Name: こふくろう Kofukurō
Type: 芋焼酎 Potato shōchū
Potato: さつま芋 Sweet Potato
Ingredients: さつま芋・黒米麹(国産米) Sweet Potato, Black Rice Koji
Alcohol: 25%
Distillery: 研醸株式会社 Kenjo Co. Ltd.
Address: 830-1214 1089 Sakaeda, Tachiarai-cho, Mitsui-gun, Fukuoka
Website: http://www.e-kenjou.com/006_imo.html
Additional Content: There is not much additional content other than this short Fathers day commercial talking about a potato and wheat shōchū gift set.
Enjoy on the rocks
In the bottle: There is a deep sweetness that hits right off the bottle along with hints of musty hay, this then fades into dried fruits, vanilla and toasted rice, all quite enjoyable.
On the rocks: First taste, this reminds me of shochu made with potato koji, there is a bit of a bite like black pepper on the back of the throat. The sharpness really contrasts against the sweetness on the nose, I cannot say I like or dislike the sharpness, but it does mask a lot of the sweetness. What I can say is, it's a bit one-dimensional as the sharpness just fades and never really opens up into much else, this is unfortunate as what was on the nose is not found in the glass. Kofukuro is not bad by any means, and makes for a nice change from the sweeter bottles of shochu, I just wished there was a little more to it.
水割り Diluted with water
4:1, 3:2 ratio: A little water cuts through the sharpness allowing a little sweetness to open up, but overall it just feels a little flat.
Reflections on this shōchū
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This bottle was a good reminder that while not every bottle is going to be spectacular, it still remains very drinkable.
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While it is a bit one-dimensional in taste, overall it is a nice change from the sweeter potato shochu I am normally drinking.
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I feel like this would pair well with some traditional drinking snacks, which typically contain mirin and are a combination of sweet and fishy.
Bottle label and Information
Front Label
BackLabel
