| Tsurumi : Oishi Shuzo |
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The Oishi Shuzo distillery is located in a quiet part of Akune City, in northern Kagoshima Prefecture. The distillery's strong ties with the local neighborhood are clear when you see it sandwiched between houses in a residential area. Inside are rows and rows of fermentation tanks and other pieces of distilling equipment. The old fermentation pots in the cool stone room help us sense the age of the distillery.
It is surprising to think that the same distillery workers could master so many different aspects of the production process, such as the ingredients, the fermentation and the distillation. Needless to say, just like the shochu in which they pay extra special attention to the ingredients and production methods, general shochu for day-to-day consumption for the local market is also made using sophisticated in production techniques. The Oishi Shuzo distillery is currently testing some new possibilities for shochu production using such traditional techniques and equipment as the old kabutogama pot-still, which was used long before stainless steel distilling equipment appeared. |
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| Tsurumi (Imo-Shochu / 25% alcohol) |
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| Oishi Shuzo's most well known product. It has a distinctively heavy body and a bold umami. Mixed with hot water, it goes well with Satsuma (Kagoshima Prefecture) local specialties such as kibinago (banded blue-sprat) and iwashi (sardine) grilled in salt. |
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| Akuneshi (Imo-Shochu / 25% alcohol) |
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| Sharp, crisp aroma and faded umami. Suitable for drinking mixed with hot water or on the rocks. |
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Kura Junsui
(Imo-Shochu / around 40% alcohol) |
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| Raw shochu distilled to reach almost 40% alcohol and bottled with no added water or other adjustments. Its fulsome flavor spreads quickly through the mouth like that of whisky. |
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