Distillery: 恒松酒造 Tsunematsu Shuzō
Address: 1022 Taragi, Kuma District, Kumamoto 868-0501
Website: http://tsunematsu-shuzo.com
Additional Content: There is a short video on their production, which was more like a commercial for another Tessho another potato shōchū.
Name: 古酒王道楽土 Koshu Ōdō Rakudo (3yr)
Type: 芋焼酎 Potato shōchū blend
Potato: 黄金千貫 Golden Sengen,
Ingredients:
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黄金千貫 Golden Sengen
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黒麹 Black Rice Koji (Domestic)
Alcohol: 30%
Enjoy on the rocks
In the bottle: The sweetness is really front and center on the nose, a bit thick with hints of candied fruit (syrup) and a slightly damp hay.
On the rocks: Strong and sweet with notes of black pepper, vanilla, caramel and toasted rice, it is very full in the mouth and leaves a little prickly feeling in the back of the throat and on the tongue. The aging also comes through in the dept of the flavors, I thought there would be more clay earthy notes from the longer storage but I didn't really catch any.
水割り Diluted with water
4:1, 3:2 ratio: The sweetness mellows out considerably, resulting in a fresher mouth feel while keeping those vanilla, caramel and toasted rice on the palate. There is an interesting bitterness that reminds me of spring greens.
2:3 ratio: This holds up quite well at the lower ratio, smoothing all those intense sweet notes down to something that feels full-bodied, but not overtly heavy. However, it loses some of those nice impact notes, especially the black pepper.
Reflections on this shōchū
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This bottle was a bit pricey, but when I think of what I spend on a decent bottle of Scotch, 2500 JPY is quite reasonable for a 3yr potato shōchū.
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That nice bitterness reminds me of spring greens, the kind you get with tempura soba in the spring, seems like it would be a good match。
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Overall, I really enjoyed this bottle, however, it was a bit of a got-to-be-in-the-mood shōchū, mainly because it is a bit on the sweet side and a little thick.
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I really enjoyed this on the rocks and diluted with water, both ways offer a great tasting experience.
Bottle label and Information
Front Label
Back Label
