• 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

Sengetsu

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

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

Primary Sidebar

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: 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: 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.

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.

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.

Copyright © 2023 · Foodie Pro & The Genesis Framework