| Ryugu : Tomita Shuzo |
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Ryugu, a kokuto-shochu produced at Tomita Shuzo distillery on Amami-Oshima Island, has a distinctive south sea air to it. While Kazuo Tomita has the laidback disposition typical of people living in the tropics, when it comes to making shochu he could not be more careful and fastidious. Surrounded by beautiful sea and covered in subtropical forest, Amami-Oshima Island is in the middle of the Amami Islands, located between Kyushu and the islands of Okinawa. The Amami Islands are the only place in Japan where shochu is made using brown sugar.
The distillery is located in the middle of Amami Oshima Island. The outside of its small, old building looks more like an auto mechanic's premises than a shochu distillery.Just as was the case in years gone by, the narrow confines of the distillery are full of pots used in fermentation process. Tomita's kokuto-shochu is produced with the black koji mold, which is unusual with kokuto-shochu. Despite its heaviness and body, its taste is sensitive and sophisticated. |
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| Ryugu (Kokuto-Shochu / 30% alcohol) |
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| Features a deep aroma engendered by the rustic brown sugar and an impact from its strong body. |
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| Rakan (Kokuto-Shochu / 43% alcohol) |
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| A dense aroma and a slight hint of wood. It has a thick texture, but an elegant taste with no off-flavor. |
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| Maaransen (Kokuto-Shochu / 33% alcohol) |
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| Produced only using brown sugar from Tokunoshima Island in the Amami Islands. It has an aroma befitting pure brown sugar and a purity that offsets its thickness. |
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