Daiyame is an imo shochu (sweet potato shochu) from Hamada. It is produced at one of the group's three distilleries, the Denzouingura distillery in Ichikikushikino. Located in the Kagoshima region, it benefits from one of the four Geographical Indications for traditional Japanese spirits: Satsuma Shochu. To bear this appellation, the sweet potato must be harvested, fermented, distilled and bottled in Kagoshima prefecture.
This Daiyame, produced to celebrate the distillery's 150th anniversary, has been bottled at the exceptional 40% proof. Like the "classic" Daiyame 25, it is made from black koji on rice. The sweet potatoes are also matured, and distillation takes place in a vacuum.
It has won numerous medals in international competitions, including ISWC, ISC and Kura Master. Its high alcohol content makes it an ideal ingredient for cocktails, as well as for drinking neat or over ice.
Nico's tasting notes
The nose is wildly concentrated, with a bouquet of exotic fruits (led by lychee) and flowers that light up our senses. Geranium and rose caress the passion fruit, delicately overlaying its livelier, tangier aspects.
With aeration, there's no sign of weakening, quite the contrary. Pears and raspberries join exotic fruits whose slightly bitter seeds carry hints of Sichuan pepper.
The palate matches the expressiveness of the nose, with extremely well-controlled power. This shochu invades the palate with a melt-in-the-mouth texture, with no heaviness and great delicacy. Exotic fruits display a rainbow of flavors, sweet and tangy, colorful and flowery.
The finish is long and fruity, with a lychee with rosewater and pepper that underlines the elegance and balance of this spirit.
"A must-discover shochu for all spirits lovers..."
