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Kyushu & Okinawa / Types: Shochu (sweet potato)
Six drinks from Kagoshima, each with a snack that suits it and a short story behind the bottle.
Mao
One of the "3M," a trio of phantom imo shochu. Its hallmark is a fruity, easy-drinking taste with the sweet-potato funk toned down. Popular enough to fetch premium prices, it's become a byword for hard-to-get. Once you get it, a special bottle to savor slowly.
Pairs with：Kibinago (silver-stripe herring) / Kurobuta shabu (black-pork hotpot)
Moriizo
A legendary imo shochu, head of the "3M," insisting on kame-tsubo (clay-pot) brewing. Its mellow, refined taste is said to have changed the very idea of imo shochu. Obtainable only by lottery, it's the ultimate premium shochu. A masterpiece they say you should taste once in a lifetime.
Pairs with：Kurobuta shabu (black-pork hotpot) / Torisashi (chicken sashimi)
Murao
An imo shochu of the "3M," said to be brewed single-handedly by the brewery head. Its kame-tsubo brewing yields a hefty, authentic taste. Rare because handmade, it's called a phantom shochu. A bottle to savor the royal road of imo shochu slowly.
Pairs with：Satsuma-age (fried fish cake) / Kibinago (silver-stripe herring)
Tominohozan
An innovative Nishi Shuzo bottle that changed the image of imo shochu. Its refreshing, citrus-like aroma is easy to drink even for beginners. Its auspicious name, "mountain of treasure," is a charm, too. On the rocks, you'll want to enjoy its gorgeous aroma.
Pairs with：Torisashi (chicken sashimi) / Kubiore-saba (premium mackerel)
Sato Kuro
A popular authentic imo shochu that firmly conveys the umami of sweet potato. The hefty richness unique to black-koji brewing is its hallmark. Despite a simple name and label, it's loved for its solid caliber. With hot water, savor the sweet-potato flavor to the full.
Pairs with：Kurobuta shabu (black-pork hotpot) / Satsuma-age (fried fish cake)
Sekitoba
An imo shochu with a powerful name, after the famed steed of the Three Kingdoms. Crisp yet firmly conveying the umami of sweet potato, that's its hallmark. A popular bottle balancing easy drinking and authenticity. Like the famed horse, its dashing drink is pleasant.
Pairs with：Kibinago (silver-stripe herring) / Kubiore-saba (premium mackerel)