| Isadaisen : Ooyama Shuzo |
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There are three shochu distilleries, including a major producer, located in the Isa region of northern Kagoshima Prefecture, near the border with Kumamoto Prefecture. The smallest of these, Oyama Shuzo distillery, still firmly adheres to the handmade approach. This distillery produces only one brand — Isadaisen. As the company president says, “The most important thing is that we produce a shochu that I’m happy drinking.” His distillery focuses solely on refining one specific taste, and sees no need to create any other brands.
When the company president says, “Shochu should always be a drink for the masses,” he is putting a plug in for regional shochu in this age when the world of shochu seems to be awash with valued-added products that are no longer a drink for the masses. If the shochu that the company president is “happy drinking” means “unassuming shochu that meets his definition of what shochu should be,” then this distillery’s product is possibly the closest to what the consumer wants. Isadaisen is a shochu produced with unswerving attention to carefully chosen methods. |
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| Isadaisen (Imo-Shochu / 25% alcohol) |
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| Produced using koji that has been laboriously made by hand, this shochu aspires to represent the very essence of imo-jochu. Its body and umami come out superbly, making it a truly reliable, masculine shochu. |
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