Distillery: 霧島酒造 Kirishima Shuzō
Address: 885-0093 Miyazaki, Miyakonojo, Shibitacho
Website: https://www.kirishima.co.jp/products/imo/aka-kirishima/
Additional Content: There is a short vintage (2011) introduction to Kirishima distillery, it's only in Japanese but still quite interesting.
Name: 赤霧島 Akakirishima
Type: 芋焼酎 Potato shōchū
Potato: 甘藷(九州産) Sweet Potato
Ingredients:
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甘藷(九州産) Sweet Potato
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米麹(国産米) Rice Koji
Alcohol: 25%
In the bottle: At the start there is a hint of sweetness but nothing that is too clearly defined in terms of flavor profile. Overall there is a nice fresh sweet potato vibe that makes Akakirishia really approachable. Regarding the alcohol, the scent in the bottle is neutral and barely noticeable.
On the rocks: A classic potato shōchū that drinks very, very easy; which explains why you can find the Kirishima brand of shochu in a lot of Izakaya's and restaurants. In general, the sweet potato notes are smooth with a slight sweetness that is both rich and light, which keeps this fresh and easy to drink more than one glass. From the first sip, Akakrishima never feels overpowering, and best enjoyed on the rocks with a nice range of dished at your local Izakaya.
水割り Diluted with water
4:1, 3:2 ratio, A decent amount of the core flavor remains front and center, however, this shōchū is just so smooth it really doesn't need to be diluted.
2:3 ratio, There is not much left at this ratio other than a mild sweetness on the finish, which is still quite pleasant.
Enjoy on the rocks
Reflections on this shōchū
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Even after all these years, Akakirishima is still a really enjoyable shōchū that is almost always easy to find.
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This is a great introduction bottle for people who have never tried shōchū, it is smooth and never overpowers the palate, making for a very accessible entry into the world of shōchū.
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Kirishima distillery produces a nice range of potato shōchū with different price points, reviews coming soon.
Bottle label and Information
Front Label
Back Label
Name: 吉助 Kichisuke
Type: 芋麹焼酎 Potato Koji shōchū
Potato: ムラサキマサリ Purple Sweet Potato
Ingredients:
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さつまいも(九州産) Sweet Potato
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芋こうじ Potato Koji
Alcohol: 25%
Enjoy on the rocks
In the bottle: Overall, very neutral with hints of sweetness and potato, there is a nice cooling alcohol scent dominates but is not overpowering.
On the rocks: This is a really unique tasking potato shōchū, and the flavor profile is completely different from other potato shōchū I have had made with rice koji. At first, there is a slight sweetness and earthy potato flavor that prickles the tongue that pleasantly lingers and the finish has a black pepper feel with residual spiciness in the throat. Overall, this is an interesting shochu and there are a couple of other bottles in this release that I may try and pick up a bit later on.
水割り Diluted with water
4:1, 3:2 ratio, a slight dilution with water weakens the prickly feeling on the tongue while keeping the sweetness and earthy potato, the peppery finish fades slightly but is still present.
2:3 ratio, at the higher ratios, the strong and impactful flavors fade; however, the unique potato shōchū flavor remains, just not as strong as on the rocks.
Reflections on this shōchū
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I have had Akakirishima at many Izakaya and while it is nothing spectacular, it is a decent shochu, and when I recently saw a set with three bottles from Kirishima distillery, it seemed like a good chance to explore some of their other offerings.
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In the end, it was an interesting bottle and one that is worth trying if you are looking for a 100% potato shōchū.
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In some ways, this reminds me of smokey Scotch, not in the taste (obviously) but in that "the first glass is nice but I am not interested in a second one", don't get me wrong, the first glass is good but just doesn't entice me to have a second one.
Bottle label and Information
Front Label
Back Label
