We're excited to welcome Ebisu Distillery to the United States for its Ranbiki Barley Shochu debut! This quarter for Shochu Gumi, we are featuring the Ranbiki 3 Year Aged, a lush, easy-drinking shochu with mellow notes of banana and pear. We received some great BTS nuggets from Ebisu Distillery President Kentaro Tanaka that is worth sharing here about his process, history, and the use of white koji. Kanpai!
All photos courtesy of Ebisu Shuzo and MBiggen Imports.
What is your name and title?
I am Kentaro Tanaka, the fifth-generation head of the distillery.
What is your role at the distillery?
I am the President as well as the Head of Production (toji and blender).
How did you get into the shochu industry?
Being born as the eldest son of the fourth-generation president was my destiny. My parents never explicitly told me to take over the distillery, but I grew up being seen by those around me as the successor. Until around elementary school, there was a kaku-uchi (standing bar) in one corner of the distillery. The regulars who visited were all fun people—they would give us fish they caught in the river, steep mamushi (viper) in shochu at the counter, and sometimes drink themselves unconscious, which troubled my parents. But from a child’s perspective, it was a lively and fascinating place.
I personally began drinking shochu seriously in my second year of university, and compared to sake or beer, I found the feeling of intoxication and recovery to be much gentler and more pleasant. From then on, I grew fond of distilled spirits such as shochu and whisky, and gradually became more interested in the shochu made by my family.
After graduating from university, I studied abroad in Tennessee for one year, where I drank many kinds of alcohol including wine. Still, distilled spirits such as bourbon suited my body best. At the time, the shochu available locally was from other producers, but I remember thinking, “Shochu is truly delicious.” Although I had only vaguely assumed that I would someday take over the family business, the fact that I naturally came to want to make shochu myself felt like a stroke of good fortune. After working at a food company, I trained at the National Research Institute of Brewing, and at the age of 26, I joined Ebisu Shuzo.
What do you like most about shochu making?
From selecting ingredients such as raw materials, koji, and yeast, to fermentation, distillation, aging, and blending, there are many choices at each stage. Depending on the climate, the scale of the distillery, and its philosophy, it is possible to express a unique character. Every process is important, but my favorite is the aging process using oak barrels.
What would you say is unique about your brewery?
We are a distillery specialized exclusively in aged shochu, shipping only shochu that has been aged for three years or more. Shochu can be delicious even without aging, depending on how it is made, but we believe that aging further amplifies its appeal, and we are committed to crafting aged shochu based on that belief.
Our flagship brand, “Ranbiki,” comes from the Portuguese word alembic, meaning a distillation still, which evolved into Japanese pronunciation. Distillation technology was introduced to Japan and developed into shochu through Japan’s own brewing techniques. By incorporating the western tradition of oak barrel aging, we aim to create richly aromatic, full-flavored aged shochu that can be enjoyed by people around the world. This wish is embodied in the name “Ranbiki.”
What do you think is the most important step in shochu-making and why?
I believe it is essential to enhance the expression of flavor while maintaining overall harmony, from the raw materials (rice and barley) through aging and maturation. For example, if we change the yeast, we adjust the distillation method and experiment with new aging techniques. By repeating small challenges, trial and error, and accumulating know-how, we aim to continuously improve quality.
Visual presentation on the production process of barley shochu at Ebisu
ABOUT THE SHOCHU RANBIKI BARREL AGED 3 YEARS
“Ranbiki 3 Years” was released in 1977 as a sister product to the original “Ranbiki 6 Years” (40% ABV), which was first launched in 1969. The label design is inspired by folding screen paintings depicting Portuguese arrivals and trade from the late 16th to early 17th century (Momoyama to early Edo period). While following the design of “Ranbiki 6 Years,” it adopts a more casual style. (In the States, the Ranbiki 5 Year Aged is available).
Loved as a 25% ABV shochu that can be enjoyed more casually, including as a food-pairing drink, it is now the distillery’s best-selling regular product. From the sweet, matured aroma unique to oak barrel aging, gentle barley flavors spread across the palate and lead into a pleasant finish. This lingering finish is the greatest strength of “Ranbiki 3 Years”: it does not interfere with food flavors, but instead softly embraces them and refreshingly resets the palate.
Please tell me about the mugi used for this shochu - is it grown in Fukuoka? What kind of barley do you use?
Fukuoka Prefecture is the third-largest barley-producing region in Japan, following Saga and Tochigi. At our distillery, we use two-row barley grown in Fukuoka. The main production area is the fertile Chikushi Plain, which spreads across the basin of the Chikugo River, Kyushu’s largest river, flowing near our distillery.
