Shochu for Whiskey Fans – Sakeonline

Oita Shochu

Shochu is undoubtedly Oita's favourite alcoholic beverage. Many people think of barley shochu when they think of Oita’s liquor, and one of more well-known shochu in Oita is the Enma brand. Enma is made by Oimatsu Shuzo which has over 200 years of history as one of the original shochu distillers as well as sake brewers in Oita prefecture. 'Enma' means the 'ruler of the underworld'.

A wooden tag hanging on the bottle of Enma series says, "In old sake breweries, there is a place that people can never get to. There is something still sleeping there after all these years...". True to this saying, Enma has been aged for more than three years in a historic sake brewery, and is a gem with a full flavor and a rich aftertaste. Its quality has been highly evaluated in international competitions.

Mugi Shochu Enma

This Japanese barrel-aged barley spirit is entertainingly complex, medium-bodied, ultra-smooth, and slightly oaky. It is aged in oak barrels for 3 years producing intriguing aromas of sweet almond. light oak, and subtle sake notes, with a long complex finish. It's full-bodied, well-balanced, and soft-textured with flavours of spicy pepper and dark chocolate.

Due to the aging in oak casks, this shochu has an indescribably mellow throat and a faint aftertaste, making it taste similar to whisky. A must-try for whisky lovers! Drink on the rocks, in a premium martini, or with a splash of water like Japanese Whisky.