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Distillery: 六調子酒造 Rokuchōshi Shuzō

​Address: 1013 Nishi, Nishiki, Kuma District, Kumamoto 868-0303

Website: http://rokuchoshisyuzou.ne.jp/

Additional Content: None found at this time

Name: 大古酒とろしかや Toroshikaya 30yr, 10yr blend Limited to 2000 bottles

Type: 米/麦焼酎 Rice/Wheat shōchū
Ingredients:

  • 米 Rice

  • Rice Koji (Domestic)米麹（国産）

  • Wheat (Australia) 麦 (オーストラリア)

Alcohol: 38%

In the bottle: A big, bold and beautiful nose, full of sugared cherries, wheat and something that reminds me of those umeboshi candies (you either love them or hate them). With a little oxygen, some lighter vanilla, toasted rice and burnt caramel notes make their way to the surface, but in general, remain muted compared to that initial punch.   

On the rocks: For me, this has quite a unique taste to it and not in a bad way, more of a "Oh, I was not expecting that and I like it". In the glass, Toroshikaya is rich, a little fruity and in some ways it reminds a little of Oishi which is aged in cognac barrels, there is a similar brandy, cognac bit that falls on the palate which adds some very nice depth and complexity. I think I am drawing the Oishi comparison due to the slight amber hue, which gives the impression of oak aging; however, my understanding is that this comes from the wheat shochu. Toroshikaya is certainly something to savor, not just because the rarity of the 30 & 10yr blend, but also because it is really just that good. 

水割り Diluted with water

4:1, With a little water, this really smooths out allowing these amazing chocolatey, cherry and somewhat oaky notes to take center stage, makes me really want to try pairing Toroshikaya with some nice rich, velvety cherry/chocolate desserts.    

Enjoy on-the-rocks or diluted with a little water

Reflections on this shōchū

  • Typically, I do not usually spend more than 2000 JPY for a bottle of Shochu; however, after my first bottle of Rokuchoshi, I was ready to try the full range of what they have to offer. Clearly no disappointment.

  • Opened this as a treat during the 2023 holiday season, also got to enjoy my new shochu glass (thanks to my amazing wife), Toroshikaya makes for the perfect bottle to open for a special occasion.

  • Only 1 bottle left from my Rokuchoshi order, very much looking forward to opening it in 2024.

Bottle label and Information

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Bottle Tag

In the bottle: Not as big out of the bottle as some of the other bottles I have opened from Rokuchoshi; however, it does have a nice rich sweetness with hits of vanilla, cherry, dark chocolate and toasted rice. The alcohol takes a backseat here as well with a subtleness that really opens up with a little oxygen.

On the rocks: While the nose is not as big as some other bottles, once this hits the tongue there is no holding back, this time, cherry, dark chocolate and rice are really up front and rest nicely in the back of the mouth. The 38% alcohol makes itself known and not in a bad way, it shows up as a little black pepper on the back end. The finish is also quite exceptional as you wave after wave of the big up-front notes as well as some softer vanilla and subtle sweetness, overall, absolutely amazing.

水割り Diluted with water

4:1, A little water really opens up the chocolate on this, reminds me of a cherry chocolate cake, also the vanilla makes an appearance on the finish which is nice as it adds a nice tie back to when I opened the bottle.

Paired with chocolate: Thailand 70% dark, peanut massaman curry chocolate, wow, the chocolate on its own does not have such a strong curry flavor, but when paired with Kodai Ikko, the result is amazing. The curry chocolate with ginger blends so well together, which allows the cherry, vanilla and other earthy notes to take center stage. 

Enjoy on-the-rocks

Name: 古代一壺 Kodai Ikko Blend, 30yr, 13yr, 11 yr

Type: 米焼酎 Rice shōchū
Ingredients:

  • 米 Rice,

  • 米麹（国産）Rice Koji (Domestic)

Alcohol: 38%

Reflections on this shōchū

  • This last bottle from Rokuchoshi did not disappoint, clearly on my destination list when I visit Kumamoto some time this year.

  • I recently started pairing rice shochu with chocolate and so far the experience has been quite nice. I did this in the past with Scotch and dark chocolate or a nice Port, but shochu certainly has some potential.

  • Once some space opens up on the shelf, I will need to further explore some of the other more economically priced bottles have to offer.

Bottle label and Information

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Back Label

Bottle Tag

Name: 六調子 7年熟成 Rokuchōshi 7yr

Type: 米焼酎 Rice shōchū
Ingredients:

  • 米 Rice,

  • 米麹（国産）Rice Koji (Domestic)

Alcohol: 25%

In the bottle: Maybe not as bold as some other bottles but you still get a really nice range of cocoa, vanilla, caramel and toasted rice; certainly a lot of the familiar beats I have found with Rokuchōshi. While not uncharted territory in terms of profile; the nose is really fragrant and inviting, which is exactly what you want in a reasonably priced shochu.

