Brand: Tomi No Hozan
Distillery: Nishi Shuzo Co, Ltd.
Location: Minami-satsuma, Kagoshima prefecture, Kyushu Island, Japan
Grain: 83% kogane sengan sweet potato (imo), 17% rice (kome)
Koji: yellow (ki)
Alcohol: 25% (50 proof)
Price: $$$$
Tasting Notes
We ring in the New Year with a premium honkaku shochu. Tomo No Hozan is a sweet potato shochu using yellow koji, which is most often found in sake.
Like so many imo shochus, this one has that earthy nose. Fresh dirt. But there’s an added element here. A hint of wild flowers. What makes it unique from other imo shochus is the yellow koji, which gives it much more floral aroma and palate. Tomi No Hozan is even drinkable neat. A buttery mouth feel accompanies the pleasantly sweet floral taste. Oyuwari (hot water) really opens up the flavor, tasting almost like a tea rather than a liquor, though the burn gives away its true nature. The finish is neutral to sweet with a unexpectedly pleasant buttery aftertaste.
The Verdict: Highly Recommended
Tomi No Hozan may just be the perfect imo shochu for people who aren’t sure they like imo shochu. It’s refined, complex, and thoroughly enjoyable. Even for imo drinkers, this will not disappoint. It won’t give you the big imo flavor you might expect, but it is a thoroughly enjoyable drinking experience. However, it could become an expensive habit as one of the higher priced bottles available in the U.S.
Kampai!
Toni no Hozan is a big-hips, no nonsense imo shochu 芋焼酎 (sweet potato). The nose is strong and in-your-face. This robust honkaku is not for whimpy polliwogs. This is a hairy warrior drink. Of course, it also makes for a terrific サラリマン(salary man) libation. I recommend it on the rocks; don’t wet it down. Come on! Be a (salary) MAN! Oh, I love this one. Remember, as a child, your first taste of black coffee, beer, or whiskey? Grrrr… “Not for me,” youay have said. But once you developed a taste for it …
Mmmmmm…
Well, this IMO grows on you. Once you (no, not if you …when you) develop a taste for imo shochu Tomi no Hozan will take in a new meanings. Tastes so good, like a beautiful lover, you may even dream about it.
Kampai, my friends. LaMonte Heflick, ASP Sake Education Council Feb 2014.
Oops, “take on” not “take in” in previous review. And “you may” not “youay.” Sorry for the errors.