Brand: Kura No Shikon
Distillery: Komasa Shuzo Co, Ltd.
Location: Kagoshima, Kyushu Island, Japan
Grain: 84% kogane sengan sweet potatoes (imo) & 16% koshihikari rice (kome)
Koji: black (kuro)
Distillation: atmospheric
Alcohol: 24% (48 proof)
Price: $$$
Tasting Notes
Komasa distillery has been making imo shochu in Kagoshima since 1883, but their outstanding products only reached the U.S. in 2012. We first were able to sample these at the Shochu Night Out in February. Above all of their very nice products, this is the one we were most excited about. A black koji sweet potato shochu aged in unglazed clay pots for a minimum of 3 years, this promises to be a full bodied, richly flavored, absolutely decadent imo shochu. And does it ever deliver.
Taking full advantage of the black koji, sweet potatoes, and traditional atmospheric distillation, Kuro No Shikon greets the drinker with a rich earthy nose. The sweet pungency permeates the glass and promises a world of flavor. While many imo shochus have this aromatic profile, this is a rounder, richer scent than most deliver. It’s simply luscious.
The first sip provides a dirty roasted sweetness with a buttery mellow mouthfeel. This slides into an a fresh vegetal middle before sharpening into a minted finish. A splash of water mellows much of this out, but makes for a less interesting experience, if more drinkable.
The Verdict: Highly Recommended
This is a shochu best had straight (neat) to enjoy the full flavor characteristics. Perhaps a dash of water to open it up a little, but it’s delicious as it is. It’s not often a shochu comes along that surprises even with high expectations, but Kura No Shikon is one of those. Our only wish is that it was available more places. This is hard to find!
Kampai!
To date I have had 43 different shochu 焼酎. This is one of my favorites.
Kura no Shikon 芋 has a rich, full-bodied mouth feel. I find it to be earthy with a subtle sweetness.
I am a sake drinker and relatively new to shochu and awamori. At first I preferred
mugi 麦 or kome 米 shochu, however, their is a pleasant, comfort once
I developed a taste for sweet potato shochu. Low in calories, big on flavor, and with just the right
amount of アルコール (alcohol), typically between 24-38%, shochu is a wonderful addition to this drinker’s palate. I prefer my honkaku (distilled only once) 本格焼酎 shochu straight or “on the rocks.”
I give this beveridge an enthusiast 2 thumbs up ??.
LaMonte Heflick, ASP Sake Education Council, 新橋Feb 2014.
Sorry “there” instead of “their” in my review of Kura no Shikon.
I must be very new to Shochu, because I bought a bottle and this tastes like mezcal to me (albeit earthier).