SATSUMA Mura Imo Shochu

SATSUMA Mura Imo Shochu, traditionally distilled honkaku imojochu from Kagoshima (home to the most famous for imo shochu), is a concentrate of contradictions and complications. It is fragrant with earthy notes as if you had just sliced a freshly unearthed sweet potato and promises a rich flavor that this shochu then provides unreservedly. The first sip is sharp, spicy and pungent on the palate. This then softens in shades of herbs followed by a deluge of sweetness before a persistent acidity based on herbs then settles on the tongue. A great taste is instilled in the mouth, especially towards the back where the bitterness is most evident. If you manage to keep the shoku on the front of your tongue you will miss this complexity of bitterness, but you will be rewarded with a warm sweetness.