Around 2014 I had this same labeled bottle and it was the most amazing shochu I had ever had in my life. It was like absolutely nothing on the palate but a roaring fire on the nose. It was like drinking a heavily peated Islay but with absolutely no taste or burn. Fast forward to today and we got this bottle from Japan. While it is delicious (have shochu afficianado friends who don’t like Imo shochu said they loved it) it is not smoky at all. Can someone help me with this conondrum?

I’m currently in Japan on a work trip. I’d like to take a high quality long lasting bottle of Shochu home (Aus). Something unique, that I’m unlikely to find anywhere but Japan.

Looking for suggestions

Does anyone know if Shochu Street is happening this year in Tenmonkan, Kagoshima on 1-3 Nov?

I've found two things about shochu after visiting Japan over the past 3 and a half weeks.

1: Shochu is amazing, specifically the varieties that sit around 20-25%ABV, very flavorful

2: Akakirishima specifically is amazing, but I'm having a hard time finding it now that I'm back in the states

I know even in Japan this is sort of a seasonal shochu, but does anyone know how to get it in the US? It would be my favorite sipping drink, if I can find it reliably.

I was lucky enough to drink this last night- any ideas on the Brewer or other insight greatly appreciated Normally im not a big fan of imo but this was yummy - beautiful fragrance

Hi All, needing some help please. Was in Kyoto recently and visited a small and cosy sushi restaurant with friendly chef. He made me a drink that one of his regulars was drinking and I can't for the life of me, remember what he said was in the drink. It was delicious and refreshing and now I want to recreate it but don't know how.

It was shochu, soda water and either a type of sweet/fruity syrup or with the preserved plum... can't be sure as my memory was hazy from all the drinks I consumed LOL.

I do recall them saying it was a standard/simple drink consumed by most Japanese on a daily basis. Nothing fancy.

Anyone can help?

Cheers!

Shimauta

Distillery: Masahiro Shuzō

Ingredients: 100% indica rice

Kōji-kin: black

Pressure: atmospheric

ABV: 24%

Notes: Intended as a light, refreshing awamori, its name translates as “island song”.

Service: straight and rocks

Nose: Very light. Dried herbs, herbal tincture, mild flowers, and a hint of savoriness. No noticeable change from the addition of a small amount of ice.

Palate: A little more forward than the nose. Light herbaceousness and pronounced alcohol at first, giving way to savory mineral earth with more sips. Faint sweetness. A note of mild allium. Served rocks, the palate stands out a bit more, with a mix of dried culinary herbs and long, earthy finish at the fore.

Overall: Though it is intended to be a light expression, it is too subtle for my tastes. There are a few pleasant notes here, but not much to hold interest and the unintegrated alcohol when first tasting it is unexpected in something at such low proof and tramples the subtlety of the spirit.

Towari

Distillery: Takara Shuzō

Ingredients: 100% buckwheat

Kōji-kin: white

Pressure: blend of atmospheric and vacuum

ABV: 25%

Notes: Buckwheat is already one of the less common bases for shochu, but the properties of buckwheat grains make the use of buckwheat kōji difficult and rare enough that Takara has patented their process for producing it. Most other buckwheat shochu uses rice kōji. As such, the name is appropriate: meaning literally ten one-tenth portions, it is often applied to soba noodles made entirely from buckwheat. Additionally, the distillery has blended both atmospheric and vacuum distillates into the final bottling.

Service: straight and 6:4 oyuwari

Nose: Toasted grain, sesame, and butterscotch present themselves immediately, but an ephemeral second strain of aroma, distinct from the first, appears from time to time carrying aromas of dried mint and artificial fruit candy. The addition of hot water sweeps away the rest and brings out a faint mix of dried and fresh herbs.

Palate: Very mild, predominantly soil and grain with a lingering finish of dried herbs and a faint, not unpleasant bitterness. Served oyuwari, the palate stands out more, this time joining the earthy grain with an herbaceous sweetness, light hints of wintergreen, and a minty oiliness lingering on the finish.

Overall: The blending of different distillates produces a fun effect on the nose; though the aromas from each are distinct, they meld beautifully together, and the overall impression is very enticing. Unfortunately, the palate doesn’t show itself much until hot water is added, and that enticing aroma is mostly lost when doing so. There’s a lot to love in this bottle, but it doesn’t manage to bring it all together at the same time.

Ark Jakuunbaku

Distillery: Nishiyoshida Shuzō

Ingredients: 100% Australian and Kyūshū Nijo barley

Kōji-kin: black

Pressure: atmospheric

ABV: 25%

Notes: Nishiyoshida is a small family business presently run by three siblings: the older brother is president, the younger is tōji, and the sister is chief of sales and marketing. This shochu is unfiltered and aged two to five years in enamel-lined tanks. Its name is a reference to Vajrayana Buddhism: “ark” is a seed syllable associated with Dainichi Nyorai, the primordial sun Buddha, and that syllable is written on the label in Sanskrit (𑖀𑖲𑖾); jakuunbaku is a play on words of the mantra of the Wisdom King Aizen Myōō—a transformation of Dainichi Nyorai and deity of love and respect—replacing the final syllables “ban koku” with “baku” (using the same character as “mugi”, the word for barley).

