SAKE MAP
Kyushu & Okinawa / Types: Shochu (barley) · Sake
Six drinks from Oita, each with a snack that suits it and a short story behind the bottle.
Iichiko
An Oita barley shochu beloved nationwide by the nickname "the downtown Napoleon." Its crisp, unfussy taste greatly widened the base of barley shochu. It has an approachable name, meaning "it's good" in the Oita dialect. Unpretentious, it stands by you as an everyday cup.
Pairs with：Toriten (chicken tempura) / Ryukyu (marinated fish on rice)
Kanehachi
A popular Usa barley shochu that has perfected "the fragrance of barley." Its toasty, rich aroma gives off an individuality almost like barley tea. From painstaking, careful craft comes a deep taste. A bottle to recommend to those who want to feel barley's charm to the full.
Pairs with：Seki-aji (premium horse mackerel) / Gomadashi udon (sesame-broth noodles)
Nikaido
A barley shochu representing Oita, known also for its evocative TV commercials. Its crisp, mellow taste has been loved across a wide range of drinkers. Playful labels, like "Kicchomu," are popular, too. Picture the scenery of home and you'll want to savor it.
Pairs with：Toriten (chicken tempura) / Dango-jiru (flat-dumpling soup)
Nishinoseki
A distinguished Oita sake name layering history in a port town of the Kunisaki Peninsula. It has a stately name, said to aim to be "the yokozuna of the west." Its full, savory taste shows its true worth when warmed. A bottle that conveys the deep strength of Kyushu sake.
Pairs with：Seki-aji (premium horse mackerel) / Ryukyu (marinated fish on rice)
Chiebijin
A powerhouse sake brewed as a family in the castle town of Kitsuki. True to its endearing name "wise beauty," its hallmark is a refined, fresh taste. It's a notable brewery highly rated at international competitions, too. A supple, dignified bottle, like a beauty.
Pairs with：Toriten (chicken tempura) / Gomadashi udon (sesame-broth noodles)
Takakiya
A sake of an earnest brewery in the farmland of Bungo-Ono, doing everything from rice-growing. Honestly using the umami of rice, its hallmark is a satisfying taste. Its creed is a grounded craft, carefully brewed as a family. A sake where you can feel the blessing of a hometown's rice paddies.
Pairs with：Dango-jiru (flat-dumpling soup) / Seki-aji (premium horse mackerel)