On the rocks: Amazing burnt caramel with a soft vanilla on the back end to start, followed by some toasted rice and some sweeter slightly grainy notes that remind me of Oh's cereal (at least my memory of it). Overall, Rokuchōshi is incredibly smooth and easy to drink on-the-rocks, with a subtle sweetness that balances out some of the initial sharpness of the burnt caramel making this something you can go back to again and again.

Straight: Beautifully smooth, this 7yr Rokuchōshi strikes a nice balance between sharp and sweet, with the burn caramel playing more on the sharp and the vanilla filling in the sweet side. The finish is also quite nice, with some soft cocoa and vanilla flavors that hang round for a bit before fading out into some toasted rice and that distinct Rokuchōshi rice shochu flavors.  

Enjoy on-the-rocks or straight

Reflections on this shōchū

  • Picked this up for 1600 JPY at Seijo Ishii at Gotanda station, what a steal. I had wanted to pick this up for a while but the local shop near me only had the 1.8l bottle, which hat 2700 JPY is also a steal, given the near 100 bottles on my shelf, I try not to buy the bigger bottles.

  • Another great bottle from Rokuchōsh, with this 7yr, I have tried a good portion of what they have on offer and every single bottle has been exceptional.

Bottle label and Information

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Bottle Tag

Name: 圓 En

Type: 米焼酎 Rice shōchū
Ingredients: 

  • 米 Rice,

  • 米麹（国産）Rice Koji (Domestic)

Alcohol: 40%

In the bottle: Silky caramel, vanilla, apple compote and some really beautify toasted rice notes are at the front, followed by some cherry and slightly oaky scents that really tie everything together. I also noticed some cereal, almost like cinnamon toast crunch or Oh's after letting it breath a little, overall very enjoyable.

On the rocks: Wow, beautifully intense from the first drop, there is a perfect blend of caramel, vanilla and apple compote; with En, everything just comes together magically, and in absolute harmony. It's only the 7th of January and I feel like this is already a contender for a top 3 bottle of 2024. Overall, En drinks so smooth, especially after the ice melts a little and the sweeter notes rise to the surface. For something that is 40% alcohol, you are hard pressed to find it other than the really nice warming as this goes down which makes this a bit on the dangerous side. 

Diluted with water:

4:1, 3:2 ratio, with a little water En becomes even smoother, the core impact notes found on-the-rocks are still present, just a little lighter, which allows some other lighter flavors to come forward, the strongest was cocoa, which let me to try a dark chocolate pairing.

Paired with dark chocolate: wow, I tried some shochu and chocolate when I was in Kagoshima the end of last year for shochu street and found it paired as well as it does with scotch. This time, the bitterness of the chocolate blended with shochu produces some interesting peanut and nougat , actually reminds me of a payday bar without the salt from the peanuts, really worth giving this pairing a try. 

Enjoy on the rocks

Reflections on this shōchū

  • Rokuchoshi is just on another level, the price is certainly high, but, if you are open to spending a bit more, ok, maybe a lot more (4,500 JPY) it is well worth the entry price.

  • En pairs really well with dark chocolate, I was in Kagoshima last year at Shochu Street and there was a vendor selling chocolate and said it paired well and it really did. Reminds me that I should try pairing more often.

  • Can't say enough about Rokuchoshi, what an amazing distillery with some absolutely amazing bottles, certainly a bit on the pricy side but well worth it if it's in your budget.

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Name: 特吟六調子11年 Tokujin Rokuchōshi 11yr

Type: 米焼酎 Rice shōchū
Ingredients: 

  • 米 Rice,

  • 米麹（国産）Rice Koji (Domestic)

Alcohol: 35%

In the bottle: As soon as you open Tokujin Rokuchōshi there is wave of intense burnt caramel, vanilla and toasted rice that pours from the bottle and just makes you smile. Once thing is clear, what is in the bottle is something special. At 35% alcohol you would expect it to be more pronounced on the nose but it is nearly invisible until you really put your nose in there, and even then it is very subtle. 

On the rocks: The intense caramel, vanilla and toasted rice comes shining through along with some chocolate notes that remind me of ganache, Tokujin Rokuchōshi seems like it would be an overly sweet but everything just balances so nicely and never becomes heavy in the mouth. As the ice melts, the richness mellows out a bit and the caramel, vanilla and chocolate coalesce into something that is just magical and makes you want to go back for a second glass.

水割り Diluted with water

4:1, 3:2 ratio: I enjoyed this so much on the rock and never really got around to trying it any other way. I do regret not trying this neat in the glass or with some chocolate as all the bottles I have had from Rokuchōshi have been absolutely amazing.

