Kanosuke Single Malt GoGo – Bar Liquor Museum

Kanosuke Single Malt GoGo Bar Liquor Museum: Bottling Note

Kanosuke Single Malt GoGo Bar Liquor Museum, also known as GoGo (午后), is a limited-release single malt Japanese whisky created in collaboration with Kanosuke Distillery in Hioki, Kagoshima Prefecture, and NBG Co., Ltd., the company behind the Japanese bar chain Bar Liquor Museum (Osake no Bijutsukan). Bottled at 48% ABV in a 700 ml format, it carries no stated age. It is primarily available by the glass at Bar Liquor Museum locations rather than through general retail bottle sales, making it a distinctive expression developed specifically for the chain.

At the heart of the whisky is spirit matured in re-charred casks previously used for shochu, a traditional Japanese distilled spirit. This is combined with malt whisky matured in a selection of casks, including bourbon casks, before peated spirit is added to the final blend. The selection of casks and the blending recipe were overseen by Kuririn, a whisky enthusiast and author of the blog Kuririn’s Whisky Stand, who has contributed to numerous whisky reviews and blending projects.

Kanosuke Distillery draws on a long heritage of shochu production established by Komasa Shuzo. In 1957, Kanosuke Komasa, the company’s second-generation head, introduced Mellow Kozuru, a rice shochu matured in wooden casks. His grandson, Yoshitsugu Komasa, founded Kanosuke Distillery in 2017, carrying this tradition into whisky production. The distillery applies knowledge gained from shochu-making to fermentation, distillation and maturation, pursuing a house style characterised by mellow sweetness and a rounded character.

GoGo uses a different recipe from the standard Kanosuke Single Malt and the limited-edition Kanosuke Single Malt PEATED, released in 2025. Sweetness and fruitiness derived in part from the shochu re-charred casks form the foundation, complemented by citrus and ripe-fruit notes, honeyed richness, spice and toasted wood. Gentle peat smoke adds depth without dominating the whisky. The balance between Kanosuke’s mellow house style and a restrained smoky character is central to this expression.

The name GoGo (午后) uses an older Japanese form of the word for afternoon. It also incorporates uma (午), the horse, the zodiac animal for 2026, while evoking the transition from afternoon to early evening—a fitting reference to the bar setting. Built around Kanosuke’s distinctive house style, this single malt brings together sweetness, fruitiness and subtle smoke in a recipe created exclusively for Bar Liquor Museum.

The label features a striking skull illustration reminiscent of Utagawa Kuniyoshi’s famous ukiyo-e print *Sōma no Furudairi* (The Skeleton Spectre at the Old Palace in Sōma), created around 1845–46. Its dramatic imagery draws on the visual tradition of Japanese woodblock prints, giving GoGo a distinctive identity that complements the whisky’s name and atmospheric presentation.

Kanosuke Single Malt GoGo Bar Liquor Museum: Tasting Note

Nose: Gentle fruit aromas of orange, apricot and dried persimmon mingle with honeyed sweetness. Cinnamon-like spice and warm oak develop alongside earthy peat smoke and the scent of dry hay, adding a restrained smoky dimension to the fruit-led nose.

Palate: Smooth and rounded, with rich honey-like sweetness at its core. Citrus flavours reminiscent of orange and grapefruit are accompanied by a subtle ginger note and toasted wood. Fruit sweetness and spice remain well balanced, while the peat smoke adds depth without overwhelming the other flavours.

Finish: Malty toastiness and gentle sweetness linger before the peat becomes more pronounced. A slight bitterness reminiscent of grapefruit pith combines with earthy, smoky notes, creating a pleasing contrast with the whisky’s initial sweetness.

Overall: A distinctive Kanosuke single malt that combines the distillery’s mellow sweetness and fruit-forward character with warming spice, toasted oak and measured peat smoke. Rather than allowing the peat to dominate, GoGo integrates it into a rounded, balanced profile, with honeyed richness and fruit at the forefront. The gradual emergence of earthy smoke and grapefruit-like bitterness adds complexity to the finish, setting it apart from a more overtly peated style while retaining a clear smoky identity.