Essentially an izakaya is a Japanese tavern. But it’s also Japanese tapas. And it’s a Japanese gastropub. So perhaps the way to think of an izakaya is as a Japanese gastro-tapas-pub. Don’t plan on having a 45 minute meal before a movie. Don’t plan on going and having a starter, a main, and a dessert. Go planning on having a long, lingering meal over good drinks and better conversation with a group of great friends. Make an evening of it. Once you’re in that mindset the rest is easy.
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Kuro Isanishki has the unmistakable earthy nose of an imo shochu. This yields to a buttery soft mouthfeel. Surprisingly supple given what’s in store otherwise. An extremely light sweetness yields to a very dry, tight finish. The dryness would overwhelm except the soft mouth provides enough mellowness to create an interesting contrast.
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Kusu, or old spirit, is an Okinawan Awamori aged at least 3 years. According to Japanese law the youngest spirit in the bottle must be at least 3 years old – Awamori producers have a long history of mixing older spirits with younger spirits as the older spirits are consumed.
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Tsukushi Shiro is one of four premium mugi shochus now being imported to the U.S. from Nishyoshida Shuzo. Tsukushi Shiro is also the most smooth, mellow, and easy drinking of the four thanks in no part to the low pressure distillation that sets it apart from its counterparts. All are made with black koji and local barley, but only Tsukushi Shiro is made using modern pressurized distillation techniques.
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What could be better to start out Spring than a virtual trip to Okinawa? The beautiful islands in the Pacific Ocean off the southern coast of Japan? Unfortunately for New Yorkers, since Suibi in Midtown East closed a few years back, Okinawan food is not easily available. Fortunately for New Yorkers, some Okinawa lovers have persisted and they have decided to put on an Okinawan festival.
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I’ve been eyeing Kaido iwai no aka for well over a year. The stunning red bottle is undoubtably alluring and “iwai no aka” refers to the celebratory red color of the bottle. The shochu, however is clear. I remember sitting at an izakaya in midtown Manhattan and watching enviously as a Japanese customer poured from the gorgeous bottle.
As with most Awamori, Shimauta is a rich, flavorful, herbal spirit. An earthy nose hints at the flavor you expect from an Awamori. The warm mouthfeel promises a richness that does not disappoint. The herbal flavor is never overpowering, but also does not hide. There is the slightest hint of sweetness, but it is just promised, not delivered. The herbal (again) finish lingers into a buttery end.
Kuro Isanishki has the unmistakable earthy nose of an imo shochu. This yields to a buttery soft mouthfeel. Surprisingly supple given what’s in store otherwise. An extremely light sweetness yields to a very dry, tight finish. The dryness would overwhelm except the soft mouth provides enough mellowness to create an interesting contrast.
This iichiko silhouette is probably the most common Japanese shochu currently available in the United States. In NYC I’ve seen it in random mom & pop liquor stores as the only shochu among a shelf of sake options. It’s most commonly available in 750ml bottles, though I’ve seen other sizes in other countries. This is a great starter shochu, which is why I’ve chosen it for my first tasting note. It was my introduction to shochu back in 2008. I’d had Korean soju before, but Japanese shochu is a strikingly different (and better) experience.
Oak barrel aging has become a popular process as shochu producers experiment with different aging techniques to give their shochus unique flavor profiles. Kannoko and Ginza no Suzume Kohaku have full flavored profiles thanks to this aging process and are popular mugi shochus, particularly among whiskey drinkers. Kakushigura uses this process as well, but with a slightly different approach.
Tombo is the only honkaku (single distilled) shochu I know of that is not produced in Japan. It’s also the only honkaku shochu, to my knowledge, made with North American barley. At $14.99 at my local liquor store no other honkaku shochu comes close to the price point. But don’t let the nontraditional location or grain put you off. This is an authentic shochu.