Jikuya Black Sweet Potato Shochu

The Data

Category Soju/Shochu/Baijiu

Sub-Category Sweet Potato Shochu

Origin Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan

Retail Price $45.99

ABV 25%

Score 4.5 Stars/95 points/Exceptional!

In the Glass

Appearance

Brilliant, crystal clear.

Aromatics

The aromatics are subtle offering scents of cooked stone fruits and tubers with accents of clay, mineral, and grass.

Flavor

The palate is in full agreement with the nose delivering a dry, fruit-driven core with generous notes of earth, wet clay, and bamboo.

Intensity & Texture

Medium-bodied and subtly complex with intriguing earth characteristics.

Cool Factor

This beautiful Shochu is an amazing, world-class spirit with the depth and complexity found in the best of the best.

Value Grade

Selling at under $50 a bottle this great artisan Shochu is a terrific bargain being both rare and of high-quality.

Analysis

Made entirely from ingredients harvested in Kagoshima Prefecture (Japan is divided into 47 prefectures — like small states) of Japan. Kogane Sengan sweet potatoes, the most popular sweet potato in Kyushu, are steamed and added to the secondary fermentation. The initial fermentation is done exclusively with Japanese rice. Fermentation takes place in decades-old clay pots buried to their shoulders in the distillery floor. The fermented product is pot-distilled just once and then aged for a period of one and a half years in unglazed clay pots. These pots, being unglazed, breathe adding complexity to the spirit while the pots themselves add a unique minerality. The resulting spirit is wonderfully complex and altogether charming.

How to Enjoy

We prefer Jikuya Black served chilled, and undiluted. However, if you prefer it on the rocks or perhaps with the addition of water please do so.