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One of the most exciting whisky releases of the last year, Kanosuke finally comes to an approachable price point, and I could not be happier. The quality on display here is unrivaled in Japanese whisky at this cost. It even gives single malt Scotch a run for its money. The nose starts strong with big oak and vanilla, but there's more nuance than apparent at first whiff. White flowers, tropical fruit, candied citrus and confectioners sugar lie just beneath the heavy base notes. The palate is soft but structured, offering far more complexity than you could expect from relatively young whisky. Peaches drizzled with condensed milk, sweet grain, toasted oak and a kick of spice make the first impression. But a thread of saline and earthy umami from the coastal aging and the recharred shochu casks counter the sweeter flavors and round out the whole package. What keeps me coming back though is the elegance and purity of it. This will strike some fans of Japanese whisky as odd or strong, but I believe it hits all the hallmarks that separate Japanese malt from Scottish. It's perfectly composed without a single note out of place. I dare say it will convert some Scotch drinkers who thought Japanese whisky too light or too expensive, because at the end of the day, it's just exceptional whisky.

This exceptional gin comes from Kagoshima Prefecture. Founded in 1883 Komasa Jyozo has been producing spirits for over a century for local temples. In 2018 they added gin to their repertoire. Using rice shochu as the base, Komasa Distillery nurtures a reserved list of botanicals for its gin, including the star ingredient, Sakurajima komikan, Japan’s smallest mandarin orange, which takes its name from the active volcanic island from which it originates. These little “mikan” grow on all sides of the island, but even when cultivated in nearby greenhouses, ash from the volcano falls year-round and must be consistently brushed away from the fruit skin by hand, otherwise incurring damage to the final yield. The harvest season for these sweet oranges lasts only a month, making Komasa Gin both a labor of love and an ingenious way to enjoy this precious fruit year-round.

Kanosuke draws on the Komasa family’s Kagoshima distilling heritage, which dates to 1883. Hioki Pot Still is produced at the company’s Hioki Distillery in Kyushu using malted and unmalted barley and pot-still distillation, an approach that distinguishes this Japanese whisky from Kanosuke’s single malt releases.

Kanosuke Distillery began making whisky in 2017 on Kagoshima’s coast, extending the Komasa family’s distilling heritage, which dates to 1883. This limited 2025 blended Japanese whisky brings together spirits from Kanosuke and its sister site, Hioki Distillery, reflecting two distinct Kyushu distilling operations.

This peaty expression—despite its name it was not released until 2024—was matured in sherry casks and re-charred American oak Mellow Kozuru shochu casks. Salty seaweed, vanilla, chocolaty peat smoke, clove, antiseptic, and toasted raisin bread on the nose. Effortlessly drinkable at cask strength, with flavors of chocolate chip, raisin, cherry, and smoke, with sweeter milk chocolate, juicy sultana, and mixed peel notes emerging. The finish brings milk chocolate, cinnamon, and raspberry jam doughnut filling. (JM, Winter-2024)

One of the most exciting and promising Japanese whiskies in years, Hakata should be on everyone's radar going forward. With the insane and continued price increases on age-stated Suntory offerings, it's refreshing to find something that's actually worth the price it commands. Honestly, this is the sort of whisky Yamazaki 12 wishes it could be. Pure barley with full sherry flavor, and at a price that almost feels nostalgic. What's not to love? But this stands on its own merit independent of comparisons to the over-hyped names you're familiar with. What sets it apart is the unique process to break down the barley; rather than a traditional malting process, which can create funky, savory flavors, they use koji (not the berry, but a microorganism commonly used in sake production) to break down the barley more efficiently. An added benefit of this method is how it allows more of the clean, fruity character of the barley to come through, while retaining the mouthwatering umami of the grain. Complimented by rich sherry, it is a true delight to drink. If you like those higher-priced items and lament the bygone days when you could buy them with no hesitation, you owe it to yourself to try this.

