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rice

Podcast: Obsessed with Shochu?

November 27, 2015 by Stephen 2 Comments

Podcast: Obsessed with Shochu?On Monday, November 23, 2015, I had the distinct pleasure of appearing on the Japan Eats radio show with host Akiko Katayama on the Heritage Radio Network. If you're not familiar with Akiko's show, it's a beautiful exploration of Japanese food and beverage in an easily accessible format through interview with local New York chefs, restaurant owners, and experts in a variety of areas.

Filed Under: Shochu, Shochu Misc. Tagged With: aged shochu, Awamori, barley, imo, kome, Kumamoto, kuro koji, mugi, Nagasaki, Okinawa, rice, shochu, sweet potato, Yamato Zakura

Kawabe

May 8, 2013 by Stephen 3 Comments

KawabeIf you're lucky enough to find a bottle of Kawabe in New York, grab it and enjoy. It's been consistently out of stock at every liquor store and izakaya that carries it due to unexpected demand thanks to capturing the attention of several prominent izakaya bartenders and their customers. Some bar have resorted to shipping cases from California to assure uninterrupted supply.

Filed Under: Shochu, Shochu Reviews Tagged With: Kawabe, kome, Kumamoto, review, rice, Sengetsu, shochu

Hee no Tori

April 14, 2013 by Stephen Leave a Comment

Hee no ToriHee no Tori, the "Firebird", has been sitting on my shelf for almost a year. This bottle is likely the only bottle I'll ever have since it's not imported to the US and was made as an experiment by a sake brewery from a non-shochu making region of Japan. As a testament to how popular shochu has become, many sake breweries have been doing this.

Filed Under: Shochu, Shochu Reviews Tagged With: atmospheric distillation, kome, Nara, review, rice, shochu

Jidai Kurahachi

November 10, 2012 by Stephen 1 Comment

Jidai KurahachiJidai Kurahachi, with its lovely rice paper label, is an uncompromising rice shochu, foregoing the smooth light taste that many kome shochu strive for while attempting to deliver a robust, rich taste using black koji and clay pot aging. It was worth the effort.

Filed Under: Shochu, Shochu Reviews Tagged With: black koji, clay pot, kame, kome, Kumamoto, kuro koji, review, rice, shochu

Hakutake Shiro Kumajochu

October 10, 2012 by Stephen 4 Comments

Hakutake Shiro KumajochuThere are not many junmai kuma-shochus available in the U.S. market. These are shochus made with polished Japanese rice, the same polishing process used in sake (nihon-shu) production. "Junmai" refers to rice that's been polished at least 70% (30% of the outer grain removed). Hakutake Shiro is made with rice polished to 60%. Only kome shochus produced in the Kuma River Valley can be designated as "kuma-shochu".

Filed Under: Shochu, Shochu Reviews Tagged With: Hakutake Shiro, Junmai, kome, kuma, Kumamoto, low pressure distillation, review, rice, shiro koji, shochu, Takahashi Shuzo, white koji

Open Sesame: Beniotome

January 31, 2012 by Stephen 7 Comments

Open Sesame: BeniotomeBeniotome claims to be the only spirit in the world distilled from sesame seeds. This is probably true, because, of course, sesame seeds don't hold a lot of sugar. Fortunately for us, the seeds are not the primary distillate - barley and rice in the mash provide the sugars (and alcohol) while the roasted sesame seeds provide a completely unique drinking experience.

Filed Under: Shochu, Shochu Reviews Tagged With: Akanone, barley, Beniotome, black sesame ice cream, Fukuoka, goma, kome, mugi, review, rice, sesame, shochu, toasted sesames

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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 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.

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.

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.

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 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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