Kanosuke 2019 6 Year Old Peated Single Cask #19428 Chichibu Whisky Matsuri 2026

Description

Kanosuke 2019 6 Year Old Single Cask #19428 Chichibu Whisky Matsuri 2026 Bottling Note

Description & Heritage

Kanosuke 2019 6 Year Old Peated Single Cask #19428 Chichibu Whisky Matsuri 2026 is a highly anticipated release bottled exclusively for the Chichibu Whisky Matsuri 2026. Since 2024, the Kanosuke Distillery, located on the windswept coast of Kagoshima, has released a special commemorative bottling annually for this prestigious festival. This particular expression serves as the official bottle for the 13th Chichibu Whisky Matsuri. Notably, this year’s release consists of 568 bottles, a larger yield than previous festival single casks, allowing a few more enthusiasts to secure a taste of this collaboration.

The Festival

The Chichibu Whisky Matsuri is an annual celebration held in Chichibu City, Saitama Prefecture. It was founded by a dedicated group of volunteers and enthusiasts, including the legendary Ichiro Akuto of Venture Whisky, with the collective vision of promoting whisky culture and sharing the joy of the “water of life” with a global audience. Over the years, it has become a pilgrimage site for connoisseurs, renowned for its community spirit and world-class festival bottlings.

Technical Specifications & Maturation

Distilled in October 2019 and bottled in January 2026, this single malt has been matured for six years. Although the age statement is not prominently displayed on the primary label, its provenance is clear from the distillation and bottling dates.

This expression was aged in a 1st Fill Manzanilla Cask (Cask #19428) and, crucially, was crafted using peated malt. Manzanilla, a coastal sherry from Sanlúcar de Barrameda, is known for its dry, saline, and delicate floral profile. When combined with Kanosuke’s signature spirit—produced using three unique pot stills—the result is a sophisticated harmony of maritime saltiness and a gentle, lingering smokiness. On the palate, the influence of the sherry cask interacts beautifully with the peat to evoke the distillery’s iconic “Kagoshima Soy Sauce” character: a deep, savoury umami richness balanced by nutty undertones and a refined, smoky finish.

Kanosuke 2019 6 Year Old Single Cask #19428 Chichibu Whisky Matsuri 2026 Tasting Note

Nose: Bog myrtle, turf, and creosote. A medicinal peatiness reminiscent of a first-aid kit and inland moss gives way to notes of dry hay, chamomile tea, and menthol cigarettes, rounded off with brown sugar candy and sweet bean paste.

Palate: Honey-roasted nuts, Vietnamese salted coffee, and mint-choc chip ice cream. There’s a touch of Manzanilla sherry and seaweed, followed by hay, dried herbs, and pine resin. A rich, winey, and full-bodied mouthfeel.

Finish: The sweetness and depth of raisins and dried figs, with chocolate buttery biscuits. Peat smoke and glowing embers lead into heather moorland and tar. It gradually becomes woodier, with long-lasting notes of camphor and old leather armchairs.

Overall: The balance between the cask-driven sweetness and the coastal saltiness is exquisite. The interplay between the smoky peat and the sherry wood maturation gives this bottle a fantastic sense of depth and complexity.