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Jinkoo

Kitaya & Cohiba

August 28, 2012 by Stephen Leave a Comment

Kitaya & CohibaOne of the many challenges of introducing Americans to shochu is in getting them to understand what it is and how to enjoy it. Kitaya Shuzo, in cooperation with Club Macanudo, Cohiba Cigars, and the Robb Report, attempted to help with an event on Manhattan's Upper East Side on Monday, August 27th.

Filed Under: Shochu, Shochu Misc. Tagged With: Club Macanudo, Cohiba, Gokoo, Gyokuro, Jinkoo, Kitaya

Kitaya Shuzo

July 31, 2012 by Stephen 3 Comments

Kitaya ShuzoKitaya Shuzo is a nihonshu (sake) and shochu producer in Fukuoka Prefecture and the first stop on our shochu distillery tour. Seikai Ishizuka and I traveled nearly an hour south of Hakata (main station in Fukouka City) on a commuter train to reach Yame, a city of less than 40,000 people in southern Fukuoka Prefecture. There we were met by a Kitaya representative who drove us to the distillery.

Filed Under: Shochu, Shochu Tour 2012 Tagged With: aged shochu, barley, Bikoo, black koji, distillation, distillery, Fukuoka, genatsu, Gokoo, Gyokuro, imo, Jinkoo, joatsu, Kitaya Shuzo, Kokyu Yosaku, kura, kuro koji, moromi, mugi, nihonshu, sake, shochu, Shochu Tour, shuzo, sweet potato, Yosaku, Zeikoo

In Search of Quality

July 9, 2012 by Stephen 2 Comments

In Search of QualityI've decided to take a pilgrimage. This isn't easy for me since I don't speak much Japanese outside of restaurants and my “real” career is busier than ever, but I booked a trip to Japan this summer. In fact, I'm on Japan Airlines (JAL) flight #5 from JFK to Tokyo Narita as I write this. Planning this trip has been so daunting, I've only been able to tweet about it. I realized on my way to the airport that many of my friends didn't even realize I was going. A text from our graphic designer read, “Hey man, plans today?” I replied, “Heading to Japan.” He replied, “Hot damn. When you back?”

Filed Under: Izakayas, Shochu, Shochu Misc. Tagged With: Awamori, Fukuoka, Gokoo, Jinkoo, Jiro Dreams of Sushi, Kagoshima, Kura No Shikon, Kyushu, Miyako, Naha, Okinawa, Ryukyu Ohcho, Satsuma Shuzo, shochu, Tsukushi Shiro, Zuisen Hakuryu

Take to the Skies

November 24, 2011 by Stephen 3 Comments

Take to the SkiesJinkoo, which means “perfect sky”, is a rich, lush imo shochu that has long been available on Japan Airlines (JAL) flights, at least for business class travelers. Which came first? The name or the JAL contract? This imo is distilled from Satsuma sweet potatoes from the Kagoshima Prefecture at the south end of Kyushu Island (Fukuoka is in the north of the island).

Filed Under: Shochu, Shochu Reviews Tagged With: imo, JAL, Japan Airlines, Jinkoo, kuro koji, review, Satsuma, shochu, sweet potato

Mitsuwa Shochu Aisle

November 5, 2011 by Stephen Leave a Comment

Mitsuwa Shochu Aisle

Shochu Aisle at Mitsuwa

 

Vast shochu selection at Mitsuwa Marketplace in Edgewater, NJ. Easily the largest shochu selection I’ve seen outside of Japan. Really impressive selection.

What to choose?!

I came home with:

Gyokuro – a green tea shochu ($28.99)

Jinkoo – a mugi (barley) shochu from the same distiller ($28.99)

Kagemusha – an imo (sweet potato) shochu ($19.99)

Akanone Ninjin – a carrot shochu ($34.99)

Toki No Kokuin – a rice shochu ($24.99)

Enma – a mugi shochu ($29.99)

Akamaoh – an imo shochu ($24.99)

This represents just a small portion of their selection. I see many, many trips back to Mitsuwa in my future.… Read More “Mitsuwa Shochu Aisle”

Filed Under: Hit & Fun Photos, Shochu, Shochu Misc. Tagged With: Akamaoh, Akanone Ninjin, barley, carrots, Enma, green tea, Gyokuro, imo, Jinkoo, Kagemusha, kome, Mitsuwa, mugi, rice, shochu, sweet potato, Toki No Kokoin

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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 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.

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.

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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