Japanese Craft Spirits

Shochu is a distilled spirit and increasingly popular globally, similar to Sake. 

This bottling is made by craft distiller Ookubo Shuzo in Kagoshima Japan and is their flagship bottling. It is made from baked sweet potato i.e. Yaki Imo and Black Rice Malt. Full bodied aroma of sweet potato, which also comes through on the palate. Very balanced and showcases the underlying ingredient of baked sweet potato perfectly with a delicate presence of dark chocolate in the finish. Awarded the HKIWSC Silver 2018, HKIWSC Silver 2019.

THE HACHI SHOCHU, Umeshu, Cask Matured is a collaboration with Ookubo Shuzo, a family owned farm distillery in Kagoshima and Hacchan, who has been singularly focused on showcasing Shochu, a hidden gem from Japan by offering a unique combination and layers of flavors overlaid on the original spirit. This Umeshu is another such example and is a combination of Koshu Yaki Imo Shochu (made from baked Kogane Sengan, a fluffy delicious variety of sweet potato with a lovely aroma and golden skin color and baked Annou Imo, a naturally sweeter variety of sweet potato with a yellow flesh and high viscosity). Kuro (Black) Koji and single distilled under normal atmospheric pressure making it a Honkaku Shochu, which has been aged for over 10 years (i.e Koshu) and some delicious Kanjuku (i.e. ripened) Nanko (refers to the variety) Ume (plum) from Kagoshima. 

Color: Gold Nose: Distinctive aroma of Imo Shochu, the underlying sweet potato with a hint of smoked almonds. Palate: Initial sourness of the Ume along with the sweetness and the syrupy texture takes us back to our childhood memories of fruit jelly snacks with the shochu in the background and a lingering fruity flavour to finish.

Recommended way to Drink: Straight Up, On the Rocks or as a Highball (3 parts of sparkling water to 1 part The Hachi Shochu).

THE HACHI SHOCHU, Barley (Mugi), Cask Matured is a collaboration with Miroku Shuzo, a family owned craft distillery in Oita, Japan and Hacchan who, somewhere along the way was also exposed to Whisky and the benefits of Cask Maturation. Made from local barley grown in Kitsuki and Usa (both near the distillery in Oita) and single distilled under normal atmospheric pressure (making it a Honkaku Shochu) to retain the flavors of the underlying ingredient, this Batch 3 is matured for about 3-4 years in a Refill White Oak Cask to add layers of complexity and flavour to the original spirit. Color: Gold Nose: While the top notes on the nose are a mix of vanilla, honey, fresh fruits, oak spices and fresh pencil shavings. the barley (mugi) Shochu rears its head as wet dough at the back with a hint of caramel candy sweetness. Palate: Vanilla, honey to start mixed with oak which evolves into an excellent toasted raisin bread with a fair amount of nuttiness, some smokiness and spices to finish. 

Recommended way to Drink: Straight Up, On the Rocks or as a Highball (3 parts of sparkling water to 1 part The Hachi Shochu).

THE HACHI SHOCHU, Brown Sugar (Kokuto), Cask Matured is a collaboration with Yayoi Shochu Brewery LPC, a family owned craft distillery on Amami Oshima Islands of Kagoshima and Hacchan who, somewhere along the way was also exposed to Whisky and the benefits of Cask Maturation. Made from brown sugar sourced from various producers in Okinawa and Thai Mai (Thai Rice) White Koji and single distilled under normal atmospheric pressure (making it a Honkaku Shochu) to retain the flavors of the underlying ingredient, this Batch 1 is a blend of 3-5 years Kokuto Shocho aged in refill/recharred virgin American White Oak Casks to add layers of complexity and flavour to the original spirit.

Color: Light Straw, White Wine Nose: Intricate nose of sugarcane like sweetness, fresh fruits like green apples, pear and mint balanced with subtle salted caramel and some oak spices. Palate: Initial sweetness gently gives way to some savoury, umami like notes with a finish of pepper, spices and a hint of dark chocolate.

Recommended way to Drink: Straight Up, On the Rocks or as a Highball (3 parts of sparkling water to 1 part The Hachi Shochu).

THE HACHI SHOCHU, Sweet Potato (Imo), Cask Matured is a collaboration with Ookubo Shuzo, a family owned farm distillery in Kagoshima and Hacchan who, somewhere along the way was also exposed to Whisky and the benefits of Cask Maturation. Made from Kogane Sengan, a fluffy delicious variety of sweet potato with a lovely aroma and golden skin colour, Shiro (White) Koji and single distilled under normal atmospheric pressure (making it a Honkaku Shochu) to retain the flavors of the underlying ingredient, this Batch 3 has been matured for about 4 years and 4 months in an ex-Brandy Cask to retain the flavour of the origin spirit while adding an extra dimension of complexity to  the nose.

Color: Deep Gold Nose: Sweet caramel, butterscotch, fruit cake along with some cherries, raisins along with oak spices in the back. Palate: An initial sweetness of candied orange, hints of caramel and toffee balanced with oak spices, a hint of oak and again peach and lychee from the sweet potato shochu coming through at the back.

Recommended way to Drink: Straight Up, On the Rocks or as a Highball (3 parts of sparkling water to 1 part The Hachi Shochu).

This incredibly unique and fruity Shochu, very appropriately named after their Toji/Master Distiller – Mr. Nobuhisa Yasuda was first released in 2013. Using unique methods to make a 100% Imo Shochu using Sweet Potato ("Imo") as the main ingredient and Imo Koji - from Tsurunashigenji Imo, creates a more aromatic and fruity Shochu compared to the usual rice ("Kome") koji.

Sweet and rich aroma of fruits on the nose (some obvious lychee, hints of peach and perhaps some strawberries). Delicate, fruity, smooth and balanced while retaining the flavours of sweet potato on the palate with a warming finish, some dark chocolate bitterness and a very pleasant after taste. Chill the bottle and serve straight up or on the rocks. Pairs perfectly with a variety of food.

Please click Here to learn more. 

Using the local grown Barley from Kitsuki City, Oita of Japan and distilling under atmopheric pressure. 

Smooth yet very balanced flavours with cereal and malty notes reminding us of fresh dough as if you were in a bakery combined with hints of pear and dark chocolate at the finish. Perfect as a Shochu Highball, it pairs particularly well with some sea food and Tempura. Please click Here to learn more.