Japanese Culture in New York - Chopsticks NY

The labels of the Window’s series feature beautiful illustrations by renowned Japanese artist, Ichiro Tsuruta, sure to catch your eyes.

The shochu craze in this country has not yet reached the level of that of sake, but it’s warming up now, especially amongst liquor connoisseurs and bar-goers.  Today, many shochu brands are available in the U.S. and new ones keep coming in.  Two refined barley shochus will debut in the U.S. market: Window’s Mugiichi and Window’s Migaki, both of which are honkaku (premium) shochus from prestigious shochu distiller, Komasa Jyozo Co., Ltd. in Kagoshima Prefecture.

Although they are new to this country—with plans to be released some time in February—the distiller has produced shochu and liquor for about 130 years in the mecca of shochu with an extensive variety.  Naturally, the quality of the two shochus is proven to be superb.  Window’s Mugiichi is smooth with a touch of sweetness and a fruity aroma despite the high alcohol content, about 24% by volume.  Its light, refreshing aftertaste is also enjoyable, making it a good introductory shochu for beginners.  On the other hand, Window’s Migaki boasts a well-rounded and fuller aroma with a spicy aftertaste.  This barley shochu is actually aged in new oak barrels for more than three years, giving it a slightly yellow tint and a pleasant vanilla fragrance.  If you try it with your eyes closed, the aroma would make you mistake it for Chardonnay.  Both shochus are made from barley but you can enjoy quite different taste experiences.

As with any other shochu, Window’s Mugiichi and Migaki are flexible table liquors that can accompany any kind of dish from the first course to the last.  But to appreciate the distinctive flavors of the two shochus, it is best to try it on-the-rocks or mix it with a little bit of hot water as an aperitif and digestif.

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Info: distiller Komasa Jyozo Co., Ltd.
www.komasa.co.jp
Distributed by JFC International

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