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soju

Shochu Pros Shochu’sday #34: SOJU?!

January 12, 2021 by Stephen Leave a Comment

Shochu Pros Shochu’sday #34: SOJU?!Join us as we try a "classic" Korean soju and a new, modern style that has recently begun to appear.

Tagged With: korean soju, shochusday, soju

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

Hoppy – postwar nostalgia in a bottle

April 19, 2015 by Stephen 2 Comments

Hoppy – postwar nostalgia in a bottleHow do you describe Hoppy? The straightforward, technical way, is an ultra-low proof (<1% ABV) malt liquor from Japan. But that doesn't come close to what Hoppy really is.

Filed Under: Izakayas, Shochu Tagged With: Azasu, Hoppy, Hoppy Black, Hoppy Traditional, Japan, kokuto shochu, NYC, postwar nostalgia, shochu, soju, Wasn

Shochu FAQs

May 30, 2013 by Stephen 1 Comment

A few random questions I'm often asked.

Filed Under: Shochu, Shochu Misc. Tagged With: Awamori, FAQs, shochu, Shochu FAQ, soju

Landmark Wine in NYC

January 17, 2012 by Stephen Leave a Comment

Landmark Wine in NYCLandmark carries perhaps the single most impressive volume of shochu I’ve discovered in New York City. If you’re in the NYC area, it’s worth a visit. Given time, we may be able to work our way through their collection. A long, long time.

Filed Under: Shochu, Shochu Misc. Tagged With: Landmark Wines, liquore store, sake, shochu, soju, wine store

Basil Infused Shochu?

November 12, 2011 by Stephen Leave a Comment

I probably should have read up on basil infusion before I tried this, but I used the leftover Korean soju that a friend brought over since it was not fit for non-mixed drinks.

I chopped some fresh basil and put it into an airtight jar with the leftover soju for 36 hours – the same length of time I infused the habanero peppers.

Basil_infusion

 

Result?

Rancid soju. Not a hint of basil flavor. Just rot.

Turns out I didn’t need to chop the leaves or pluck the stems – just drop the whole basil bunch into the jar. I suspect my chopping might have quickened the “ripening” of the basil in the jar.… Read More “Basil Infused Shochu?”

Filed Under: Shochu, Shochu Misc. Tagged With: basil infused, soju

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Retweet on TwitterawamoriXshochu Retweeted
ChrisPellegriniChristopher Pellegrini@ChrisPellegrini·
13 Aug

My #awamori of the day is Kamimura’s ‘Shurei,’ a 30% ABV expression that reveals a soft milky note when served mizuwari. To the right of the brand name it says ‘hojun roman’ which sorta indicates mellowness, but I think it may depend on service style. Kari-! @regista_NAGAOKA

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Shochu Reviews

iichiko Saiten

After winning some awards on the international spirits circuit (including double-gold at the 2020 San Francisco World Spirits Competition), there's ample evidence that iichiko Saiten deserves serious consideration by bartenders everywhere.

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.

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 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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