Kanosuke – Single Malt 2023 Limited Edition (70cl, 59%)

A limited edition Japanese single malt from Kanosuke, bottled at a cask strength of 59% in a 70cl bottle. It is non-chill-filtered and has no added colour. The 2023 release marries peated malt with the distillery's shochu cask tradition. Most of the whisky was matured in re-charred former shochu casks and in sherry casks, with whiskies from other casks added. The spirit was distilled in 2018 and 2019 and aged for at least three years before blending. The nose offers banana, egg custard and cinnamon sweets alongside a smoky, pickled note of smoked radish. The palate brings salted caramel, black tea and blood orange, with yatsuhashi, a Japanese rice-flour sweet with cinnamon. The finish is soft and lasting, with natsumikan citrus, Sichuan pepper and campfire smoke.