Distillery: 繊月酒造 Sengetsu Shuzō
Address: 1 Shinmachi, Hitoyoshi, Kumamoto 868-0052
Website: https://sengetsu-shuzo.com
Additional Content: There is a short interview video with Sengetsu's managing director/president talking about the distilleries recovery after damage from the heavy rain in July 2021.
Name: 大古酒繊月(30年+) Ōkoshu Sengetsu 30yr+
Type: 米焼酎 Rice shōchū
Ingredients:
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米 Rice
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米麹(国本産) Rice Koji (Domestic)
Alcohol: 40%
In the bottle: The intense burnt caramel and vanilla notes dominate the nose, giving way to a beautiful sweetness that kind of reminds me of cherry vanilla coke before blending into a more typical rice shochu finish. For something that has aged this long, what comes out of the bottle is truly special.
On the rocks: What you get on the nose, absolutely explodes on the palate, this tastes so much Japanese pudding with burnt caramel sauce, and while that seems like it would be unappealing, nothing could be further from the truth. At 80 proof, the alcohol starts to creep in at the end, but it is subtle and the black pepper finish just adds a little more complexity to what is already just an amazing experience.
Straight: Opened up a second bottle a year after this last tasting, this time I started with it neat in a glass, which is really intense. The burnt caramel is much tighter and fades out nicely on the finish along with some really smooth vanilla and cocoa; overall a really nice way to enjoy this beautifully aged shochu.
水割り Diluted with water
4:1, 3:2 ratio, Adding a little water definitely lightens up the big impact notes, resulting in something that is really smooth, however, I feel that what really makes this special is lost.
Paired with Chocolate:
Pretzel, toffee milk chocolate from Tony's, the flavors from the chocolate really get amplified and almost intensified. The nice part is that this chocolate is not super sweet which allows the shochu to expand the flavors from the chocolate and blend in the nice caramel and vanilla notes without getting too heavy.
Enjoy straight or on the rocks
Reflections on this shōchū
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Quite possibly the best bottle I have opened in a long time, the quality of the whole package, box, label, accompanying information, are all there to give justice to what is in the bottle, which was amazing.
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At 8800 JPY, this is an absolute steal for something 30+ years old and not a blend of other years, it was so good, I bought two more bottles to keep in the vault.
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If you were ever looking to give the perfect gift to a shochu lover, then this would be it, hands down, no further questions needed.
Bottle label and Information
Front Label
Back Label
Name: たる繊月(６年以上) Taru Sengetsu (6yr+)
Type: 米焼酎 Rice shōchū (樫樽貯蔵古酒 Aged in Oak Barrels )
Rice: ヒノヒカリの新米100％ Hinohikari new rice
Ingredients:
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米 Rice
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米麹(国内産) Rice Koji (Domestic)
Alcohol: 25%
In the bottle: Woody with hints of cherry hard candies, and vanilla, reminds me of Dr Pepper, and cream soda; the oak notes remind me of freshly mulched wood in summer. The sweetness on the nose is not overpowering but certainly makes its presence felt the longer you spend with it. Overall, Taru Sengetsu gives a great impression for oak-aged rice shochu, especially with the beautiful golden hue; this really builds a nice anticipation for what is in the bottle, which absolutely does not disappoint.
On the rocks: Smooth, rich and bit creamy, the first thing that comes to mind is cream soda and birch beer, as the first sip is full of amazing impact notes that are quite surprising if you have not had an oak-aged shochu before. In general, Taru Sengetsu is slightly sweet, with those beautiful cherry, vanilla, and oak notes spreading across the palate which gives this the feel of a shochu that fits well after a nice meal. The finish is really a standout here as well as Taru Sengetsu is aged to perfection, never feels too oaky and hits on so many levels which makes this something to sip and enjoy slowly.
水割り Diluted with water
4:1, 3:2 ratio, The sweetness really opens up with a little water, with the cream soda and vanilla notes staying nice and up front; however, not much lingers on the tongue, resulting in an unfortunately short finish.
Enjoy on the rocks
Reflections on this shōchū
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Amazing, just amazing, and on my list for buying a second bottle.
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Everything I have had from Sengetsu Shuzo has been top class, looking forward to opening up the last two bottles I have.
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This hits all the notes you want with something that has been aged in oak, along with the more typical rice shochu notes, there as some creme soda, and cherry notes that are just sublime.
