| Kumanoizumi : Nasu Shuzojo |
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Production at the Nasu Shuzojo distillery is carried out almost entirely by three members of the Nasu family: owner, Tomio Nasu, his wife and son. Tomio Nasu is a typically quiet craftsman, so his wife spoke of her feelings about their profession.
The distillery is full of equipment reminiscent of years gone by: the stone kojimuro (special room for cultivating koji, or malted rice) and things such as shikomibeya (the fermentation room), the old pots, the wooden buckets used for steaming the rice and old sieves for use once the rice is washed. Just seeing them gives you the impression that you have slipped back in time.
The distillery's operations are highly labor-intensive, from the careful filling with koji of each of the morobuta (wooden trays) to the slow-fermentation using pots. This is something quite rare these days.
When you drink Kumanoizumi kome-shochu, so lovingly produced by members of the Nasu family, you can feel the warmth of the character of the people working in the distillery. Many types of kome-shochu are made in the Kuma region, but I consider the well-balanced, clean flavor of Kumanoizumi to represent the fundamental essence of kome-shochu. |
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Kumanoizumi Joatsu Joryu
(Kome-Shochu / Atmospheric distillation / 25% alcohol)
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| A shochu distilled at atmospheric pressure and aged for more than two years. The balance is good with a subdued fullness of flavor that comes through aging. |
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Kumanoizumi Genatsu Joryu
(Kome-Shochu / Vacuum distillation / 25% alcohol)
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| It has a fruity aroma, a sweetness that is soft and light, and a delicate body with a clean taste. |
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Kumanoizumi Genatsu Joryu
(Kome-Shochu / Atmospheric distillation / 41% alcohol)
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| Genshu (raw shochu) distilled at atmospheric pressure. It deeply condenses the rice flavor giving quite a different impression than the Kumanoizumi Genatsu Joryu. Goes down well when sipped straight. |
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