The whole reason I went to Kagoshima last year was to visit Kanosuke, a Japanese brand making great whisky in a place where no one makes whisky.
I got a private tour of their beautiful distillery. I learned a lot. And I enjoyed more than a few drinks at their even more beautiful bar, which has a panoramic view of Japan's southwestern coastline.
It was a 10/10 visit all around.
Afterwards, I called a cab to take me back to the train, and it was going to be a few minutes, so the team encouraged me to walk down to the shore before I left.
I followed the craggy path from the distillery's back door to the shore, which is obscured by trees until it's not.
I stood there on the cliff, in spitting rain, the sea in front of me, lots of trees at my back... and logically, I knew there were dozens of people in the distillery itself. But out there? Miles of nothing but me, the sea, and total quiet.
As someone who lives in a city of +20 million people, and generally prefers cities when traveling, too... It's rare that I'm alone even when I'm alone.
But I stood there for fifteen minutes, as long as I could without making the taxi driver wait, and then hustled back.
(All the while, hearing my friends in my head muttering, "I swear, Caro, if you break your ankle in another foreign country...")
And I counted myself very lucky that I made the trip to Kagoshima.
🎙️ Japanese Whisky
Kagoshima is often referred to as the "kingdom of shochu," but it's become a hotbed for whisky-making in recent years.
And that's because the founder of Kanosuke, a fourth-generation shochu producer, fought tooth and nail to make it happen.
Listen to this episode to hear all about:
- The surprising reason Kanosuke's founder started making whisky—and why the local council took years to approve his license
- Why whisky is usually made in cold places, and how a subtropical climate changes the spirit's profile
- How I only ended up in Kagoshima because of a trip to New Orleans
- And why you might want to visit Kagoshima, too!
This episode is the second in a two-part series about local whisky, but you can listen to them in whatever order you like.
Fresh links, poured just for you
- Mid-tier restaurants are dying — I feel this so much.
- How we nearly lost traditional Mexican masa — Surprise, surprise, political corruption is to blame. (This also ties in nicely to the ep on Mexican whisky, btw.)
And for my CDMX friends enjoying Art Week -
I'll be popping up here tomorrow with House of Rare. Stop by between 6-10p for premium tequila and signature cocktails.
And save the date for next Tue, Feb 17th 😉
xo,
Caro
