and began specialising in making rice shochu, which was considered luxurious at that time.

The dream of Kanosuke, the second-generation master distiller
Kanosuke, the second-generation master distiller, was born in 1918. He returned from the war at 29 and joined in the shochu making process. In order to break out of the perception of shochu as a crude liquor sold at low prices, he passionately dove into learning distilled spirit making techniques from both within and outside of Japan.
This is how he learned that in the world of distilled spirit, including whisky, beverages attain deep flavours through long maturation processes. And in 1957, he succeeded in presenting the world with Mellowed Kozuru, a rice shochu matured for six years in oak casks.
Moreover, he built a special distillery in ‘the land of Japan’s most beautiful sunset.’ And, spurred by his dream of spreading the distilled spirit culture of Kagoshima throughout the world, he acquired the ideal land near Fukiagehama Beach.

The move towards whisky, a globally recognised beverage
The fourth-generation master distiller Yoshitsugu inherited that dream from his grandfather and immersed himself enthusiastically in exporting shochu internationally. While he did achieve some measure of success, the name recognition of shochu itself was still limited. This is when he saw the potential of whisky as another beverage that was also a distilled spirit, but already recognised worldwide. He visited distilleries in various places and built up a body of study.
And in 2017, on the land left behind by his grandfather, he established a distillery and named it the Kanosuke Distillery after him. This was finally the first step to fulfilling a dream that transcended generations.
His belief is that making the globally recognised whisky will also lead to worldwide populations becoming aware of the distinct Kagoshima distilled spirit culture.



CRAFT

Long-period fermentation produces a subtle aroma.
The ever-evolving Japanese whisky KANOSUKE. Its production method comes from a steady and enthusiastic exploration into fusing tradition and innovation.
The process starts with mashing. Milled malted barley is converted into sugar, the wort is collected, and yeast is added for fermentation. To achieve a mellow flavour and the subtle aroma of fruit like apples or pears, we strictly control the process and allow it a generous amount of time.

New flavours from diverse techniques.
We use three pot stills with lyne arms at different angles and a neck shape not often seen in craft distilleries, even internationally, and employ each one to different effect.
On top of this, we also use different areas to mature whiskies in a diverse variety of casks, such as recharred shochu casks and ex-bourbon barrels. By carefully crafting our whisky from the very beginning and masterfully employing a variety of techniques and environments, we are able to produce new flavours.

Our stance as distilled spirit making experts
What is most important to us is investing special care in the fermentation and distilling process. We make adjustments down to the minute level for the different seasons and climates. Our equipment is orthodox, but we dive into new challenges with creative approaches.
This is our stance as distilled spirit making experts, and our unwavering philosophy.