Region: Japan
Distillery: Ookubo Shuzo.
Age: 2 Years and 7 months
ABV: 30%
Size: 720 ml
THE HACHI SHOCHU, Sweet Potato (Imo), Mizunara 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 Grilled Kogane Sengan and Anno Imo, a fluffy delicious variety of sweet potato with a lovely aroma and golden skin colour (Yaki Imo), Kuro (Black) Koji and single distilled under normal atmospheric pressure (making it a Honkaku Shochu) to retain the flavors of the underlying ingredient, this Batch 5 has been matured for about 2 year and 7 months in Mizunara Oak to retain the flavour of the origin spirit while adding an extra dimension of complexity to the nose, palate and finish.
Mizunara Oak is unique to Japan and is infamously difficult to work with, given their grain structure which also makes it more prone to leakages but imparts very unique flavours that are not usually found in traditional bourbon and sherry barrels.
Color: Deep Gold Nose: Tropical fruits, incense, sandalwood, cedar and coconut with some subtle smoke balanced with sweet potato in the backgroud. Palate: Grated dry coconut, some banana and pineapple with a hint of oak spices, incense and sandalwood along with sweet potato flavours coming through at the back combined with subtle smoke.
Recommended way to Drink: Straight Up, On the Rocks or as a Highball (3 parts of sparkling water to 1 part The Hachi Shochu).