MD/DE/DC - Spirits of Japan Portfolio Book

ABUNDANT RAINFALL SUSTAINS JAPAN’S PURE MOUNTAIN STREAMS

Japan’s koji spirits, Honkaku Shochu and Ryukyu Awamori

predate Japanese whisky making by at least 400 years.

These intensely artisanal spirits made by master craftsmen

reflect the true spirit of Japan.

The origins of these spirits are murky at best, but distilled

spirits were almost certainly being made in Okinawa by

Fun Fact: To separate shochu and whisky in Japan, the government has put a law in place stating the shochu can’t be released if it’s beyond a certain level of darkness. This greatly hinders the barrel-aged category, as producers may have to then filter out the color, and as a result, much of the flavor. The Difference between Shochu and Sake? It’s simple! Sake is a brewed alcohol while Shochu is a distilled spirit, which also leads to the difference in alcohol content. Usually Sake is around 15% because most of the mold stops alcohol conversion and the alcohol level does not go any higher, while Shochu can be bottled at 20%-35%. Both can be made from rice, but Shochu can also be made from many base starches including barley, sweet potato, buckwheat and kokuto sugar.

1477 and on the Japanese island of Kyushu by 1559. What

is unique to these spirits traditions is their use of koji

fermentation and single pot distillation. Since most other

spirits traditions have lower alcohol ferments, they are

almost always double or even triple distilled to achieve a

high alcohol level. Ryukyu Awamori and Honkaku Shochu

virtually always use a single pot distillation to reach 35 to

45% alcohol. Due to the single distillation, these spirits are

full of lush flavors and aromas that would be lost in a second

pass through the still. Nothing can be added to shochu or

awamori after distillation other than water and time. These

resolutely traditional drinks are still made as they were

hundreds of years ago, though, of course, the equipment has

been improved over time.

Shochu Flavor Wheel