The Hachi Shochu

THE HACHI SHOCHU, Umeshu, Cask Matured is a collaboration with Ookubo Shuzo, a family owned farm distillery in Kagoshima and Hacchan, who has been singularly focused on showcasing Shochu, a hidden gem from Japan by offering a unique combination and layers of flavors overlaid on the original spirit. This Umeshu is another such example and is a combination of Koshu Yaki Imo Shochu (made from baked Kogane Sengan, a fluffy delicious variety of sweet potato with a lovely aroma and golden skin color and baked Annou Imo, a naturally sweeter variety of sweet potato with a yellow flesh and high viscosity). Kuro (Black) Koji and single distilled under normal atmospheric pressure making it a Honkaku Shochu, which has been aged for over 10 years (i.e Koshu) and some delicious Kanjuku (i.e. ripened) Nanko (refers to the variety) Ume (plum) from Kagoshima. 

Color: Gold 
Nose: Distinctive aroma of Imo Shochu, the underlying sweet potato with a hint of smoked almonds. 
Palate: Initial sourness of the Ume along with the sweetness and the syrupy texture takes us back to our childhood memories of fruit jelly snacks with the shochu in the background and a lingering fruity flavour to finish.

THE HACHI SHOCHU, Sweet Potato (Imo), Cask Matured is a collaboration with Ookubo Shuzo,  a family owned farm distillery in Kagoshima and Hacchan who, somewhere along the way was also exposed to Whisky and the benefits of Cask Maturation. Made from Kogane Sengan, a fluffy delicious variety of sweet potato with a lovely aroma and golden skin color and single distilled under normal atmospheric pressure (making it a Honkaku Shochu) to retain the flavors of the underlying ingredient, this Batch 2 is a vatting of 90% matured for about 2 years and 10% matured for about 2 months in Virgin Oak to retain the flavour of the origin spirit while adding an extra dimension of complexity to the nose, palate and finish. 

Color: Straw, Hay, Light Gold 
Nose: Fresh fruits, moscatel, lychee, almost like a fresh sparkling white wine, cream soda and fresh mint with subtle sweetness 
Palate: Initial sweetness with fresh mint, cream soda, cereals and spices likes cloves and cardamom with a hint of oak and dark chocolate at the back.

THE HACHI SHOCHU, Sweet Potato (Imo), Cask Matured is a collaboration with Ookubo Shuzo, a family owned farm distillery in Kagoshima and Hacchan who, somewhere along the way was also exposed to Whisky and the benefits of Cask Maturation. Made from Kogane Sengan, a fluffy delicious variety of sweet potato with a lovely aroma and golden skin colour, Shiro (White) Koji and single distilled under normal atmospheric pressure (making it a Honkaku Shochu) to retain the flavors of the underlying ingredient, this Batch 3 has been matured for about 4 years and 4 months in an ex-Brandy Cask to retain the flavour of the origin spirit while adding an extra dimension of complexity to  the nose. 

Color: Deep Gold 
Nose: Sweet caramel, butterscotch, fruit cake along with some cherries, raisins along with oak spices in the back. 
Palate: An initial sweetness of candied orange, hints of caramel and toffee balanced with oak spices, a hint of oak and again peach and lychee from the sweet potato shochu coming through at the back.

THE HACHI SHOCHU, Brown Sugar (Kokuto), Cask Matured is a collaboration with Yayoi Shochu Brewery LPC, a family owned craft distillery on Amami Oshima Islands of Kagoshima and Hacchan who, somewhere along the way was also exposed to Whisky and the benefits of Cask Maturation. Made from brown sugar sourced from various producers in Okinawa and Thai Mai (Thai Rice) White Koji and single distilled under normal atmospheric pressure (making it a Honkaku Shochu) to retain the flavors of the underlying ingredient, this Batch 1 is a blend of 3-5 years Kokuto Shocho aged in refill/recharred virgin American White Oak Casks to add layers of complexity and flavour to the original spirit. 

Color: Light Straw, White Wine 
Nose: Intricate nose of sugarcane like sweetness, fresh fruits like green apples, pear and mint balanced with subtle salted caramel and some oak spices. 
Palate: Initial sweetness gently gives way to some savoury, umami like notes with a finish of pepper, spices and a hint of dark chocolate.

THE HACHI SHOCHU, Barley (Mugi), Cask Matured is a collaboration with Miroku Shuzo, a family owned craft distillery in Oita, Japan and Hacchan who, somewhere along the way was also exposed to Whisky and the benefits of Cask Maturation. Made from local barley grown in Kitsuki and Usa (both near the distillery in Oita) and single distilled under normal atmospheric pressure (making it a Honkaku Shochu) to retain the flavors of the underlying ingredient, this Batch 3 is matured for about 3-4 years in a Refill White Oak Cask to add layers of complexity and flavour to the original spirit. 

Color: Gold 
Nose: While the top notes on the nose are a mix of vanilla, honey, fresh fruits, oak spices and fresh pencil shavings, the barley (mugi) shochu rears its head as wet dough at the back with a hint of caramel candy sweetness. 
Palate: Vanilla, honey to start mixed with oak which evolves into an excellent toasted raisin bread with a fair amount of nuttiness, some smokiness and spices to finish.

THE HACHI SHOCHU, Barley (Mugi), Cask Matured is a collaboration with Miroku Shuzo, a family owned craft distillery in Oita, Japan and Hacchan who, somewhere along the way was also exposed to Whisky and the benefits of Cask Maturation. Made from local barley grown in Kitsuki and Usa (both near the distillery in Oita) and single distilled under normal atmospheric pressure (making it a Honkaku Shochu) to retain the flavors of the underlying ingredient, this Batch 2 is matured for about 3 years in a Refill ex- Rum Casks to add layers of complexity and flavour to the original spirit. 

Color: Light Straw Gold 
Nose: A complex and balanced mix of sweet barley (mugi) with a hint of figs, raisins, plums and some coconut milk candy with oak spices. 
Palate: Sweet start which evolves very quickly into salted caramel with some salty undertones some dark chocolate oak spices and a dry but lingering finish.