Name: 野うさぎの走り Nousagi no Hashiri
 

Type: 米焼酎 Rice shōchū
Ingredients:

• 米 Rice,

• 米麹（国産）Rice Koji (Domestic)

Alcohol: 37%

In the bottle: Soft and light to start but with a bit of oxygen Nousagi no Hashiri opens up with a bit of a nutty aroma, along with a bit of a sharp rice shochu that reminds me of fresh cut Granny Smith apples. If you nose this deep enough you can find the alcohol, which here is 37 degrees, it is there, but not something that overpowers, or takes away from the experience. While there is not a lot going on here outside of the initial observations, this shochu remains incredibly inviting.  

On the rocks: The first thing that comes to mind is that Nousagi no Hashiri is a bit on the smoky side, I think this is the first time I have ever had a shochu with this characteristic. Overall, the smoke is very subtle, not like a smoky or peated whiskey, just there enough to make its presence known. 

Straight: Smooth and rich, my instant feeling was this was like an after dinner drink, the sweetness is warm and welcoming and thankfully never feels over the top. After the first sip you start to catch a bit more of the rice along with some mature vanilla and a bit of chocolate; it was interesting that I did not find any smokiness like on the rocks, a little water must unlock this. The finish here is a real standout, the rice shochu notes come across with a nice freshness that balances really well with the initial sweetness. Overall, a great way to enjoy this shochu.  

Paired with Chocolate: Kaldi 70% chocolate, after the first wave of intensity from the shochu subsides, there is an beautifully rich dark chocolate that comes pouring through that reminds me a chocolate ganache with a dark cherry compote. The finish stays for quite some time and builds on the initial layer with some vanilla and a bit of that smokiness, overall a nice pairing.

Reflections on this shōchū

• I really like the shape of the bottle, it gives the feeling like this is just off center which works well with the simple stripe label on the front and clear sticker lable on the back.

• Coming across this bottle by way of introduction from a small shop owner in a small town almost in the middle of nowhere makes this an even more interesting find. 

• A great way to enjoy a sake taste while drinking at a slower pace.

• I have one more bottle from this distillery and keep seeing a genshu bottle and another interesting looking bottle, will consider picked them up once the backlog of bottles on the shelf goes down a bit.

Bottle label and Information

Front Label

Back Label