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
蒸留方法: 単式常圧蒸留
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, with big 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. Once this opens up a bit, it gets nice an pungent in the best possible way, as the earthy funk and perfect sweetness meld together in perfect harmony.
On the rocks: Beautifully balanced from the first sip; there is an initial hit of caramel, vanilla and some cream notes before transitioning to that amazingly soft velvety sweetness that washes over everything. Once you adjust to the intensity there is an even deeper hit of caramel mixed with some earthy, clay like notes that really tie everything together perfectly. Additionally, once 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 to capture everything this exceptional bottle brings to the table.
水割り Diluted with water
Ratio 4:1: 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 Kikunotsuyu 7yr
Type: 泡盛 Awamori
蒸留方法: 常圧蒸留 (Pot Disillation)
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 noticed some ripe cherries, toasted rice and cocoa, which is just the perfect combination and adds a lot of character to this bottle of Awamori. Overall, this has the makings of another great bottle from Kikunotsuyu that should be enjoyed sip after sip.
On the rocks: This bottle of Kikunotsuyu hits every note you want with Awamori, and 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, and what is there comes across as more mature flavors which keeps this fresh, vibrant and very drinkable if your looking to enjoy more than one glass.
水割り Diluted with water
Ratio 4:1: 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 which adds some nice complexity to the overall pairing.
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 for reference and to remind me to buy this bottle later.
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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 these in due time. The distillery consistently delivers smooth, refined awamori with clean, layered notes of caramel, vanilla, toasted rice, overall, just excellence in a bottle.
Bottle label and Information
Front Label
Bottle Top
Name: 菊之露古酒5年 Kikunoro 5yr
Type: 泡盛 Awamori 5yr
蒸留方法: 単式常圧蒸留
Ingredients:
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米麹(タイ産米) Rice Koji (Thailand)
Alcohol: 41%
In the bottle: Strong and pungent, but certainly not in an off-putting way, Kikunotsuyu packs a punch full of Awamori goodness and lets you know you will be in for one hell of a ride. For only 5 years, there is a healthy amount of earthy-clay funk that has both a warming sweetness and a crisp dryness. Similar to the 7- and 8-year bottles, you get a fair bit of caramel and vanilla notes, not as intense but clearly present. At 41% alcohol and with less time to mature, I expected a bit more punchiness; however, whatever is there stays comfortably in the background and just lets what’s in the bottle shine.
On the rocks: So smooth over ice. While certainly not as sweet as the older bottles of Kikunotsuyu, what is there has a perfect restrained sweetness that never gets too heavy which creates a perfect counterbalance to the dry earthiness that really backs most of what this bottle has to offer. What really hits are the Awamori notes, which are much more front and center than the other bottles I have had in this series; I felt like this bottle was a bit more vanilla, custard, and burnt caramel forward. With the 5-year bottle you get a less mellowed Awamori, but that is perfectly OK, as what is here is absolutely excellent and perfect for a hot summer night.
Straight: Kikunotsuyu is smooth and very approachable neat in the glass. This 5-year bottle is full of amazing Awamori notes to savor from mature vanilla, custard, and cacao to earthy, dry clay notes that really bring a great range of flavors into one sip. The finish here is also a standout as the base Awamori flows in and out with the 41% ABV alcohol doing a great job to carry both the sweetness and the earthiness through to the end.
Paired with Chocolate: Cafe Tasse dark chocolate. Not a match made in heaven. I forget that these dryer awamori bottles pair much better with milk chocolate as the dryness pulls out all the sweetness from the chocolate. It is not all bad, the finish works well as the alcohol pulls the cacao for quite a while, even mixing in a bit of sweetness once the initial punch is finished.
Enjoy on the rocks
Reflections on this Awamori
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Kikunotsuyu 5-year is a solid, punchy aged awamori that delivers classic earthy-clay funk balanced by warming sweetness, that while not full of the typical caramel, vanilla, and toasted rice still does a great job to even out what is in the glass.
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On the rocks Kikunotsuyu is balanced and drinkable; neat it’s intense and flavorful and with a little dilution from the melting ice it mellows and lets everything shine. While not as sweet or mellow as the older versions, it offers a more direct Awamori character that adds in interesting intensity to the entire experience.
Bottle label and Information
Front Label
Bottle Top