In this region, a traditional double-cropping system has long been practiced: barley is sown in winter and harvested in early summer, followed by rice cultivation in the same fields and harvested in autumn. This land, sustained by the harvests of both barley and rice, forms the foundation of our shochu making.
Rice accounts for one-third of the raw materials. We use domestically produced Japonica rice, primarily sourced from Asakura in recent years.
What kind of vessel is this shochu aged? Stainless steel or ceramic? How long is it aged?
We use oak barrels and ceramic tanks for aging, and blend them in the final stage. We began aging shochu in oak barrels in 1960, which is said to be the third-oldest such practice in Kyushu.
What different techniques are used to make this shochu? What makes this bottle extra special?
The ingredient ratio of one part rice koji to two parts barley is a traditional method cultivated through the history of barley shochu. We became convinced that shochu distilled at atmospheric pressure from a mash made with this method is best suited for oak barrel aging at our distillery. Since then, while preserving our core production style, we have continued to challenge ourselves with various barrels and aging vessels, nurturing base spirits with different expressions. These base spirits are ultimately blended and refined into a stable and consistent profile. As such, blending technique is a crucial foundation supporting our shochu making.
What food pairings are best for this shochu?
Tempura, oysters, sautéed mushrooms, fried chicken, BBQ, sashimi and sushi (especially red-fleshed fish and shellfish).
How best to enjoy this shochu (cold, warm, room temperature)?
First and foremost, we recommend enjoying it on the rocks, but we also encourage trying it mixed with hot water (1 part shochu to 2 parts hot water) or with soda.
Tell us a little bit about your town. How does your region influence your shochu-making?
Blessed with abundant water resources, the area has long been active in agriculture and forestry. Many crops are cultivated, including grains such as rice and barley. The climate, with its significant temperature differences, is also suitable for fruit cultivation such as persimmons, pears, and grapes.
Being able to brew during the cold season provides favorable fermentation conditions, and the large temperature variations also influence the pace of aging and maturation.
Is barley shochu production common in Fukuoka area?
Currently, more than 80% of the shochu produced and shipped in Fukuoka Prefecture is barley shochu.
Do you make other types of shochu or spirits besides just barley shochu (sweet potato, rice, gin, etc)?
Even before releasing “Ranbiki,” we have been producing a rice shochu called “Fukutoku Ebisu.” In addition, we began producing rum in 2022. This is because locally grown sugarcane can be used as a raw material, and it allows us to apply the oak barrel aging techniques we have cultivated over the years. We are also focusing on sugarcane cultivation itself, viewing it as a crop with potential to utilize the increasing amount of abandoned farmland.
Any special behind-the-scenes stories or memories about making this shochu?
In 1984, the painter Taro Okamoto described “Ranbiki 6 Years” as having “a sharp, crisp edge, yet a mysterious mellowness—an elegant flavor, like a graceful noblewoman.” Taro Okamoto was one of Japan’s most influential and widely recognized modern artists, best known internationally for the “Tower of the Sun” created for the 1970 Osaka World Expo.
ABOUT WHITE KOJI
1. Historical Background of White Koji
White koji was developed in Japan in 1918 during the Taishō era. At that time, sweet potato shochu was mainly produced using black koji, which had excellent fermentation power but caused practical problems in breweries: its black spores stained workers, equipment, and brewery walls.
To solve this issue, Genichiro Kawachi, a pioneer of modern shochu-making, conducted extensive research and discovered a naturally mutated strain of black koji with light colored spores. This strain became known as white koji.
2. Widespread Adoption in the Showa Era
Initially, the use of white koji was limited. However, from the late 1940s onward, its advantages became widely recognized:
- Easier handling in the brewery
- Stable and reliable fermentation
- A cleaner, smoother flavor profile
As a result, white koji spread rapidly throughout Kyushu. By the 1970s and 1980s, it had become the standard koji used by the vast majority of shochu producers in Japan.
3. The Role of White Koji Today
From the late 1980s, black koji regained attention as producers sought greater stylistic diversity. Even so, white koji remains indispensable today due to its:
- Refreshing natural sweetness
- Clean, crisp finish
- Balanced character that remains enjoyable over time
For these reasons, white koji continues to be widely used in premium shochu and also in sake production.
4. Why Ebisu Distillery Uses White Koji (L-Type)
There are several types of white koji. With the development of White Koji L-Type, which is particularly well suited for long-term aging, Ebisu Distillery adopted this strain as its primary koji. We continue to use White Koji L-Type for the base spirit of “Ranbiki”, as it allows us to achieve: stability during long maturation and a refined, transparent, and elegant flavor profile.
Packaging for white koji L-Type
5. Looking Ahead
While white koji remains central to our identity, Ebisu Distillery also experiments with black koji and yellow koji in other products, exploring their unique characteristics and expanding the expressive potential of our spirits.
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