Kanosuke Single Malt 2021 First Edition (70cl, 58%)

Kanosuke Single Malt 2021 First Edition is a three-year-old single malt from the Kanosuke Distillery in Kagoshima, Japan, in a 70cl bottle. Only 1,200 bottles were released, at cask strength. It is made from 100% malted barley and matured in ex-bourbon barrels and mellowed kozuru shochu barrels. The kozuru barrels are made of Japanese oak, which is softer than American oak, and the bourbon barrels add vanilla and caramel. The nose is honey, vanilla and fruit, with cinnamon and nutmeg. The palate is smooth, balancing sweetness and spice, and the finish is long, with honey, vanilla and spice.