About the distillery : Located in the most upstream part of the Kuma Shochu distilleries, the Ohishi distillery uses the purest water. Thanks to the wide seasonal temperature variations, the shochu is produced using high-quality rice grown in the distillery's own rice fields. This distillery has the Kuma Shochu appellation, as it is the closest to the source of the Kuma-Gawa river torrent. The region's well-marked seasons make it the ideal place to grow rice. Today, the Ohishi distillery produces over 250,000 litres of shochu a year. Some of the shochu is aged in brandy and sherry casks. This blend produces a unique balance of aromas and flavours. Ohishi broke new ground in the early 1970s, when the distillery began ageing its shochu in oak barrels. It also innovated by using barrels from the Ariake cooperage when it was founded in 1976.

About the brand : The 3S brand (Super Shochu Spirits) offers a collection of premium shochu. It works with a selection of distillers (including the Ohishi distillery), all of whom are true craftsmen of shochu production. Heirs to the knowledge and philosophy of a prestigious lineage before them, they are constantly developing and honing their skills to challenge the next generation. Together with the Yanagita distillery, 3S has bottled the 2019 Mizunara shochu under its own label.

About Ohishi Premium Mizunara 2009 : This is a shochu aged in a Hokkaido quercus crispula (or 'Mizunara') oak cask. It has an amber oak colour and brings the complexity and lightness of a whisky. Shochu moromi is brewed at low temperature, distilled under pressure and then aged in Mizunara oak casks. This oak gives the shochu a completely different flavour from French or American oak. It is also much appreciated by distillate enthusiasts around the world, and has been described as "Japanese-style wood".