MORI-IZO

GOKUJO MORIIZO

Cave-aged honkaku sweet-potato shochu from Tarumizu, Kagoshima.

Honkaku imo shochu

Specifications

Ingredient: Koganesengan sweet potato / rice koji
Country: Japan
Region: Tarumizu, Kagoshima
ABV: 25%
Volume: 720 ml

Shochu · Kagoshima · Moriizo Shuzo

Original bottle illustration — Bacchus Global

GOKUJO MORIIZO · MORIIZO SHUZO · KAGOSHIMA

GOKUJO MORIIZO

極上森伊蔵

The same sweet-potato shochu is given a longer, quieter passage: three years or more in clay pots inside a cave near the distillery. Time rounds the contour while keeping the origin of the spirit in view.

Cave-aged honkaku imo shochu

StyleHonkaku imo shochu

Sweet potatoKoganesengan

KojiWhite koji

MaturationCave clay pots · 3+ years

Alcohol25%

Time underground

Clay pots in a cave

The sweet-potato shochu matures for at least three years in clay pots inside a cave near the distillery. The stable environment softens the profile while preserving its material character.

One house, two tempos

Maturation as a change of pace

GOKUJO MORIIZO begins from the same foundation as the standard expression, then follows a longer maturation. Sweet-potato character develops toward soft caramel, tropical fruit and a long finish.

Food affinities

Reading dishes from the recorded aroma

The pairings below are not a combination presented officially by the brewery, but a reading drawn from the aroma and finish characteristics recorded on this page.

A direction that follows the caramel roastinessCaramelized roasted meat, teriyaki or Saikyo-style grilled fish with a sweet-savory glaze, and Thai-style grilled pork (moo ping). The roasted aroma from cooking runs in the same direction as the caramel notes that come from aging.

A direction that follows the tropical fruit sweetnessA white fish grilled and finished with a tropical fruit sauce, a citrus-dressed vinegared dish, and a green mango salad (som tam). The recorded fruit aroma is layered here with actual fruit.

A direction that follows the sweet potato’s gentle sweetnessRoasted root vegetables, a Thai curry (gaeng) with pumpkin, and simmered taro or squash in the Japanese style. The gentle sweetness carried from the raw material sits on the same base as root vegetable sweetness.

A direction that follows the quiet, long finishA white fish dish in cream sauce, tom kha gai (coconut milk chicken soup), and a dashi-simmered assortment of vegetables. The finish’s quiet length sits alongside the smooth texture of these dishes.

Following the idea of “flavor harmony” described in Logical Pairing, a long finish shaped by aging and aromas in the caramel and tropical fruit direction tend to layer well with the roasted notes of cooked dishes or the sweetness of fruit. The Science of Food Pairing describes something similar: aroma groups built through roasting and aroma groups carried by fruit tend to connect through shared sensory cues.

The producer

Tarumizu, Kagoshima — Moriizo Shuzo

Moriizo Shuzo has produced shochu in Tarumizu, Kagoshima, since 1885. Production begins in earthenware vessels, and GOKUJO MORIIZO extends that foundation through longer maturation.

For restaurants and retailers

For current-lot specifications, availability, storage requirements and trade terms, please contact Bacchus Global.

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GOKUJO MORIIZO

Specifications

Clay pots in a cave

Maturation as a change of pace

Reading dishes from the recorded aroma

Tarumizu, Kagoshima — Moriizo Shuzo

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