Mitake Genshu

January 28, 2021

Mitake’s genshu from Yakushima.

Mitake Shuzō was originally based in Aira in the north of Kagoshima prefecture where it was known as Kurino Shuzō. In 1958 it moved to its present location.

三岳 (Mitake) means “three peaks”. One peek caused Peeping Tom to go blind. At 39% ABV, may go blind, too.

Hakaio

January 15, 2021

My “Shōchū of the Day” is Hakaiō (破壊王) a genshu produced by Kami Shuzō (神酒造) of Izumi, Kagoshima. Made from kogane sengan sweet taters and black kōji, it has an ABV of 43%. 破壊王 means God of Destruction and with one sip I can understand. POW Be kind, Shiva!

Very musty, potent stuff, not for the faint of heart, by any means. Kami Shuzō’s website claims Hakaiō is “fruity”, but it isn’t. Best put this heavy-hitting sparring partner into your freezer and drink him straight, one slug at a time to prevent getting punch drunk

Toyomura Brewery

March 5, 2019

I should have just said, yes, when she asked me, but I replied honestly that, no, I didn't drink much nihonshu anymore.

Oh, there was a time when I did, when I could polish off an isshô bin, a 1.8ℓ bottle of sake in one sitting, but to do so today would be well-nigh suicidal.

"Nevertheless," I said, "I wouldn't mind trying some of yours."

As it was early spring, the brewery had several versions of recently bottled sake on hand—namazake (unpasteurized sake), genshu (undiluted sake), nigorizake (cloudy, unfiltered sake), and so on.

She poured me a glass of the genshu and I was pleasantly surprised.

While most sake is diluted with water, bringing the alcohol content down to 14-16%, the unadulterated genshu can be rather potent. Toyomura's own genshu has an alcohol content of 19% and goes down like a mellow grappa.

The Toyomura Brewery, located in Tsuyazaki, Fukuoka, was built in the seventh year of Meiji (1874) and flourished throughout the Meiji and Taishô eras, thanks to the role the town used to play as a hub for seafaring traffic.