This is a Shochu Gumi selection! It was featured in March 2020.

Awamoris must be made in Okinawa, with rice and black koji, and tend to be very grassy, herbal, and funky. Quite honestly, it’s been challenging to find good awamoris in the States. Often, I’ll try an awamori here and they are overpoweringly alcoholic, unbalanced, and sorry to say, unpleasant. This may be the nature of Indica rice, along with the pungent black koji, and why there is such a rich history of agin awamoris in Okinawa – to mellow out flavors over time. So it was no surprise that Hakuryu, made with a blend of aged awamoris (the oldest being 8 years old!) is as smooth and easy as it comes.

Nutty, carmely, with a sweet potato-like earthiness, I love this awamori with its long, dry finish, best served on the rocks or mizuwari (with ice water). Pair with rich protein dishes  like my favorites from Albany’s Lao Thai Kitchen: raw beef larb, Nam Kao salad, Lao sausage, and red duck curry. The spicier, the better!

Features

• Distilled in Okinawa, Japan by Zuisen Shuzo
• Distilled from 100% long grain koji rice
• ABV 25.9% / Koji: Black (rice) / Distillation: Atmospheric
  
• 25.3 fl oz (750ml)