Sato No Akebono Genshu Shochu

The Sato No Akebono Genshu Shochu from Machida Shuzo is a Kokuto (Brown Sugar) Shochu with a complex taste and a fine, sweetish, but also fruity note. Kokuto Shochu may only be produced on Amami Island, a group of islands an hour's flight south of Kagoshima. Sato No Akebono Genshu Shochu has an alcohol content of 43% vol, a smooth texture, and ages for over three years in steel tanks. Taste-wise, it goes a little in the direction of a Rhum Agricole.

Description

Machida Shuzo are based in Tatsugo-cho on Amami-Oshima, the largest island of the Amami Archipelago. The islanders practice agriculture, mainly the cultivation of Kokuto, an unrefined cane sugar product. The Sato No Akebono Genshu Shochu in which it is used is an undiluted shochu, so no water is added after distillation. This gives it an alcohol content of 43% vol, which is very high for a shochu. The main component is brown sugar and the maturation period of more than 3 years in steel tanks gives it an extremely complex and round taste. The main difference to rum is the use of koji in its production, in this case it is white koji. It is also a Honkaku Shochu, a real shochu, which is only distilled once. Distillation is done by vacuum distillation, which brings out the fruity notes of the koji very nicely. The piquant sweetness of the brown sugar and the mild taste are clearly noticeable. But don't worry: although it is fermented with brown sugar with rice koji and yeast, and has a unique sweet smell, the sugar content of kokuto shochu is actually zero after distillation.

By the way, this Shochu convinced at the IWSC in Los Angeles in 2018 and received gold as best Shochu there. In 2020 the Sato No Akebono received the silver medal at the Craft Spirits Awards in Berlin.

The Sato No Akebono Genshu Shochu is an ideal basis for cocktails, and can also be enjoyed pure or on the rocks. Extended with soda or cold water, it is a fantastic accompaniment to food, such as dark meat, cheese and especially chocolate.

Japanese Shochu
Net quantity: 720 ml
Alk.: 43% vol
Dispensed only topersons of full age
Importer: Ginza Berlin GmbH, Pfalzburger Straße 20, 10719 Berlin

About Machida Shuzo

The Machida Shuzo distilleries are located in Tatsugo-cho on Amami-Oshima, the largest island of the Amami archipelago with 712 km². Geographically, the archipelago lies between Kyūshū and Okinawa. Once you get off the plane, you feel like you have arrived in the South Seas. Clear, turquoise water, miles of sandy beaches: this subtropical archipelago is a true dream. The history of sugar cane cultivation on Amami goes back about 400 years. Kokuto has a very high status, as it is produced with great care from a limited supply of sugar cane. Kokuto shochu is therefore rare and is produced exclusively on Amami Island. Amami is a protected indication of origin like Champagne or Bordeaux.
Machida Shuzo uses carefully selected kokuto for its shochu in a higher proportion than other kokuto shochu producers to achieve a special taste. In 1991, the company first produced kokuto shochu by vacuum distillation. Vacuum distillation is a distillation method in which steam is introduced while the pressure in the distillation vessel is reduced. Distilling under reduced pressure evaporates and separates the alcohol at a lower temperature, making it lighter, rounder and softer than atmospheric distillation. Since 2017, the company even grows its own sugar cane. Their unique distillation and aging methods produce world-class kokuto shochus.