Service: straight, rocks, and 5:5 oyuwari

Nose: Pure and very distinct barley, bringing to mind both crushed malt and creamy pearl barley broth. Ice hides much of the aroma, but brings out a mild note of hay. With hot water, almond and pecan come to the fore.

Palate: A bright hint of ethanol leads, quickly followed by lightly-toasted barley finishing rich with mushroom and soil. The richness lingers with a pleasant and bright clinging oiliness and slight bitterness at the edges. Rocks emphasize the more savory aspects and show some lactic acidity. Serving oyuwari dampens the richness, replacing it with a deep, nutty sweetness.

Overall: Jakuunbaku is most enjoyable in the contrast between the pure expression of barley and black koji found in straight service and the sweet nuttiness of oyuwari. I feel that drinking it only one way would leave me wanting something more, though both are delicious on their own. Though the distillery also recommends serving rocks, I felt that the other facets it brought out did not make up for the ones it hid. The diversity of ways it shows, though, make this a bottle I’m glad to own.

Motoko

Distillery: Furusawa Jōzō

Ingredients: 100% Thai rice

Kōji-kin: white

Pressure: atmospheric

ABV: 35%

Notes: Distilled in winter 2011 by Furusawa Jōzō’s fifth-generation tōji, FURUSAWA Masako. It was named for her mother, FURUSAWA Motoko, who served as tōji when her own father died at the end of World War II and who may have been the first known female shochu tōji. This shochu was aged for 9 years, partially in enamel-lined tanks and partially in clay pots.

Service: straight and 6:4 oyuwari

Nose: Deeply grainy; rice cakes, steamed rice, a light lactic note gives an impression of sweet cream butter and just a hint of funk. Rich and full. Oyuwari brings out steamed rice sweetness and rice husk.

Palate: Light and herbal attack falling away quickly to a deep, rich earthy graininess and a warm, not-unpleasantly bitter minerality. Served oyuwari, an acidic fruitiness comes out; ground cherry or gooseberry.

Overall: A deep and savory expression of rice in the vein of long-aged sake. While grain dominates, it’s never one note or simplistic and provides a rich, satisfying experience. With hot water, the experience changes drastically and shows a completely different side of the shochu; it’s well worth trying both.

Masako

Distillery: Furusawa Jōzō

Ingredients: 100% 2-row barley

Kōji-kin: white

Pressure: atmospheric

ABV: 35%

Notes: Distilled in summer 2009 by tōji FURUSAWA Masako and bearing her name. It subsequently aged for 11 years, partially in enamel-lined tanks and partially in clay pots.

Service: straight and 6:4 oyuwari

Nose: Creamy barley porridge, light cream, a touch of date. Grain, but lighter and sweeter than Motoko. With hot water, hints of cranberry and other fruits.

Palate: Mixed berries, creamy barley, and a hint of white pepper give way to powerful, earthy grain which lingers on the finish. Oyuwari brings out sweetness and rich, roasted notes from the grain and black pepper; herbal notes linger longest on the finish.

Overall: Another beautiful and powerful expression of its base ingredient, complex and full of umami. Not quite as pure and expressive as the Motoko, but nevertheless a shochu to watch out for, and definitely worth trying straight.

Mahoko

Distillery: Furusawa Jōzō

Ingredients: kogane sengan (黄金千貫) sweet potato, rice

Kōji-kin: white

Pressure: atmospheric

ABV: 35%

Notes: Distilled in autumn 2004 by then-tōji FURUSAWA Norimasa, husband of Motoko and father of Masako, in celebration of the birth of his granddaughter. Norimasa took over the distillery when Motoko retired in 1974. This shochu aged for sixteen years, partially in enamel-lined tanks and partially in clay pots.

Service: straight and 6:4 oyuwari

Nose: Ripe persimmon, oregano, white-fleshed sweet potato. Adding hot water brings out white pepper and astringent fruit peel.

Palate: More persimmon and mixed fresh herbs, fruitiness that’s at once somewhat tart and very earthy, white pepper and cardamom. Finishes with wet earth and impression of fruit sugars. Served oyuwari, fruit dominates: flavors of sweet apple and pear, tart plum, and sour cherry, with the prior earthiness only appearing on the finish.

Overall: A very expressive shochu, filled with fruit and earth. Complex fruitiness runs throughout, backed by fresh herbs and white pepper. Of the three, it may not be the purest expression of its base ingredient, but it more than makes up for it with its breadth of aromas and flavors and is just as deep and savory. The comparison of straight and oyuwari is especially fun.

Tōji Junpei

Distillery: Kodama Jōzō

Ingredients: 83% Miyazaki beni (宮崎紅) sweet potato, 17% rice kōji

Kōji-kin: white

Pressure: atmospheric

ABV: 25%

Notes: KANEMARU Junpei is the head brewer/distiller (tōji) at Kodama Distillery. He is a fifth-generation brewer and dedicated to shochu made fully by hand; each part of the process, including sorting and trimming of the sweet potatoes, is done without automation. This is the distillery’s flagship bottling.

