INI

Types of Shochu - INI

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

[item.imo-shochu]
code=01
slug=imo-shochu
name=Imo Shochu (Sweet Potato Shochu)
description=Shochu made from sweet potatoes, characterized by rich aroma and full-bodied flavor.
flavorProfile_aroma=Rich and sweet aroma
flavorProfile_body=Heavy
flavorProfile_taste=Full-bodied with depth
mainIngredient=Sweet Potatoes
primaryRegions=["Kagoshima Prefecture","Miyazaki Prefecture","Izu Islands, Tokyo"]
recommendedDrinking=["With hot water","On the rocks","With water"]
specialNotes=

[item.mugi-shochu]
code=02
slug=mugi-shochu
name=Mugi Shochu (Barley Shochu)
description=Shochu made from barley, characterized by clean taste and light, refreshing mouthfeel.
flavorProfile_aroma=Barley aroma, light
flavorProfile_body=Light
flavorProfile_taste=Clean sweetness
mainIngredient=Two-row Barley
primaryRegions=["Oita Prefecture","Iki Island, Nagasaki Prefecture","Miyazaki Prefecture"]
recommendedDrinking=["On the rocks","With water","With soda"]
specialNotes=

[item.kome-shochu]
code=03
slug=kome-shochu
name=Kome Shochu (Rice Shochu)
description=Shochu made from rice, characterized by smooth mouthfeel and fruity aroma.
flavorProfile_aroma=Fruity and elegant
flavorProfile_body=Medium-light
flavorProfile_taste=Smooth with sweetness
mainIngredient=Rice
primaryRegions=["Kuma Region, Kumamoto Prefecture","Various prefectures nationwide"]
recommendedDrinking=["On the rocks","Straight","Highball"]
specialNotes=

[item.kokuto-shochu]
code=04
slug=kokuto-shochu
name=Kokuto Shochu (Brown Sugar Shochu)
description=Shochu made from brown sugar derived from sugarcane, characterized by light and sweet aroma.
flavorProfile_aroma=Sweet brown sugar aroma
flavorProfile_body=Light
flavorProfile_taste=Light with subtle sweetness
mainIngredient=Brown Sugar (Sugarcane)
primaryRegions=["Amami Islands, Kagoshima Prefecture"]
recommendedDrinking=["Straight","On the rocks","With water","With hot water"]
specialNotes=

[item.soba-shochu]
code=05
slug=soba-shochu
name=Soba Shochu (Buckwheat Shochu)
description=Shochu made from buckwheat, characterized by light and smooth mouthfeel.
flavorProfile_aroma=Buckwheat aroma, floral and green notes
flavorProfile_body=Light
flavorProfile_taste=Smooth with subtle sweetness
mainIngredient=Buckwheat
primaryRegions=["Miyazaki Prefecture","Nagano Prefecture","Various prefectures nationwide"]
recommendedDrinking=["On the rocks","With water","With hot water"]
specialNotes=

[item.kasu-shochu]
code=06
slug=kasu-shochu
name=Kasu Shochu (Sake Lees Shochu)
description=Shochu made from sake lees, featuring the flavor profile of Japanese sake.
flavorProfile_aroma=Sake-like aroma
flavorProfile_body=Medium
flavorProfile_taste=Clean with retained sake flavors
mainIngredient=Sake Lees
primaryRegions=["Nationwide (sake brewing regions)"]
recommendedDrinking=["On the rocks","With water","With hot water"]
specialNotes=

[item.awamori]
code=07
slug=awamori
name=Awamori
description=Okinawa's specialty distilled spirit, Japan's oldest distilled liquor made from Thai rice and black koji.
flavorProfile_aroma=Smooth and rustic aroma
flavorProfile_body=Heavy
flavorProfile_taste=Rich with sweet aftertaste
mainIngredient=Thai Rice (Indica Rice)
primaryRegions=["Okinawa Prefecture"]
recommendedDrinking=["With water","With hot water","On the rocks"]
specialNotes=All-koji brewing, uses black koji, has kusu (aged liquor) culture