About the distillery : Nishi Shuzo has been established for more than a century and a half in the hills of Kagoshima, in the far south of Kyushu, the southernmost of the four main islands of Japan. She produces shochu from different ingredients, but her specialty is the sweet potato shochu whose culture is traditional in the region. Nishi Shuzo grows her own sweet potatoes and works closely with local farmers to improve the quality of her products. She took up a formidable challenge, that of producing refined shochus, with remarkable taste qualities, while remaining on traditional methods. Nishi Shuzo was recognized as the best distillery in Asia at the IWSC. Undisputed leader in the shochus market, it has never stopped innovating and installing each of its products at the benchmark in terms of quality and success.

Detailed tasting notes : When the Nishishuzo distillery, specializing in the distillation of sweet potatoes, decides to develop a shochu of barley, we necessarily have a separate product. His name is Hitotsubuno Mugi. The techniques and know-how of the prestigious house are transposed here, as for example a distillation carried out at normal pressure, in the idea of letting express all the flavors of barley. The result is a shochu with an elegant, precise and lively nose. Rich in mouth, very aromatic, it is well marked by barley. Barley shochu are generally rather light, on the contrary we have here a rich, round and powerful product.

Tasting tips : A shochu both lively, silky and powerful, which is easy to associate with a simple and generous cuisine. Grilled fish, shellfish, or poultry. Also associated with refined preparations such as sushi! To consume fresh, on ice, or at room temperature, extending it why not with cold water (mizuari) or hot (oyuwari). Hitotsubuno Mugi is an excellent cocktail base.