Distillery: 本坊酒造 Honbō Shuzō
Address: 〒891-0122 Kagoshima, Nanei, 3 Chome−２７
Website: https://www.hombo.co.jp/
Additional Content: They have a dedicated youtube page with commercials and some other behind the scenes short videos.
Name: 魂の芋 Tamashī no Imo
Type: 芋焼酎原酒 Sweet Potato Shōchū Genshu
蒸留方法: 減圧蒸留 (Vacuum Distillation)
Ingredients:
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さつま芋 Sweet Potato（鹿児島産）
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米麹(国産米) Rice Koji
Alcohol: 36%
Enjoy on the rocks
In the bottle: Surprisingly neutral at first, with just a hint of sweet potato, mature vanilla, and something that reminds me a bit of herbal schnapps. After getting a bit of oxygen in, Tamashi no Imo opens up quite nicely with a bit of toasted cereal grain and a nice freshness that reminds me of fresh broken branches. This really balances everything out in all the right ways. Overall, while not super impactful, what is here comes across beautifully and builds great anticipation for what will be in the glass.
On the rocks: The ice really brings out the sweetness. The first sip was warm with the sweet potato slightly heavy, with Tamashi no Imo feeling a bit more like a roasted sweet potato shōchū with an herby finish. Additionally, a lot of what was on the nose comes to the surface quickly as the mature vanilla and toasted cereal grain meld perfectly with the sweet potato, giving a nice balance and drinkability. As the ice melts a bit more, the herby finish starts to mellow and become a bit like wintergreen Lifesavers, not super heavy but just enough to let you know it’s there.
Straight: Warm, with a super smooth sweetness that carries some vanilla, cereal grains, fresh sweet potato, and a bit of black tea bitterness. The back end has a bit of the herby note that was there on the nose, just a bit more intensely, and carries over well on the finish which reminds me a bit of wintergreen Lifesavers, strangely not the first time I’ve found something like this. The 36% ABV does a great job of carrying everything through to the finish as Tamashi no Imo ebbs and flows between sweet vapors and herby bitterness.
Paired with Chocolate: Malaysian single origin dark chocolate. Pure dessert awesomeness. At first the shōchū is a bit overpowering but very quickly the two meld together into something magical. The cacao expands tremendously and takes on a bit of a cherry liqueur and dark chocolate ganache with a hint of vanilla on the finish. Absolutely excellent pairing.
Reflections on this shōchū
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I picked this bottle up while traveling a few days in Tokyo and considering the price of a decent beer these days, a 2 or 3000 JPY bottle of Shochu has considerably better cost performance, Tamashi no Imo did not disappoint.
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Overall, this was a pretty good bottle, interestingly this came across more like a roasted sweet potato shochu with a great sweetness and that interesting wintergreen Lifesaver note on the back side.
Bottle label and Information
Front Label
Back Label
Name: 原酒桜島 Genshu Sakurajima
Type: 芋焼酎原酒 Sweet Potato Shōchū Genshu
蒸留方法: 単式蒸留 (Pot Distillation)
Ingredients:
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黄金千貫 Golden Sengan (Kagoshima)
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白麹 White Koji
Alcohol: 37%
Enjoy on the rocks
In the bottle: Soft, delicate and warm with a subtle bit of fresh oak; reminds me a bit like a freshly broken branch on a young tree, quite beautiful to start. As this bottle of Genshu Sakurajima opens up a there is an amazing vanilla note that starts to work its way forward, it is not overly sweet and matches so well with the freshness of the sweet potato that it is hard not to just pour this in the glass straight away and enjoy.
On the rocks: Wickedly vanilla, in all the right ways. The first sip feels intensely sharp until you adjust and then wow, suddenly you are hit with a blast of mature vanilla that has the perfect subtle sweetness behind it, truly delicious. The vanilla works so well with the freshness and intensity of the sweet potato and while these two notes dominate the entire experience, it is hard to complain as what Sakurajima brings to the table is one of the best bottles I have opened in 2026 and considering it is October 13, that is pretty impressive. The finish here is also wonderful, and while it is more vanilla, it comes in a slightly sweeter form which feels a bit more like a sweet tootsie roll, candied vanilla, overall quite amazing.
Straight: Really warm and smooth with an interesting balance between sharp and sweet; the sharp is more in the form of bright sweet potato freshness and the sweet a deep, rich vanilla; absolutely intense in all the right ways. The finish is an interesting array of mature and sweet vanilla backed by an interesting dark chocolate vibe that really makes this a glass worth sipping.
Paired with Chocolate: Malaysi