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Kyushu 2013

Seeking out a Legend: The Maewari Magician

January 14, 2014 by Stephen Leave a Comment

Seeking out a Legend: The Maewari MagicianDuring my stay in Kagoshima in October 2013, Tekkan Wakamatsu, the toji at Yamato Zakura Shuzo, where I did my internship, told me about a legendary izakaya in downtown Kagoshima City where the owners was an "ancient magician" (Tekkan-san may have said "a yoda", as he's fond of Star Wars references) in the art of "maewari" shochu.

Filed Under: Izakayas, Kyushu 2013, Shochu Tagged With: imo, imo shochu, Kagoshima, Kozuru Kuro, maewari, sweet potato

Day 23: Shochu Reflections on my Kyushu Tour

November 19, 2013 by Stephen 1 Comment

Day 23: Shochu Reflections on my Kyushu TourMy 21 full days and 2 partial days in Japan represent the longest I've been outside of NYC since I moved there over 11 years ago and the longest I've been outside of the US in my lifetime. For the first time in my life I'd been able to get my mind far enough outside the US to gain some perspective. And for the first time in over a decade I'd been able to detach myself from the frenetic all-consuming chase that is life in NYC.

Filed Under: Kyushu 2013, Shochu Tagged With: Isanishiki, Kyushu, NRT, one cup shochu, shochu philosophy, Sushi Den, Yamato Zakura

Day 22: Ready for my Close-up (and Farewell Meals)

November 15, 2013 by Stephen 1 Comment

Day 22: Ready for my Close-up (and Farewell Meals)A typhoon that had been threatening Kyushu weakened and changed course so we were left with some clouds and light rain for my last day in Ichiki. A local TV station, MBC-Kagoshima, which had profiled my visit to Komasa Shuzo last summer, found me again for a piece on my internship at Yamato Zakura.

Filed Under: Kyushu 2013, Shochu Tagged With: Fukuoka, MBC, Nishi Yoshida, Sachi Yanagi, Yamato Zakura

Day 21: Last Full Day of Work

November 13, 2013 by Stephen 1 Comment

Day 21: Last Full Day of WorkThe afternoon's work was broken up by a visit to the Tengu Sakura Shuzo, a 5 minute walk from Yamato Zakura. This is another tezukuri (handmade) distillery in Ichiki, but it's a much larger operation, making two to three times more shochu each day and having many more brands. The telltale Tengu (a god-like creature with a long nose) bottle appears throughout Japan in any respectable shochu bar.

Filed Under: Kyushu 2013, Shochu Tagged With: handmade tatami, koji, tempura, Tengu Sakura

Day 20: The Media Arrives

November 12, 2013 by Stephen 3 Comments

Day 20: The Media ArrivesToday is another slower day at the distillery since Sunday's closure means no imo washing today. I get to sleep in until a decadent 7am before starting the day's work. Over breakfast Tekkan-san informs me that the local newspaper and government offices will be visiting to conduct an interview with me - they'd caught wind of my internship through his facebook page.

Filed Under: Kyushu 2013, Shochu Tagged With: Ichiki, Ichikikushikino, nikujaga, Yamato Zakura

Day 19: Saruya – Monkeys in the Woods

November 11, 2013 by Stephen 2 Comments

Day 19: Saruya – Monkeys in the WoodsTo say that Saruya ("monkey house") is in Satsuma-Sendai is kind of like saying that Staten Island is in New York City. Technically it is, but only technically. Driving down a dark country road surrounded by thick old forest we come upon a small parking lot in front of a windowless building decorated with shochu bottles and a neon sign. This was our destination. There's not another building in sight.

Filed Under: Kyushu 2013, Shochu Tagged With: daiko, Ichiki, Ichikikushikino, Kagoshima, Kushikino, maguro ramen, Monkey House, Saurya, Shochu Bar

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Shochu Reviews

iichiko Kurobin

My personal favorite iichiko brand available in the US is iichiko Kurobin. Kurobin is literally translated as "black bottle," which is a pretty on the nose description of this evocative packaging. It is simply too pretty to throw away after finishing.

Shochu Reviews

Tasting Notes: The SG Shochu KOME

Putting your nose in a glass of The SG Shochu Kome shows you just how complex a vacuum distilled rice shochu can be. Ginjo sake aromas from the yeast, pineapple, melon, and a faint hint of dairy-like lactic acidity are all present.

iichiko silhouette

This iichiko silhouette is probably the most common Japanese shochu currently available in the United States. In NYC I’ve seen it in random mom & pop liquor stores as the only shochu among a shelf of sake options. It’s most commonly available in 750ml bottles, though I’ve seen other sizes in other countries. This is a great starter shochu, which is why I’ve chosen it for my first tasting note. It was my introduction to shochu back in 2008. I’d had Korean soju before, but Japanese shochu is a strikingly different (and better) experience.

Tasting Notes: The SG Shochu IMO

The SG Shochu IMO is a clear invitation to create the classic imo cocktail. If you get it right, it will resonate and cascade around the world until you can't not have sweet potato shochu on your menu if you consider yourself a proper drinking establishment.

Shochu Reviews

Tasting Notes: Nankai

Nankai Shochu
At first whiff, Nankai smells faintly grassy, which is common in kokuto shochu owing to how kokuto sugar is made from fresh cut cane and that fresh grassiness is a sign of well made kokuto sugar. Sugar cane is, after all, a tall perennial grass. It is still pretty wild that they can capture that after fermentation and distillation.

Tasting Notes: Lento Shochu

Lento is the top selling kokuto shochu in Japan, and it is available internationally as well. Try it on the rocks or with sparkling water for a refreshing taste of the Amami Islands. Kanpai!

Tasting Notes: The SG Shochu MUGI

The SG Shochu MUGI Label
The SG Shochu MUGI wraps several barley shochu identities into one. It's lightly barrel-aged and carries the associated sweet notes. But there's also a graininess that is revealed when the temperature of the drink drops. It's a versatile barley shochu that can be enjoyed a variety of ways.

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