This handcrafted gin from the Kyoya Distillery starts with a sweet potato shochu base and botanicals such as yuzu, hyuganatsu, and sansho pepper. The sweet potato shochu base adds a complex richness and unique texture. Founded in 1834, Kyoya Distillery is one of the oldest distilleries in Kyushu, producing award-winning shochu from Beni Satsuma sweet potatoes. Their potatoes are naturally fermented in ceramic jugs before being distilled. The distillery uses environmentally friendly practices along with locally sourced, vertically integrated farming. The potato mash is distilled on small 200-liter stainless Japanese stills. Each botanical is steeped in the finished shochu and distilled separately — a time intensive process that allows for precise adjustments. The delicious zesty spirit is unlike any other gin in the store. The botanicals included are juniper berries, yuzu, sansho peppers, local Hebesu, local hyuganatsu, cucumber, ginger, coriander, and cloves. The Hyuganatsu and Hebesu are rare seasonal citrus that grown exclusively in Miyazaki prefecture.

In Kanosuke’s first distilling season, 180 barrels were filled: 100 ex-mellowed Kozuru rice shochu barrels, 50 ex-bourbon barrels, and 30 oloroso sherry casks. This 2022 limited-edition single malt blends these barrels to bring the sherry casks into the fore to complement the shochu and bourbon barrels. Copper pot distilled and aged for a minimum 3 years in a combination of re-charred mellowed Kozuru rice shochu American oak casks, oloroso sherry casks, and ex-bourbon casks. Bottled at a cask strength of 59% ABV, nonchillfiltered, and with no coloring or additives. Only 3,000 bottles for the US release. Sensory notes from the producer: "Aromas of grated cinnamon bark and ripe plum transition to a robust palate of coffee, vanilla, and spicy oak with an assertive finish of black tea and clover honey."

From one of Japan’s new generation of whisky makers, made at two distilleries—a single malt from Kanosuke and a pot still grain from sister distillery Hioki. It starts with aromas of fresh oak, rich vanilla, honey, orange, and lemon peel, leading to a gooey, flavorful palate of dried apricot, honey, and vanilla. The finish is nicely spiced, with honey, sweet melon, and peach. Superb texture, with depth and richness throughout. (Winter-2024)

Deeeeelightful! Strong scents of orange and cream, very light juniper. In the mouth, spicy oranges, soft pepper, baking spices, (again) light juniper. May prove to be a bit too easy to drink.

Bid on this 1-700 ml bottle lot of Ontake The 1st Edition 2023 Single Malt Japanese Whisky (700ml). Drawing on generations of shochu production, Nishi Shuzo established Ontake Distillery in Kagoshima on Japan's island of Kyushu. The 1st Edition 2023 is the distillery's inaugural single malt release and marks its entry into Japanese whisky.

Bid on this 1-700 ml bottle lot of Hakata 12 Year Old Sherry Cask Aged Fukuoka 100% Barley Japanese Whisky (700ml). The Hikari Distillery on Fukuoka has been distilling since 1912. This wonderful product is produced from 100% barley using koji to break down the complex carbohydrates into simple sugars for the yeast to consume. The conversion using Koji is more efficient than malt enzymes and adds a distinct umami character to the spirit. The high-quality barley spirit is aged in fresh sherry butts in traditional warehouses, some being open air and exposed to both the humid 95° Fahrenheit summer weather and the cold winter temps. The result is a rich, powerfully sherried, classically flavored whisky with all the depth and character of any single malt. The 12-year-old is a benchmark for this up and coming style of whisky that's broadening the definition of Japanese whisky.

Bid on this 3-bottle tasting lot; including 1 Kanosuke "Hioki - Ghost Series #23C" Pot Still Japanese Whisky (700ml), 1 Kanosuke "Hioki - Ghost Series #23B" Pot Still Japanese Whisky (700ml), and 1 Kanosuke "Hioki - Ghost Series #23A" Pot Still Japanese Whisky (700ml). Of the Kanosuke "Hioki - Ghost Series #23C" Pot Still Japanese Whisky (700ml), The aromatic opening is generous with baked apricot, cherry compote, and brown sugar over sweet pastry. The palate blooms with bright red fruit, maple syrup, and soft pancake notes, lifted by a citrusy finish that lingers. Bottled at 61% ABV without filtration or coloring, it offers both the richness of oak and the vivid high notes from its plum liqueur finishing. Only 300 bottles exist for the US, making this layered, fruit-forward whisky a fitting and highly collectible finale to the series.