Kinoshita Jozosho Selection

FLAGSHIP PRODUCTS

KU MA SHOCHU - WORLD -RENOW NED PREMIUM SPIRIT

Kinoshita Jozosho
木下醸造所

A robust shochu
aged for 10 years

Handmade koji, pot-fermented,
atmospheric-distilled ﬂagshipBunzo,
but 6 years wiser

JUNEN-MONO BUNZO

BUNZO

KAYABUKI

Bunzo aged for 10 years. Extra aging
results in a more polished, well-roundedshochu. Characterized by rich fragrance andfull-bodied flavor.

Has rich flavor of rice, roasty aromas, anddeep flavor. A hefty shochu, this is perfect forpeople who like classic Kuma Shochu.

Pot-fermented, atmospheric-distilled fullstrength shochu made with handcraftedkoji and aged for over six years. The shochu
has mellowed over time and has a clean
aftertaste.

Ingredients: rice, rice koji
ABV: 37%Distillation method: atmospheric
Aged: 10 years

Ingredients: rice, rice koji
ABV: 25%
Distillation method: atmospheric
Aged: 2+ years

Ingredients: rice, rice koji
ABV: 25%
Distillation method: atmospheric
Aged: 6+ years

Kinoshita Jozosho
THE HISTORY OF
KUMA SHOCHU

Kuma Shochu: Born from the History,Climate & Culture of Hitoyoshi-Kuma

Abundant Water & Unique Climate
The Kuma Valley is located at the southernmost tip of Kumamoto Prefecture,
deep in the mountains of Kyushu. Thecool waters of the Kuma River—famed for
its rapids—nourish the fields, while thevalley's distinctive climate and significant
temperature variations create one of theprefecture's prime rice-growing areas. The
frequent dense fog in the region allows
for fermentation and storage at relatively
low temperatures, which helps give Kuma

WHAT ISKUMA SHOCHU?

■ 695 Taragi, Taragi, Kuma-gun, Kumamoto Prefecture■ Tel: 0966-42-2013

Shochu its refreshing aroma. The soft
water from the Kuma River system is ideal
for shochu making and helps enhance
the gentle sweetness of the rice. The richaroma and deep flavor of Kuma Shochu
can only be produced in the HitoyoshiKuma region.

Tradition & Evolution

Rice shochu production in the Hitoyoshi-Kuma region is believed to havestarted about 500 years ago. Distillation

techniques were supposedly brought overthrough trade with southeast and continental Asia. Today, 27 distilleries preserve
the traditional techniques honed by theirpredecessors, offering a variety of flavorsthat have evolved over time.
In 1995, Kuma Shochu was designatedas a Geographical Indication by theNational Tax Agency, establishing it as aworld-class shochu brand and attracting
attention from around the globe.

■ Must be made with rice (including rice koji) grown in Japan■ Mash must be made with Hitoyoshi-Kuma water and shochu must be distilled in a pot still and bottled in Hitoyoshi-Kuma.

You must be �� or older to drink. Do not drink and drive.
Drinking alcohol during pregnancy and breastfeeding may aﬀect the development of the fetus or infant.
Drink in moderation. Please recycle.

Upper left: Bunzo, Kayabuki, and other shochus are
aged in clay, enamel, or stainless tanks.
Upper right: Handmade koji in the stone koji room.
Left: Kinoshita's umeshu, made by soaking plums in
35% ABV Bunzo, has a die-hard fanbase.
Right: Continuing the tradition of making small
batches by hand every year.

■ KINOSHITA JOZOSHO (Taragi) ■Slow-fermented under a thatch roof
to make a familiar, relaxing shochu■ HISTORY

Inspired by the flavors of old
Kinoshita was first established in 1862
when it received a teahouse license fromthe Sagara domain that permitted the production and sale of shochu.
The first shochu made was called Tamano Tsuyu. The shochu was made using akabuto-gama still. The mash made from riceand black koji would be placed in an open
wood barrel with a shallow bowl of coolwater covering the top. The mash would

then be heated with steam and would condense on the underside of the bowl.
There are stories that a water wheel inthe Hyakutaro Waterway in front of thedistillery was the source of this cool water.
Later, it was discovered that there wasa product with a similar name made by another distillery, so the shochu was renamed
Bunzo in 1940. The production process
has gone through many changes since: inthe 1960s, the black koji in the recipe wasreplaced with white koji, and then in the1970s, the coal boilers were converted touse oil.
However, making koji by hand in thestone koji room, aging in earthenware
pots, and atmospheric distillation havegone unchanged since the beginning. Thisstems not from being stubborn, but thedistillery's philosophy of being inspired by
the flavors of old.

Left: A thatch-roof building here is both factory and residence. Inside, there are still abacuses and measuring boxes left from times when they would sell bymeasure. Center: Kinoshita is one of a few distilleries that uses underground tanks. Right: Ceramic bottles locals would bring by to fill up with shochu.

■ ABOUT US

The importance of yearly consistency
Kinoshita Jozosho still uses the thatchedbuildings and stone koji room that dateback more than 150 years. The distillery still
has giant underground tanks and ferments
its shochu in earthenware pots. There arearound 40 pots buried in the ground. If you
listen closely, you can hear the bubbling of
the mash as it ferments. In addition to clay
pots and underground tanks, Kinoshita alsouses enamel and stainless steel tanks. If atank runs low, they'll top it up with stockfrom another tank or move the shochu
to a smaller vessel. This movement of theshochu ends up blending the shochu as itages.

Kinoshita's current lineup is mainly
Bunzo, Kayabuki, and a plum wine madewith Bunzo. Perhaps because of how
Kinoshita makes its shochu the old way,
drinkers often express their delight bypraising its familiar, relaxing flavor.
Kinoshita accepts that the world is changing, and makes adjustments accordingly
while still working just as they always have.
In the same way, Bunzo, while it ages,
goes with the flow of time as it develops its
signature flavor.

Hirofumi Kinoshita,
president of Kinoshita
Jozosho, believes it isimportant to preserve
the techniques
and flavors of hispredecessors. Kinoshita continues to makeshochu without trying
to increase scale oroverly mechanize theprocess.

Making koji. Koji is made by sprinkling spores on
steamed rice in the stone koji room and takes 42 to
44 hours to complete. The koji is then moved to clay
pots buried in the ground to make the mash.