Hamada Shuzo (1868) is a group of three distilleries, all located in Kagoshima prefecture. The one we are interested in here is the Denzouingura distillery, a kind of laboratory where future innovations in shochu are tested.
This sweet potato shochu (imo shochu) was created on the occasion of the distillery's 150th anniversary. It uses a unique technique of maturing sweet potatoes of the Satsuma Imo and Kojuku Imo varieties. The potatoes are left to rest for 2 to 3 months before being cooked, in order to develop unique flavors.
The primary fermentation is done with black koji on rice. Then, after the fermentation of sweet potatoes, the distillation is done in a vacuum still.
This very fruity shochu lends itself particularly well to the pure tasting, lengthened of soda, or in cocktail.
