Distillery: 佐藤酒造 Sato Shuzō
Address: 2063 Makizonocho Shukukubota, Kirishima, Kagoshima 899-6507
Website: http://www.satohshuzo.co.jp/
Additional Content: Nothing found at this time.
Name: 佐藤黒麹 Satō Black Koji
Type: 芋焼酎 Sweet Potato Shōchū
蒸留方法: 常圧蒸留 (Atmospheric)
Ingredients:
-
黄金千貫 (国産) Kogane Sengen (Domestic)
-
黒麹 (国産米) Black Koji (Domestic)
Alcohol: 25%
Enjoy straight or on the rocks
In the bottle: Satō starts out with burst of sweet potato before transitioning into some really nice subtle woody character, which comes across a bit like a fresh cut wood from a young sapling. After this opens up a little, it becomes significantly more fragrant with a range of sweeter fruity notes like lychee and hints of vanilla before fading into soft sweet potato vapors.
On the rocks: As soon as this hits the tongue you know you are in for a treat; Satō is smooth, well-balanced and full sweet potato notes that come off as fresh and rich at the same time. As this opens up a bit more and the ice melts, you start to find a nice sweetness that emerges behind the freshness of the sweet potato that blends well with the peppery prickliness you get on the finish. The more the ice melts, the more the sweeter flavors come to the surface, the good parts is that the balance remains quite stable making Satō a shochu you can enjoy for a second or third glass without any issues.
Straight: Beautifully balanced between sweet and smooth; Satō neat in the glass is really something to sip slowly and enjoy. There is certainly an intensity but nothing that hides the flavors, especially the sweet potato which has nice vanilla and caramel background which becomes a big part of the finish, which is long lasting and highly enjoyable. Overall, a really nice way to enjoy this sweet potato shochu
水割り Diluted with water
Ratio 3:2: A little too soft, this is really more suited to on-the-rocks or neat in the glass.
Reflections on this shōchū
-
If you wanted to get someone interested in shochu, this would be a good bottle to recommend and one I have often suggested to friends and colleagues while out drinking if it is on the menu.
-
Picked up both the white and black versions at my local go to shop , these are priced pretty high at around 3000 JPY per bottle, but overall, I felt like this was a good pick up.
Bottle label and Information
Front Label
Back Label
Name: 佐藤白麹 Satō White Koji
Type: 芋焼酎 Sweet Potato Shōchū
蒸留方法: 常圧蒸留 (Atmospheric)
Ingredients:
-
黄金千貫 (国産) Kogane Sengen (Domestic)
-
白麹 (国産米) White Koji (Domestic)
Alcohol: 25%
Enjoy straight or on the rocks
In the bottle: At first Sato Shiro is quite neutral; however, after giving it a bit of oxygen, it still remains a bit on the neutral side. For the flavors that you can find, there is what comes across as a young, fresh, sweet potato note that has a subtle bit of sourness to it as well as maybe a bit of Japanese grapes. In comparison to Sato Kuro, the white comes across as quite soft, at least on the nose.
On the rocks: As soon as the first drop hits your tongue you get an intensely fresh sweet potato along with a nice blend of caramel and vanilla which continues through on the early finish. Some of that sourness observed on the nose is present on the first sip; however, as the ice melts this fades into the background quite a bit which opens up more of a rich sweetness, not overly sticky sweet but certainly a bit bigger. The finish remains really nice even as the ice melts, you continue to get several waves of milky caramel and vanilla, overall, a nice glass to sip.
Straight: Soft and sweet with a nice bit of peppery notes that hit on the back of the palate, there is a bit of sourness on the finish but overall this is a decent way to enjoy this. The finish is a bit alcohol forward; however, this does mellow out with a bit of caramel and vanilla balancing this out.
Paired with Chocolate: Sticking with the Kaldi 70%, in general the dark chocolate becomes a bit sweeter, there is still a bit of that dark chocolate cherry tart vibe but not as much as other pairings I have tired. There is a nice velvety chocolate finish that pulls this together pretty well and makes this worth giving a shot. Overall, not bad, but clearly so far the rice type shochu & Awamori match much better.
Reflections on this shōchū
-
The White is quite a bit different than the black and this bottle actually tastes a bit different than my memory, still not bad but not as good as the black koji version.
-
Picked up both the white and black versions at my local go to shop , these are priced pretty high at around 3000 JPY per bottle, but overall, I felt like this was a good pick up.
Bottle label and Information
Front Label
Back Label
Name: 佐藤麦 Sato Barley
Type: 芋焼酎 Barley Shōchū
蒸留方法: 常圧蒸留 (Atmospheric)
Ingredients:
-
麦 Barley (Domestic)
-
麦麹 Barley Koji (Domestic)
Alcohol: 25%
Enjoy straight or on the rocks
In the bottle: Sweet and fragrant with a beautiful barley nose. There is a warming note that is a bit hard to place but does create a nice backdrop for everything to develop on, especially the fruity side that reminds me a bit of cherry Jolly Ranchers or a similar candy. Aside from the initial hit, Sato Mugi is fairly neutral. Even with some oxygen it holds its cards close to the vest and remains a mystery until it hits the glass. Considering the quality of Sato’s imo shōchū, there are high expectations for their barley offering.
On the rocks: This is something to sip and enjoy on a hot and humid summer night. While it is only late May here in Hiroshima, it is still hot enough to appreciate how refreshing Sato Mugi is. Right from the first sip the barley comes in fresh and light, with a nice backdrop of cereal grain. This is perfectly balanced by a smooth sweetness on the back end. The finish is also exceptional as the barley lingers lightly and gives room for some vanilla, cacao, and cherry vibes to emerge, giving Sato Mugi excellent drinkability.
Straight: Pure barley, completely front and center, no apologies—and that makes this one of the best pure mugi shōchū bottles I have ever opened. Right from the start you are treated to an intense barley that comes in smooth, rich, and with a very nice subtle sweetness that makes this a standout neat in the glass. On the finish a number of softer notes appear like cacao, vanilla, and a bit like on the nose, just a hint of cherry candy. Overall, really enjoyable.
Paired with Chocolate: Tonny's Chocolonely 70% cacao. Absolute heaven. The barley shōchū takes the cacao and expands it by adding an intense cherry note that transforms this into a dessert-like experience. The barley also fills out the entire pairing by providing a perfect backdrop for everything to develop on. Possibly one of the best chocolate pairings I have done in a very long time.
Reflections on this shōchū
-
Since I have recently been on a bit of a Mugi Shochu boom, I picked up this bottle at the local shop as both the white and black koji Imo Shochu from Sato were quite good, the Mugi certainly did not disappoint.
Bottle label and Information
Front Label
Back Label
