Name: 瑞光30年 Zuiko 30yr
Type: 泡盛 Awamori 30yr
Ingredients: 米麹(タイ産米) Rice Koji (Thailand)
Alcohol: 42%
Distillery: 池間酒造 Ikema Shuzō
Address: Nishihara-57-348 Hirara, Miyakojima, Okinawa 906-0005
Website: None
Additional Content: There is a short introduction video talking a little about Ikema Shuzo, unfortunately not much more than this.
In the bottle: Strong waves Awamori come sweeping through, and for thirty years old this bottle is bright, rich and full of earthy notes that add a nice level of complexity to a bottle of this age. At 42% I was hard pressed to find much alcohol, and what was there blended perfectly with the richness of the rice.
On the rocks: The brightness on the nose is front and center on the first sip; however it's a bit alcohol forward before fading into some beautiful aged awamori flavors, this can be overcome with a little water. Once you get past the initial sharp bite and the ice melts a little what you have in front of you is absolutely amazing and worth savoring every sip.
Diluted with water
4:1, ratio, this is where Zuiko 30yr really opens up, everything becomes smoother which allows these beautiful Awamori notes to shine; toasted rice, a little caramel, candied cherries and vanilla all make an appearance. Some of the more earthy notes such as clay, and damp hay also start to come forward and really add to the depth and complexity of what Zuiko offers after 30 years of aging.
Enjoy on the rocks or with a little Water
Reflections on this Awamori
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Opened this as the Christmas Special bottle, it was a Merry Christmas.
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Still can't believe I knocked this bottle over and lost about 15% of its precious contents, note to self, never leave a bottle opened...
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This was a special bottle purchase, and while just under 20,000 JPY is a steal for something 30 years old, it is still significantly more than I would ever spend. That being said, with the current economy in Japan, one can never tell when a bottle like this may disappear, so sometimes a splurge is a great way to taste some amazing Awamori history.
Bottle label and Information
Front Label
Bottle Mark
