How it is made

Ume and rock sugar layered onto Bunzo rice shochu

Kinoshita Brewery uses its own Kuma Shochu Bunzo as the base, adding ume and rock sugar. Rather than relying on a nearly neutral continuously distilled spirit, the umeshu keeps the character of rice shochu at its core.

Rice shochu from earthen pots and atmospheric distillation

Across the entire brewery, Kinoshita preserves earthen-pot fermentation and atmospheric distillation. Bunzo’s generous rice character becomes the spine of the liqueur.

Ume and rock sugar, without flavour correction

Ume and rock sugar are added to the Kuma shochu, allowing natural fruit sweetness and acidity to emerge without added flavouring, colouring or acidifiers.

The result

A vintage identity marked by the ume harvest year

The label records the harvest year of the ume, preserving each fruit season as part of the bottle’s identity. At 18% ABV, the spirit carries plum and rice-shochu depth into a long finish.

Taste profile

Fragrant plum with the grounded roundness of rice shochu

Fresh plum aroma and concentrated sweet-tart fruit meet the full body of atmospherically distilled rice shochu. The 18% structure is firm, yet the palate remains rounded, leaving a calm trace of rice-derived savouriness.

Food affinities

Four directions guided by rice shochu depth and plum acidity

BUNZO Umeshu 11 years old carries the full-bodied depth of atmospherically distilled rice shochu together with concentrated plum sweetness and acidity. The combinations below are not official pairings presented by the producer, but readings drawn from the recorded taste characteristics.

Umami-rich dishes that meet the rice shochu’s depthGrilled pork with gravy, dashi-simmered meat and potatoes (nikujaga), and Thai basil stir-fry (pad kra pao) are dishes where the rounded umami of rice shochu meets savoury, soy-based flavours.

Fried dishes where plum acidity clears the richnessFried chicken, tempura, and Thai fish cakes (tod mun pla) are dishes where the plum’s acidity gently offsets the oil.

Spiced dishes met by the 18% structurePepper-crusted steak, skewers dusted with shichimi pepper, and a Thai herb and chilli salad (larb) are dishes where the higher-proof structure stands up to spice.

Grain dishes that echo the rice-derived finishMushroom risotto, mushroom rice simmered with dashi (takikomi gohan), and Thai steamed chicken rice (khao man gai) are dishes where the lingering rice umami meets the sweetness of grain.

Acidity is understood to soften the perception of fat, while savoury elements placed side by side can intensify one another. The rice-derived depth and plum acidity of this umeshu draw on both mechanisms, giving it a base that meets dishes from umami-rich preparations to fried food.

Pairing guide — Umeshu

The producer

Kinoshita Brewery in Kuma, founded in 1862

Kinoshita Brewery was founded in Taragi in 1862, after receiving a licence to brew and sell from the Sagara domain. The founder’s name, Bunzo, also survives in a local Kuma folk song. The small producer continues to make richly expressive rice shochu through earthen-pot fermentation and atmospheric distillation.

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