• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Kanpai

Find us on Facebook Find us on Twitter Find us on Instagram
  • Shochu
    • What is Shochu?
    • How to Drink Shochu
    • The Shochu Diet
    • Shochu Tasting Notes
      • Awamori
      • sweet potato shochu reviews
      • mugi (barley)
      • rice shochu reviews
      • Aromatic Shochu Reviews
  • Izakaya
    • What is an Izakaya?
    • Izakaya Cuisine
  • How to Izakaya
  • Events
  • About Us

Ryukyu Ohcho Awamori

November 13, 2011 by Stephen 6 Comments

Ryukyu Awamori

Brand: Ryukyu Ohcho  (琉球王朝)

Distillery: Tarawaga Co, Ltd.

Location: Miyakojima, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan

Grain: 100% aged indica (Thai) rice

Koji: Okinawa black (kuro)

Alcohol: 24% (48 proof)

Price: $$

 

 

Tasting Notes

Awamori is considered a distinct Japanese spirit from shochu, but is usually conflated into the same category. In fact, Ryukyu Ohcho (not “ocho”, Mr. Google!) embraces this fully by labeling the bottle “soju” prominently. Throughout this website they’ll be treated equivalently.

Awamori is distinct in that it is unique to Okinawa and is made with aged long grain Indica rice imported from Thailand (shochu distillers use Japonica rice). The rice is crushed whole rather than polished first as is the custom with shochu. A further classification of Awamori is kusu (old liquor) which is the term when the shochu is aged a minimum of 3 years. Ryukyu Ohcho is a Kusu Awamori.

Awamori are known for their strong, rich flavors and are famous throughout Japan as premium shochus. Kusu Awamori aged 10 or more years can get very pricey. Even the “young” Kusu Awamori such as this one carries a premium compared to other shochu types.

This Awamori is a fine example of the spirit. It has a strong herbal nose that is very rich on the palate. The strong herbal flavor subsides into a moderate licorice or anise flavor before settling into a smooth neutral finish. It has a warm, earthy mouthfeel that’s not at all unexpected from the herbal scent.

It’s hard to place the taste beyond herbal, except that it tastes quite a bit like a lighter version of the Taiwanese & Chinese spirit, Kaoliang, a sorghum spirit that’s a much higher alcohol content than most Awamori.

 

The Verdict: Recommended

This is a richly flavored Kusu Awamori. It’s got a distinct herbal flavor that may not be a favorite of those just exploring shochu, but if you want to try an Awamori this is not a bad choice. I’ve ordered it more than once. I always scan izakaya menus for new Awamori to try, because they’re always a full flavored treat, though you never quite know what you’re going to get, but that’s part of the adventure, isn’t it?

 

Kampai!

 

 

Filed Under: Shochu, Shochu Reviews Tagged With: aged shochu, Awamori, Indica rice, Kusu, Kusu Awamori, Okinawa koji, Ryukyu Ohcho, Thai rice

« Bunzo Kome
Imo with Ramen! »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Joshua

    April 13, 2013 at 9:27 pm

    I am about to open a bottle from 2002, Heisei 14. It is 20% and in a brown bottle with reflective flakes on it. Still good, just older then this one.

    Reply
    • Stephen

      April 14, 2013 at 10:20 am

      Is Heisei 14 from Taragawa Shuzo? Can you email a photo of the bottle to stephen at kampai dot us? Most importantly, how is it? Kampai!

      Reply
  2. gus shore

    February 13, 2015 at 5:17 am

    I have just found a bottle of Ryukyu Awamori Nanpu in my late uncles belongings it has to be at least 20 years old?.
    I presume it should be OK to drinks ?

    Reply
    • Stephen

      February 23, 2015 at 8:52 am

      Spirits can last 20-25 years if unopened. If there are residual oils in the bottle (which Awamori usually has) they could turn rancid if exposed to too much oxygen. Otherwise, the spirit can just turn a bit stale and not taste as nice. Neither of these things are actually harmful if you drink. I would recommend you give it a try and see how it tastes.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Retweet on TwitterawamoriXshochu Retweeted
rickHKTRick@rickHKT·
11 May

Tonight’s the night I finish off the bottle of shochu I received a little over a year ago.

Here’s to you @LymanTweets.

Load More...

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 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.

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.

The SG Shochu Cocktail Recipes

Bartender Shingo Gokan mixes a cocktail.
The SG Shochu brand manager, Joshin Atone, talks with Kanpai.us about shochu's versatility and potential in the cocktail. He also shares three recipes for bartenders to try.

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.

Copyright © 2022 · Foodie Pro & The Genesis Framework