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The price is very low for such a high quality shochu, you can pick it up on their website for under 1800 JPY, which makes this a completely low risk buy.
Bottle label and Information
Front Label
Cap Label
Name: 川辺 Kawabe
Type: 米焼酎 Rice shōchū
Ingredients:
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米(相良村) Rice (Sagara Village)
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米麹(相良村) Rice Koji (Sagara Village)
Alcohol: 25%
In the bottle: Soft and subtle, with some light floral & fruity notes, it reminds me a little of sake without any heavy sweetness on the front-end. After letting it open up, you can also find some really nice hints of vanilla, slight citrus and peach, all of which are incredibly inviting.
On the rocks: For me, at least, the first sip was a where have you been all my life sip, just like the nose, it is soft and subtle and if you drink it too fast, you will miss what makes Kawabe so special. In the mouth it feels light but there is a slight thickness with some absolutely beautiful rice shochu notes that weave in and out. Overall, Kawabe drinks a bit like a kasutori/sake kasu shochu as there are a lot of those light fruity notes of peach and apricot that really give this a sake vibe. The finish plays a nice part as well as you continue to get hints of what is in the glass for a good while and while the alcohol is not high, it does a great job of carrying the softer notes through to the end. For me at least, this was an all around just an amazing experience.
Diluted with water:
4:1, 3:2 ratio, don't bother, this is just so perfect on the rocks. Unbelievably, I did not try this neat in the glass, if I ever pick up another bottle I will update this tasting.
Paired with dark chocolate: The chocolate, 70% dark chocolate, single origin from Vietnam, three ingredients, cocoa mass, sugar and cocoa butter. The pairing, the bitterness of the chocolate balances perfectly with the slight sweetness and the vanilla found on the nose makes an appearance as it blends with the chocolate.
Enjoy on the rocks
Reflections on this shōchū
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After sitting on my shelf for a year, I opened this up and just as stated above, it was a where have you been all my life first sip, definitely a top 3 desert island shochu for sure.
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For this, I broke my 1 glass per night rule, just too good...
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Kawabe might replace my go to gift shochu, ?nanina, this is just so accessible and enjoyable to drink, don't hesitate, try it, gift it, share it.
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Sengetsu Shuzo knocks it out of the park again, after enjoying a range of what they had to offer in 2023, it was clear they are producing some world-class shochu.
Bottle label and Information
Front Label
Name: 霧の封印(30年以上) Kiri no Fūin (30yr+)
Type: 米焼酎 Rice shōchū
Ingredients:
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米(国産) Rice (Domestic)
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米麹(国産) Rice Koji (Domestic)
Alcohol: 25%
In the bottle: What comes out of the bottle is subtle but very refined, at first there is a wave of cherry, vanilla and fresh cut wood that is still green, simply beautiful. As you nose it a little deeper the alcohol starts to make is self known before calming back down into a bit heavier vanilla both in depth and sweetness.
On the rocks: I was going to use the word refined again, but I feel elegant (上品) just fits better, especially at 30+ years old. Kiri no Fūin is smooth, clean and almost too drinkable. Everything that was on the nose is on full display; however, I would say that the vanilla notes are even stronger on-the-rocks, especially before it starts to dilute from the ice.
Straight: Decided to try this neat and all I can say is Wow. On-the-rocks is nice, especially on a hot night, but this drinks so smoothly with all of the what I found on the rocks right there, just at room temp. Interestingly, I found some nutty and slightly clay notes which add to the complexity of this amazing shochu.
水割り Diluted with water
4:1, 3:2 ratio, While not as much impact as on-the-rocks or straight, Kiri no Fūin just works on all levels, and with a little water opens up into a perfectly balanced aged rice shochu. Just buy it and enjoy it.
Enjoy straight or on the rocks
Reflections on this shōchū
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Sengetsu Shuzō is like the gift that just keeps on giving, everything I have had from them is just top shelf and Kiri no Fuin is not different, just amazing.
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At 30+ years old, this was fresh, bright and extremely drinkable; hard to image this is only slightly over 3000 JPY, just amazing.
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I decided to pick up Sengetsu's 12 bottle set (which is an incredible deal) so I can try the rest of what they have to offer, and the best part is I will get 4 bottles of what I have already tried and would love to have another bottle on the shelf.
Bottle label and Information
Front Label
Back Label
