Distillery: 識名酒造 Shikina Shuzō

Address: 2 Chome-48 Shuriakatacho, Naha, Okinawa 903-0813

Additional Content: There is a very short behind the scenes video with an even shorter explanation about Shikina Shuzo, still a cool video and it's less than 2 minutes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2X-HiwZwk7c

時雨 15年甕貯蔵酒 Shigure 2001

Type: 泡盛 Awamori
Ingredients:

米麹(タイ産米) Rice Koji (Thailand)

Alcohol: 41%

In the bottle: Ridiculously fragrant, what pours out of the bottle is a masterpiece of Awamori. With Shigure 15 year, you get both a pure, sweet richness from the rice koji and a dry earthy clay set of notes from the kame, these blend together in perfect harmony (I know, a lot of adjectives, but this is really that good). Pulling this apart a bit you can pick out some dried fruits, vanilla with a hint of toffee slash burnt caramel all backed by that really nice dry earthiness. At 41%, it is really hard to find the alcohol, and what is there works really well to bring out the full flavors of what this awamori has to offer.

On the rocks: Drinking this on what is so far the coldest night in Hiroshima 2025, taking a sip of this beautifully crafted Awamori, I cannot help but imagine myself enjoying this in much nicer weather, preferably with blue sky's and a beach. It is hard not to say much more than that, this is fresh, dry and balanced with a picture perfect Awamori sweetness made up of mostly rice, vanilla and toffee which is backed by an aged eathiness that ties everything together. The finish brings in wave after wave of burnt caramel and vanilla as well as a bit of custard or Japanese pudding, a perfect nightcap.

Straight: There is very approachable neat in the glass, it's smooth, silky and has the right balance of sharp and sweet and the 41% alcohol does not get in the way of what Shigure 15 year has to offer. You get everything found on the rocks just at a higher intensity, this includes the finish, overall just amazing.

Paired with Chocolate: Kaldi 70% cocoa, absolutely amazing, Shigure takes the chocolate and magnifies the cocoa which gives this a rich chocolate ganache mouthfeel. Usually, pairing chocolate with Awamori or Shochu gives a bit of a cherry chocolate experience, here this is just pure chocolate with some nice vanilla thrown in at the end, quite exceptional.

Enjoy on-the-rocks, straight or paired with chocolate or dessert

Reflections on this Awamori

Thoroughly amazing, so far the best bottle I have opened in 2025, and maybe one of the best Awamori I have ever tasted.
Found this bottle on Awamoristreet.net, an excellent place to find rare bottles and limited releases, I picked up two bottles from Shikina Shuzō and would welcome some more if I come across them.
I feel like this would be a good bottle to introduce someone to Awamori with, Shigure 15-year is super smooth and full of everything that makes Awamori so interesting.

Bottle label and Information

Front Label

Back Label

時雨 1999貯蔵古酒 Shigure 1999

Type: 泡盛 Awamori 15yr
Ingredients:

米麹(タイ産米) Rice Koji (Thailand)

Alcohol: 43%

In the bottle: Rich and decadent is what I feel right from the start with Shigure 1999; this bottle feels like something lost in time and left to mature into something really special. As this opens up, there is a surprising freshness that balances nicely against the syrupy fruits and dried fruit notes that hang around until the dry earthy vapours start to become more pronounced. Additionally, you can find some of the typical vanilla, custard and a bit of chocolate to round everything out, overall the anticipation is quite high for this bottle.

On the rocks: Shikina Shuzo is fast becoming one of my favorite Awamori distilleries, Shigure 1999 is a masterpiece that hits every beat you could ask for. From the first sip you get a well a balanced freshness, that is a bit punchy and earthy, you can really feel how this has matured over time. As the ice melts, the sweeter notes really start to come forward with a bits of custard, vanilla, burnt caramel and dried fruits; reminds me a lot of apricots and dates. The finish flows in an out between rich, sweet flavors and dry, earthy tones that in the end, meet in the middle for something really beautiful.

Straight: As soon as the first sip hits the tongue you are almost overwhelmed with an intensely rich Awamori bite that is earthy, dry and absolutely full on delicious. At first some of what you find on the rocks is a bit buried, but after a brief adjustment period these notes start to come forward, especially on the finish which has an amazing sweetness that is a blend of mature vanilla and dark chocolate. Overall, Shigure 1999 works on all levels and if you can find a bottle do not hesitate to pick it up.

Paired with Chocolate: Sticking with the Kaldi 70%, a bit sharp at first due to the intensity of the Awamori; however, once this first wave subsides a bit the chocolate notes come pouring in. The finish here is the real standout as the chocolate melds together with the Awamori giving wave after wave of dark chocolate and dried fruit, like raisinets on steroids, maybe one of my favorite pairings.

Enjoy on-the-rocks, straight or paired with chocolate or dessert

Reflections on this Awamori

2025 has been a great year for opening some beautiful vintages of Awamori, Shigure again knocks it out of the park on this one, and well worth the price of admission.
As with the other bottles of aged Awamori, I found this bottle on Awamoristreet.net, an excellent place to find rare bottles and limited releases.
With the review finished for this bottle, I still have a 5 year and a 7 year bottle of Shigure on the shelf, really looking forward to comparing to these older bottles.