Satsuma Shochu "Kiccho Houzan"

Satsuma Shochu "Kiccho Houzan"

Change of pace, a sweet potato based shochu.

Nose: light, ethereal citrus.  Maybe a little like some of the sweeter bean pastes.*

Mouth, still very light, sweet and slightly acidic.  A fine citrus note, but not a familiar citrus, more like how lemongrass reminds you of citrus.  So for those keeping score with Axl Rose, this reminds you of a memory. 

Finish, short and slightly tart.  Doesn't hang around and goes away clean.

This is an interesting change of pace and not likely to be anything found around town.  I had it today with a nice cube, and the cold did nice things.  I'm thinking this would be great as a substitute in a gin and tonic, but you'd have to be careful about not blowing away the delicate flavor of the liquor with the lime.  It is so very delicate, very different from my usual powerful bourbons.  This entirely plays on the subtle.  I first became aware of shochu on a business trip to Korea. They were pouring me some off color liquor in small glasses from a bottle that I swear looked like a 20oz of 7 up.  It was much later in the evening that I learned that this was theoretically much more like a 'Korean whisky' as my hosts preferred to call it.  The particular drink listed above is not the same.  It is perfectly clear and has a much more interesting mouthfeel.  While the stuff I had in Korea did somewhat feel like a whisky (even if I was drinking it like water), this is very cool, glass like and smooth.  It is an extremely impressive texture to roll around your tongue. I'm not sure I have ever had anything like it.  It does remind me of some very nice gins, but there is never that sort of juniper snap, either in feel or taste.

Anyway, as with the Nikka, I have no idea on price.  Continued thanks to Dr. Green and White.  These have been fascinating diversions and great learning adventures.  As a tip of the cap to the locals, I can heartily recommend trying a shochu when traveling in east Asia.  I greatly prefer any that I have had to many sake.  Don't get me wrong, I like some sake, but some is just rot gut and I don't know how to tell the difference.  That might also be true of shochu, but I haven't found an un drinkable one yet.  Sadly, I recently asked a Korean supplier where they get good shochu in Michigan... The guy looked like he was going to cry for a second and went on a rant about how none were available.