Distillery: 菊之露酒造 Kiku no Tsuyu Shuzō
Address: Nishizato-290 Hirara, Miyakojima, Okinawa 906-0012
Website: https://www.kikunotsuyu.co.jp/
Additional Content: There is a pretty active youtube channel with commercials, interviews and other assorted content, I haven't checked out a lot, but what is there is pretty entertaining.
Name: 菊の露 古酒V.I.Pゴールド Kikunotsuru 8yr
Type: 泡盛 Awamori 8yr
Ingredients:
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米麹(タイ産米) Rice Koji (Thailand)
Alcohol: 30%
In the bottle: Silky and smooth out of the bottle, notes of caramel, toasted rice, vanilla and a slight ume fragrance, no so much the actual plum part but the slightly sour part you get on the finish. There is also a bit of candied sweetness after it breaths a little, reminds me a bit of smarties. At 30% the alcohol is not heavy which is good since the other more fragrant notes get to really shine.
On the rocks: Beautifully balanced, there is an initial hit of caramel, vanilla and some cream notes before the soft velvety sweetness comes in to coat the palate; finally as it fades, you get an even deeper hit of caramel mixed with some earthy, clay like flavors that really tie everything together. As the ice melts a little, Kikunotsuru becomes even smoother; however, some of the impact notes really fade out a bit, so better to enjoy it quickly.
水割り Diluted with water
4:1, 3:2 ratio, While I did have the intention of trying this with a little water but it was so good on the rocks that I just kind of forgot.
Enjoy on the rocks
Reflections on this Awamori
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Kikunotsuru is everything I love about Awamori, the nose is fresh and full of beautiful caramel, vanilla and toasted rice and one it hits the tongue it is difficult not go keep filling your glass.
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Overall, this is a very accessible Awamori with a clean and refined taste, would make a great introduction if you have never experienced Awamori.
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Every time I open a bottle of Awamori I feel like opening another and another, I think next time I will open up a bottle of something special, maybe in the 20 or 30yr range.
Bottle label and Information
Front Label
Bottle Top
Name: 菊之露古酒7年 Kikunoro 7yr
Type: 泡盛 Awamori
Ingredients:
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米麹(タイ産米) Rice Koji (Thailand)
Alcohol: 38%
In the bottle: The alcohol is a little stronger on the front end than the VIP 8yr, but once you get past that. those amazingly fragrant burnt caramel sauce, custard and vanilla notes shine through. I also notices some ripe cherries, toasted rice and cocoa, just a perfect combination.
On the rocks: Another great bottle from Kikunotsuyu, it hits every note you want with Awamori. Just like on the nose, you get burnt caramel, custard, vanilla & toasted rice; however, what I like most about the 7 year is the dryness of these flavors. Even after the ice melts a little, there is very little sweetness, which keeps this fresh, vibrant and very drinkable if your looking to enjoy more than one glass.
水割り Diluted with water
4:1, 3:2 ratio, While I enjoyed this with a little water, I think just letting the ice melt a bit opens this up the perfect amount.
Paired with milk chocolate: The dryness of the awamori blends nicely with the chocolate, while not the best pairing and certainly not the best chocolate, it does open up a bit of richness in the main flavors.
Enjoy on the rocks
Reflections on this Awamori
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Tried this at an amazing Yakitori place in Nagoya, what a great combination, Awamori and Yakitori, luckily I snapped a picture out of remembers and to buy this bottle.
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I really enjoy what Kikunotsuyu puts out, I have a couple of other bottles on the shelf and really look forward to getting into to these in due time.
Bottle label and Information
Front Label
Bottle Top
