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black koji

Nakanaka – a pleasant surprise

January 15, 2017 by Stephen 1 Comment

Nakanaka – a pleasant surpriseNakanaka is the main brand of barley shochu from the very well respected Kuroki Honten in Miyzaki, which makes a wide range of delicious shochu across two different distilleries, but under the same ownership. Their premium barley shochu, Hyakunen no Kodoku, a 40% ABV barrel aged barley shochu, is arguably the most famous barley shochu in Japan. Nakanaka takes a more straightforward approach with atmospheric distillation and 100% barley.

Filed Under: Shochu, Shochu Reviews Tagged With: atmospheric distillation, barley, barley koji, black koji, joatsu, kuro koji, Miyazaki, Miyazaki Coffee, mugi, nakanaka, review, shochu

The Enchanted Island – Shima Senryo

August 25, 2016 by Stephen Leave a Comment

The Enchanted Island – Shima SenryoUnique to the US market, Shima Senryo is a blend of white koji and black koji sweet potato shochu. While this blending style can be found more commonly in Japan, this is the only brand currently in the US that uses this unique approach. Blending has an interesting, but incompletely understood history in shochu production, but more and more distilleries are blending intentionally rather than as a way to cover up some off batches.

Filed Under: Shochu, Shochu Reviews Tagged With: atmospheric distillation, black koji, joatsu, Kagoshima, kuro koji, Shima Senryo, shiro koji, shochu, soju, sweet potato, Tanegashima, white koji, Yakushima

Kiccho Hozan: Black Koji Sweet Potato Shochu

July 28, 2015 by Stephen 1 Comment

Kiccho Hozan: Black Koji Sweet Potato ShochuKiccho Hozan, the black koji version, is very popular in NYC among shochu aficionados thanks to the influence of Aya Otaka, the bartender-owner of Shochu + Tapas Aya, who always recommended Kiccho to her customers when she was holding court at the late, great Shochu Bar Hatchan.

Filed Under: Shochu, Shochu Reviews Tagged With: aged shochu, atmospheric distillation, black koji, imo, Kagoshima, Kiccho Hozan, kuro koji, Nishi Shuzo, shochu, sweet potato

Black Koji Sweet Potato Shochu: Satoh Kuro

May 2, 2014 by Stephen 4 Comments

Black Koji Sweet Potato Shochu: Satoh KuroIn the US, Satoh Kuro is simply known as "Satoh" as none of the distillery's other product lines reach our shores. In Japan, their national premium labels are Satoh Kuro (black koji sweet potato, Satoh Shiro (white koji sweet potato), and Satoh Mugi (barley). All are delicious, but only Kuro comes Stateside.

Filed Under: Shochu, Shochu Reviews Tagged With: atmospheric distillation, black koji, imo, joatsu, Kagoshima, kuro koji, review, Satoh, Satoh Kuro, shochu, sweet potato

Mizunomai

September 3, 2013 by Stephen Leave a Comment

MizunomaiMizunomai (Mizu for short) is a high proof barley shochu that was developed for the global market. Extensive taste testing with customers and bartenders throughout Japan, the US, and other Asian countries yielded this blend as the most popular all without compromising the artisinal qualities that make this class of spirits so unique.

Filed Under: Shochu, Shochu Reviews Tagged With: barley, black koji, genatsu, kuro koji, low pressure distillation, Mizu No Mai, Mizu Shochu, Mizunomai, mugi, review, Saga Prefecture, shochu

Kintaro – a roasted barley shochu

June 15, 2013 by Stephen 2 Comments

Kintaro – a roasted barley shochuKintaro is a premium barley shochu from Nishiyoshia Syuzou in Fukuoka, which I was fortunate enough to visit last summer. I'd sought them out for that trip specifically because of their fantastic barley shochus, which have only recently begun appearing in the U.S. They've yet to catch on, but it's only a matter of time.

Tagged With: atmospheric distillation, barley, black koji, Fukuoka, Kintaro, mugi, Nishi Yoshida, review, roasted barley, roasted barley shochu, shochu

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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.

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.

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.

Shochu Reviews

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.

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.

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