Kanosuke Hioki Pot Still Japanese Whisky (51%)

The Kanosuke Hioki Pot Still shows another side of the philosophy behind the Kanosuke Distillery. While the Kanosuke Single Malt highlights the distillery’s house style, this whisky was created as an exploration of how different whisky traditions could be brought together.

During visits to distilleries in Ireland and the United States, Yoshitsugu Komasa became fascinated by two distinctive approaches to whisky making. One was the rich style of Irish pot still whiskey, produced with both malted and unmalted barley. The other was the bold maturation character typical of bourbon whiskey.

These ideas are combined in the Hioki Pot Still. The mashbill uses a mix of malted and unmalted barley, a choice inspired by Irish whiskey and familiar to the distillery through their experience with shochu production. Distillation takes place in pot stills, where techniques refined in shochu making contribute to a rich and aromatic distillate.

For maturation, new American oak casks are used, echoing the influence of bourbon. Because whisky matures relatively quickly in the warm climate of Hioki, larger casks are chosen to keep the oak influence balanced.

The nose reveals notes of buttery pastry, kabosu citrus and apricot alongside hints of plum compote. On the palate it shows flavours reminiscent of madeleine cake, gentle oak, subtle salinity and mandarin citrus. The finish is warm and spicy with vanilla, dried ginger and cinnamon.