| Rihachi : Yoshinaga Shuzo |
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In these days when many large shochu distilleries have appeared, with concentrated manufacturing and expanded production, Yoshinaga Shuzo remains a small operation that has blended comfortably into its rural setting. Tucked away in a quiet residential area not far from the center of Ubusuki City at the southernmost tip of the Satsuma Peninsula, Yoshinaga Shuzo still has an air of the past about it.
Inside the small wooden distillery, there are rows of pots used in the fermentation process. Shochu here is distilled using the only old style boiler (Cornish boiler) still in operation in Kagoshima. In comparison to modern boilers, the Cornish boiler is able to introduce a soft flow of steam at the distillation stage, which, it is thought, helps produce a gentle finish.
In this family-owned distillery, every member of the family helps with the fermentation process, carefully selecting each of the local southern Kagoshima sweet potatoes. |
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| From one batch to the next, the distillery maintains the attention to detail that can only be achieved in a small distillery. The production volume is small, but the result is an imo-shochu that conveys the gentle nature of those who make it. |
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| Rihachi Shiro Koji (Imo-Shochu / 25% alcohol) |
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| This distillery's marquee product. A distinctive, slightly sweet shochu with a soft aroma and a mellow but subdued body. |
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| Rihachi Kuro Koji (Imo-Shochu / 25% alcohol) |
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| It has the distinctive spicy fragrance of black koji mold. A dry, bold taste that has both body and bite. |
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