Sato No Akebono Gold Shochu

Machida Shuzo is based in Tatsugo-cho on Amami-Oshima, the largest island in the Amami archipelago. The islanders are engaged in agriculture, mainly the cultivation of kokuto, an unrefined cane sugar product. The Sato No Akebono Genshu Shochu in which this is used is an undiluted shochu, meaning that no water is added after distillation. As a result, it has an alcohol content of 43% by volume, which is very high for a shochu.
This is a distillate that is blended from five different shochus, namely
- atmospherically distilled shochu in white oak barrels
- vacuum-distilled shochu in white oak barrels
- atmospherically distilled shochu matured in cognac barrels
- Atmospherically distilled shochu matured in sherry casks
- vacuum-distilled shochu, matured in stainless steel tanks.

The main ingredient, brown sugar, and the maturation period of over three years in the various barrels ensure an extremely complex and round taste. The main difference to rum is the use of koji in the production process, in this case white koji. It is also a honkaku shochu, i.e. a real shochu that is only distilled once. The fruity notes of koji, the spicy sweetness of brown sugar and the particularly mild taste characterize 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 impressed at the IWSC in Los Angeles in 2018, where it won gold in the "Best of Shochu" category. In 2020, the Sato No Akebono won gold in the shochu category at the Craft Spirits Awards Berlin and Gold Outstanding - best of the 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 neat 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.

Shochu made from brown sugar (Kokuto)
Japanese spirit
Net quantity: 720ml
Alcohol content: 43% vol.
For sale to persons of legal age only
Importer: Ginza Berlin GmbH, Pfalzburger Straße 20, 10719 Berlin

The distillers of Machida Shuzo are based in Tatsugo-cho on Amami-Oshima, the largest island in the Amami archipelago at 712 km². Geographically, the archipelago lies between Kyūshū and Okinawa. Once you get off the plane, you feel like you've arrived in the South Seas. Clear, turquoise water, miles of sandy beaches: this subtropical archipelago is a real dream. The history of sugar cane cultivation on Amami goes back some 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 designation of origin, like Champagne or Bordeaux.
Machida Shuzo uses carefully selected kokuto for its shochus in a higher ratio than other kokuto shochu producers in order to achieve a special taste. In 1991, the company produced kokuto shochu for the first time using vacuum distillation. Vacuum distillation is a distillation method in which water vapor is introduced while the pressure in the distillation vessel is reduced. Distilling under reduced pressure vaporizes and separates the alcohol at a lower temperature, making it lighter, rounder and softer than atmospheric distillation. The company has even been growing its own sugar cane since 2017. Through their unique distillation and ageing methods, they produce world-class Kokuto Shochus.