As an everyday shochu, it can’t be beat. Made by the Sanwa Shurui Co., Ltd., it is Japan’s best selling shochu. Shochu’s tend to fall in three categories: sweet potato, rice, and barley. Iichiko is a barley, or  Mugi Jochu,  and very smooth and clean. If you want something stronger than wine, but not as intense as vodka or whiskey, this is a good ( Read more... )

Yaemaru is Suntory’s honkaku (“the real thing”), and is a wonderful spirit. A warm spirit that is earthy with a lot of character. It reminds me of vodka but with more character. It has a woody flavor like scotch or bourbon, but the flavor is not as overpowering. This is great as a mixer and has a lot of potential for you mixologists out there. This ( Read more... )

Fusanotsuyu “Misty Blue” Shochu is a Kuma shochu, or rice shochu with a distinct sake feel, but much more of a kick. It has a pretty, fancy blue bottle that stands out from most other shochu bottles on the rack. I’ll be honest, I was a little skeptical when I got this because it looked too ‘marketed’ and slick. These days we are hit over the ( Read more... )