Chuko
From the Chuko Distillery, located in Tomigusuku, just south of Naha on the Island Okinawa, comes an awesome awamori! It's made using the traditional base of long grain Thai rice, as well as black koji – interestingly, the koji-making process usually takes two days for awamori, but Chuko allows it to happen over four days for this expression, where it gets the name 'Yokka Koji', meaning 'four-day koji'. It also is not allowed to spore, meaning the rice stays a brilliant white at the end of the koji production, rather than the usual black. The result is an awamori with a bold, complex flavour profile.
Want to find out more about awamori? Check out our blog post all about it!
Toasted rye, with earthy richness and a subtle fruity sweetness underneath. Although unoaked, can be treated very much like a whisky, and perfect in a number of more savoury cocktails.
I am a long-time sake and shochu lover, but have only recently discovered awamori, and it is absolutely a step up. Both like, and completely unlike whisky, it's complex and strange and easy to drink all at the same time. Strong umami note. Both of MoM's current offerings are good, but this one is the more interesting of the two. If you're a single-malt lover and also a novelty-seeker, I recommend giving it a try.
