The beautifully fragrant Kuma Shochu that we now know, with all of its botanical aromas and soft sweetness, is actually a relatively recent advancement in the tradition’s long history. Much of this can be attributed to refinements in the ingredients and techniques used to make rice shochu over the past few decades. However, one of the most important changes came in the form of … [Read more...]
Toyonagakura Distillery
When you think of top quality rice for making Japan’s finer drinks, Southern Kyushu is generally not one of the first regions that comes to mind. There are several active volcanoes in the area, and rice does not grow comfortably in soil with a high ash content. That is part of the reason that Southern Kyushu has become synonymous with sweet potatoes, a vegetable that is happy … [Read more...]
Okuchi Distillery: A Kagoshima Favorite from the Isa Basin
The earliest known written reference to shochu was discovered at Kōriyama Hachiman Shrine in the small valley city of Isa, Kagoshima. Dating from 1559, the reference is actually graffiti, a protest by the carpenters who hid their complaint within the roof’s rafters. They were upset that they were not given any shochu while working on the shrine, a considerable slight since the … [Read more...]
Sanwa Shurui – Oita Prefecture
Putting Barley Shochu on the World Map The first honkaku shochu boom took place in the late 1970s, and some of the best-selling and most influential brands during that time came from Oita Prefecture. These mild and smooth barley products helped alert the rest of the country that honkaku shochu is a delicious, sessionable spirit, and Sanwa Shurui has been carrying the Oita … [Read more...]
Takahashi Distillery – Kumamoto Prefecture
Delicate and Delicious Rice Shochu from the Mountains of Kumamoto Rice shochu is the oldest of the Japanese spirit’s many styles. Its heart beats relentlessly in the Hitoyoshi Basin amidst the mountains of Southern Kumamoto. Impressively, more than two dozen distilleries are creating and sending the celebrated WTO-protected regional indication, Kuma Shochu, to new dinner … [Read more...]