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Kuma Shochu

Disaster Relief for Kyushu Floods

July 11, 2020 by Stephen Leave a Comment

Disaster Relief for Kyushu FloodsThe floods in the Hitoyoshi region are believed to have killed more than 50 people and damaged or destroyed thousands of homes and businesses. This is deeply personal to us a www.kanpai.us since we count several Hitoyoshi shochu makers as our friends. The damage has spread further over the past week as Kyushu floods continue around the region.

Filed Under: Shochu, Shochu Misc. Tagged With: Hitoyoshi, hitoyoshi ryokan, Kuma Shochu, Kumamoto, Kyushu, shochu

An Edo Time Capsule

April 2, 2018 by Stephen Leave a Comment

An Edo Time CapsuleI would not be exaggerating if I said there were chickens clucking in the yard with a 4x4 up on blocks, but this isn't the U.S., this is Japan, so instead there was a decrepit k-truck tucked under a tarp and a lithe cat warming itself in the sun. There was no activity, though I spied a middle aged man through a 2nd floor window of the old home. He quickly turned and disappeared from sight.

Filed Under: Shochu, Shochu Adventures, Shochu Misc. Tagged With: aging pots, distillation, distillery, edo era, gokuraku, hayashi, Hitoyoshi, kame, koji, kome shochu, Kuma Shochu, kuma-gun, Kumamoto, meiji era, rice shochu, shochu

Day 3: Hitoyoshi + Fukuoka

October 7, 2013 by Stephen 1 Comment

Day 3: Hitoyoshi + FukuokaWe drove about 45 minutes on rural roads to Toyonaga Shuzo, which makes Toyonaga, available in the US market. This was the first rice shochu that made me realize what kumajochu was. It's dry, crisp, and has surprising character for something so clean. Toyonaga-san was very glad to meet us and once he learned I liked joatsu muroka shochus he broke out a bottle of Jigaden, which immediately set a new standard for what a rice shochu could be.

Filed Under: Kyushu 2013, Shochu Tagged With: Fukano Shuzo, hanatare, Hitoyoshi, Kuma Shochu, kumajochu, Kumamoto, Ohishi Shuzo, Takata Shuzo, Toyonaga Shuzo

Day 2: Hitoyoshi – the heart of rice shochu in Japan

October 7, 2013 by Stephen 4 Comments

Day 2: Hitoyoshi – the heart of rice shochu in JapanWaking up at 7:30am for an 8am pick-up left us with no time for breakfast before our drive to Kumamoto's Hitoyoshi, home of 28 rice shochu distillers that collectively make "kumajochu", the WTO Appellation of Origin that can only be given to rice shochus that are made with local spring water and that are fermented, distilled, and bottled in the Hitoyoshi area.

Filed Under: Kyushu 2013, Shochu Tagged With: gara, Hitoyoshi, Jufuku Shuzo, Kai, koji room, Kuma Shochu, kumajochu, Kumamoto, Sengetsu, shochu, Takahashi, toji, Tsutsumi Shuzo

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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.

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.

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.

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!

Mizu Lemongrass Shochu

Mizu Lemongrass Shochu may not be an authentic honkaku shochu due to the use of lemongrass, but this is a case where a beautiful spirit breaks the rules.

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