Service: straight and 6:4 oyuwari

Nose: Roasted sweet potato skin and flesh, damp earth, walnuts and pecans. Served oyuwari, the sweetness of the sweet potato is enhanced and given a brown sugar quality.

Palate: Roasted sweet potato flesh just beginning to caramelize, with an impression of sweetness to match. Faint dandelion flower greenness. Plenty of body, with a pleasant, lingering earthiness on the finish. Served oyuwari, the nuts from the nose are more prominent and dried herbs appear on the finish, taking on a dried mint quality as it cools.

Overall: This bottle showcases the sweet potatoes, with subtle herbaceousness lingering around the edges. There’s the richness of roasted sweet potatoes and earth here, but with a light touch. I enjoyed this neat, but my preference was for oyuwari, where I feel the quality of the potatoes really shines.

Dear fellow Shochu lovers, I’ve been trying to order Shochu online for a while. My state recently changed laws and most online Shochu vendors I’ve found no longer ship to my state. Can you list the any online Shochu vendors you’re aware of? I’m hoping to find one that will work. Thank you!

Bought a few bottles of this on my way back from Japan a few months ago. Been hearing a lot of good things about it. Currently debating if I should just open it or wait for a special occasion. What’s everyone’s thoughts on this bottle?

I am looking for a bottle for someone who has tried shochu, and likes it. This person is a whiskey/scorch fan. What is a good bottle that I can order online that does not break the bank?

Did not know this was a sub reddit. Looking to make some Shochu by the end of the year. Thinking 100% rice with Koji Mold, so I believe the proper term is Junmai? Would like to have 5-6 gallons of Wash at the end of it.

Please give me feedback on my process! I have a mini-fridge turned Fermentation Chamber to assist in maintaining the required temperatures.

Shochu; Junmai

· Japanese White Koji – 40 oz

· WY4134 Sake Yeast – 4.25 oz (Inoculates up to 5 gallons)

· Calrose Rice 70% Polished – 10 lbs

​

Moto; Yeast/Mold Starter

· 2.5 Cups Cold Water

· 0.75 Teaspoon Yeast Nutrient

· Pinch of Epsom Salt

· 0.5 Cup of Koji

Separately

· 1.5 Cups of Rice

· Cover with 2-3” of Water

Refrigerator Both Overnight

Day Two

Steam Rice

Mix Koji and Rice (ideal temp of 75-80 F)

Maintain 70 F for 2 Days

· Stir 2x Day

Cool Koji Mash to 50 F

Pitch Sake Yeast

Hold for 12 Hours

Maintain 70 F for 6 Days

· Stir 2x Day first 3 Days

· Stir 1x Day last 3 Days

Maintain 50 F for 5 Days

​

Moromi; Gradual Step Mash. Split into Three steps; Hatsuzoe, Nakazoe, Tomezoe

​

Hatsuzoe; First Mash

· 2.5 Cups of Rice

· 1 Cup of Koji

Soaked for 12 hours then Steamed

Work Steamed Rice until 85 F

Add 2.75 cups cold water w/1.25 teaspoon Morton Salt

Mix into Moto.

Maintain 70 F

· Stir every 2 hours for the next 12 hours

· Stir twice a day for the next 1.5 days

​

Nakazoe; Second Mash

· 6 Cups of Rice

· 1.5 Cups of Koji

Soaked for 12 hours then Steamed

Work Steamed Rice until 85 F

Mix into Hatsuzoe

Maintain 70 F

· 12 hour rest

· Stir in remaining Koji (20 Oz)

​

Tomezoe; Third Mash

Soak remaining 5 pounds of Rice for 12 hours

Steam in batches, total of 1 gallon + 1 cup of cold water added.

Mix into Nakazoe & Hatsuzoe (4 Gallons Total ~ Roughly)

Maintain 70 F

· 12 Hour Rest

Maintain 50 F

· Remain undisturbed for 3 weeks.

​

When SG hits 1.00, pull wash from mash.

Distill 1x

Fin.

I've read conflicting reports saying Koji should be green vs not green at all? How do I know outside of the cheese smell, of the Koji was a success?

It seems interesting that you make a Koji starter bomb, sorta like a yeast-bomb in homebrewing, yet during the step mash, you add the Koji spores directly to the rice - Before steaming? This doesn't kill the koji?

Yeast is not added during the step-mash but all at once, upfront?

This is the article I've based 99% of this plan off of; https://byo.com/article/making-sake/

Years ago at a ryokan when traveling with my in-laws we had Mao no shochu that was delicious. Never had any since. Not sure where to get good Sochu in US online or in person. The usual ones in Japanese grocery stores (in San Francisco Bay Area) are sometimes good but since I can’t read Japanese (minimal Kanji only) I am always last.

Wish there was some basic skills and training book!