Overview

Types of Shochu

Shochu is a traditional Japanese distilled spirit made from main ingredients such as sweet potatoes, barley, rice, brown sugar, and buckwheat, along with koji mold. Honkaku (authentic) shochu, distilled using a pot still, is characterized by rich aromas and flavors that reflect the individuality of the raw materials. The main types include imo (sweet potato) shochu, mugi (barley) shochu, kome (rice) shochu, kokuto (brown sugar) shochu, soba (buckwheat) shochu, and kasu (sake lees) shochu, as well as awamori from Okinawa. Each type offers unique tastes and aromas derived from its ingredients and can be enjoyed in various ways.

shochu honkaku shochu awamori sake distilled spirits imo shochu mugi shochu kome shochu kokuto shochu brewing

code	slug	name	description	flavorProfile_aroma	flavorProfile_body	flavorProfile_taste	mainIngredient	primaryRegions	recommendedDrinking	specialNotes
01	imo-shochu	Imo Shochu (Sweet Potato Shochu)	Shochu made from sweet potatoes, characterized by rich aroma and full-bodied flavor.	Rich and sweet aroma	Heavy	Full-bodied with depth	Sweet Potatoes	["Kagoshima Prefecture","Miyazaki Prefecture","Izu Islands, Tokyo"]	["With hot water","On the rocks","With water"]
02	mugi-shochu	Mugi Shochu (Barley Shochu)	Shochu made from barley, characterized by clean taste and light, refreshing mouthfeel.	Barley aroma, light	Light	Clean sweetness	Two-row Barley	["Oita Prefecture","Iki Island, Nagasaki Prefecture","Miyazaki Prefecture"]	["On the rocks","With water","With soda"]
03	kome-shochu	Kome Shochu (Rice Shochu)	Shochu made from rice, characterized by smooth mouthfeel and fruity aroma.	Fruity and elegant	Medium-light	Smooth with sweetness	Rice	["Kuma Region, Kumamoto Prefecture","Various prefectures nationwide"]	["On the rocks","Straight","Highball"]
04	kokuto-shochu	Kokuto Shochu (Brown Sugar Shochu)	Shochu made from brown sugar derived from sugarcane, characterized by light and sweet aroma.	Sweet brown sugar aroma	Light	Light with subtle sweetness	Brown Sugar (Sugarcane)	["Amami Islands, Kagoshima Prefecture"]	["Straight","On the rocks","With water","With hot water"]
05	soba-shochu	Soba Shochu (Buckwheat Shochu)	Shochu made from buckwheat, characterized by light and smooth mouthfeel.	Buckwheat aroma, floral and green notes	Light	Smooth with subtle sweetness	Buckwheat	["Miyazaki Prefecture","Nagano Prefecture","Various prefectures nationwide"]	["On the rocks","With water","With hot water"]
06	kasu-shochu	Kasu Shochu (Sake Lees Shochu)	Shochu made from sake lees, featuring the flavor profile of Japanese sake.	Sake-like aroma	Medium	Clean with retained sake flavors	Sake Lees	["Nationwide (sake brewing regions)"]	["On the rocks","With water","With hot water"]
07	awamori	Awamori	Okinawa's specialty distilled spirit, Japan's oldest distilled liquor made from Thai rice and black koji.	Smooth and rustic aroma	Heavy	Rich with sweet aftertaste	Thai Rice (Indica Rice)	["Okinawa Prefecture"]	["With water","With hot water","On the rocks"]	All-koji brewing, uses black koji, has kusu (aged liquor) culture

Types of Japanese distilled spirits (shochu) classified by raw materials.