The Straight From The Owner's Cask is a series where we go behind the label and hear from cask owner's themselves on what inspired their labels, what the whisky means to them and just as importantly, how it tastes. If you're a cask owner, hit us up to share your story!

I started my whisky journey around 10-12 years ago when I flew to Japan several times a year and took home a few bottles everytime. You could choose easily between Yamazaki 18, Yoichi 20 or Hibiki 21, whatever you wanted. But slowly the releases disappeared and no more Japanese whisky was available on the shelves.

I started to drink more Scotch whisky but always kept an eye on the new Japanese distilleries like Kanosuke. In 2019 I found out about their lottery for the Owner Cask program, joined and got lucky. I could get a small 25 liter PX sherry cask and hold it for three years. Unfortunately the planed 2020 visit to the distillery and my cask wasn‘t possible, same for the postponed 2021 trip. But at least Kanosuke provided me with some photos from the cask.

I wanted to have a fitting label for the whisky. Something Japanese without being too Japanese. So I went for an ukiyo-e wood print from 1844 called "Takiyasha the Witch and the Skeleton Spectre" by the famous artist Kuniyoshi Utagawa. It represents a darker tale from japanese history than what we are usually confronted with. Contrary to my cask I could see this tryptych in person and it had a deep impact on me.

So but what does the whisky taste like? I‘m not that good with tasting notes, so I keep it short.

The nose is full of dried fruits like apricots but also chocolate notes. The palate brings fruit this time more on the ripe side, spices and milk chocolate. This playful mix continues on the palate, the dry PX sherry coming through as well. For me a few drops of water are necessary to tame the 64 percent beast, but friends of mine like the raw explosion of youth it brings without the dilution.

The 25 bottles have found good homes around the world from Switzerland, Germany to Denmark, Singapore, all the way to Australia. But I will make sure that there will be bottles open in bars around the world. Keep your eyes open!

Photos and text courtesy of @moos_whisky.

Follow @moos_whisky for more!