Sato No Akebono Gold Shochu

The Sato No Akebono Gold Shochu from Machida Shuzo is a kokuto shochu (brown sugar shochu), which matures in different barrels and is then blended. Kokuto shochu may only be produced on Amami Island, a group of islands just an hour's flight from Kyūshūs port city of Kagoshima. Sato No Akebono Gold Shochu is an undiluted shochu (genshu) with 43% vol. and a mild texture. The taste is complex with fine, sweet and fruity notes. There are also fine notes from the different barrels.

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. Therefore it has an alcohol content of 43% vol, which is very high for a Shochu.
This is a distillate blended from five different shochus, namely:
- atmospherically distilled shochu in white oak barrels
- vacuum distilled shochu in white oak barrels
- atmospherically distilled shochu, aged in cognac barrels
- atmospherically distilled shochu, aged in sherry barrels
- vacuum distilled shochu, aged in stainless steel tanks

The main component of brown sugar and the maturation period of more than three years in various barrels provide an extremely complex and round taste. The main difference to rum is the use of koji in the production process, in this case it is white koji. It is also a Honkaku Shochu, i.e. a real Shochu, which is only distilled once. The fruity notes of the koji, the piquant sweetness of the brown sugar and the particularly mild taste distinguish the Sato No Akebono Gold Shochu. And don't worry: although brown sugar is fermented with rice koji and yeast and has a unique sweet smell, the sugar content of kokuto shochu is actually zero after distillation.

This Shochu convinced at the IWSC in Los Angeles in 2018 and won gold in the category "Best of Shochu". In 2020 the Sato No Akebono won gold in the Shochu category at the Craft Spirits Awards Berlin and gold outstanding - best oft he best shochus - at the Tokyo Whisky & Spirits Competition 2020. .

The Sato No Akebono Gold Shochu is an ideal base 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.