Enjoy on the rocks

Reflections on this shōchū

  • Another great travel find, and a fun experience talking with the liquor store staff, haven't had a bad recommendation yet.

  • It would have been nice to find a little more information on this as I cannot tell if this was the 10 year aged shochu or not, either way it was delicious.

Bottle label and Information

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Name: 恍吟六調子30と10ブレンド Kōgin Rokuchōshi Blend 30yr & 10yr

Type: 米焼酎 Rice shōchū
Ingredients: 

  • 米 Rice,

  • 米麹（国産）Rice Koji (Domestic)

Alcohol: 40%

In the bottle: Beautiful oak on the nose, followed by a light cherry fragrance that expands into a deeper, more dessert like a cherry, reminds me of a dark cherry tart or cherries jubilee. There are some other fruity notes make an appearance as well like raisins and candied dates which adds a little more depth. 

On the rocks: At first, what hits the palate could easily be confused for scotch whiskey; the oak sits so nicely on the tongue, it feels both familiar and fresh at the same time. After the first sip settles in, there is a wash of beautiful aged rice shochu that comes pouring in full of vanilla, cherry, oak and a little bit of chocolate and custard. All of these flavors come together in perfect harmony and tie everything together into something that is really smooth and easy to drink. With a blend of 30 and 10 year shochu, Kogin Rokuchoshi begs to be enjoyed slowly as the finish lingers nicely and certainly makes the perfect nightcap.   

Straight: Beautiful, slightly sweet and full of smooth oaky goodness, Kogin neat in the glass has everything you could want from an oak aged rice shochu and a little more. Additionally, there is a great finish that sticks around for a while and flows back and forth between oaky and sweet. It would be nice if they released a non-blended version someday in the future as I would really like to taste this in all it's aged perfection.

Enjoy straight or on-the-rocks

Reflections on this shōchū

  • Another spectacular bottle from Rokuchoshi, this was an online exclusive and worth every penny, in this case around 6000 JPY

  • Not much to say other than if you can get your hands on a bottle and are willing to pay a bit more, do not hesitate.

  • I purchased a range of bottles and with a number of these open, I can clearly say they are one of my favorite distilleries and I need to plan a road trip to visit in 2024. 

Bottle label and Information

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Name: 六調子13年 Rokuchōshi 13yr

Type: 米焼酎 Rice shōchū
Ingredients: 

  • 米 Rice,

  • 米麹（国産）Rice Koji (Domestic)

Alcohol: 28%

In the bottle: Slightly sharp with a nice oaky undertone that is full of dried fruit (apricots and cherries) along with a heavier sweetness that reminds me of brown sugar or fruit syrup. After a bit of swirling in the bottle, Rokuchōshi 13-year opens up a bit with some raisin and chocolate notes along with a much stronger cherry that is more like a candied cherry covered in dark chocolate, very inviting for as an after dinner drink. 

On the rocks: Picked up this bottle when I visited Rokuhōshi in April this year, this was an excellent bottle to take away (mostly since I had already had everything they offer already). Interestingly this bottle ebbs and flows between fresh and light to rich and heavy, what stays consistent is that really beautiful oak which does a great job of tying this all together. Compared to a lot of the other bottles I have tried from Rokuhōshi, the alcohol here is only 28% which definitely contributes to the lighter feel. Overall, this has been another great bottle to enjoy and compare against a very large catalog of unique oak-aged rice shochu.

Straight: I really like Rokuchōshi on the rocks, but it is hard to deny  that this is just better neat in the glass, the 13-year version drinks like a whiskey jut a bit on the lighter side due to the lower alcohol content, but what it lacks in heat it makes up in pure flavor. The oak comes across as fresh and is well balanced against the sweeter backing notes which continue with the dried fruits and a bit of cherry chocolate. The only lacking point would be on the finish which finishes here quite quickly, I even went back for a second glass and tasting just to make sure I was not overlooking it. Other than that, this is a great way to enjoy this aged shochu.  

Paired with dark chocolate: Kaldi 70% chocolate, this is not the first time I have tried some bottles of Rokuhōshi paired with chocolate, and just like the other bottles, all I can say is WOW. At first, the combination is a bit too intense; however, once this calms down, the chocolate just explodes with a rich cocoa decadence that is backed by an intense cherry liqueur, which makes this a great after dinner sweet. 

Enjoy on the rocks

Reflections on this shōchū

  • Another spectacular bottle from Rokuchoshi, this was an online exclusive and worth every penny, in this case around 6000 JPY

  • Not much to say other than if you can get your hands on a bottle and are willing to pay a bit more, do not hesitate.

  • I purchased a range of bottles and with a number of these open, I can clearly say they are one of my favorite distilleries and I need to plan a road trip to visit in 2024. 

Bottle label and Information

Front Label

Back Label

Bottle Tag

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