Fusanotsuyu Selection

FLAGSHIP PRODUCTS

KU MA SHOCHU - WORLD -RENOW NED PREMIUM SPIRIT

Fusanotsuyu
房の露Aged shochu matured for
30 years on white oakA ﬂagship brand,a local favorite

A refreshing & smoothhonkaku shochu

SHO - EXCELLENCEGINJO FUSANOTSUYUKURAHACHI

A blend of several shochus with honkaku
shochu aged for 30 years on white oak. Enjoy
the rich color, flavors, and aromas that result
from interaction between cask and higher
alcohol shochu.

Made with Japanese sake rice, yellow sakekoji, and #9 yeast (used for making ginjosake). Low temperature fermentation yields
elegant ginjo aroma and gentle but deepflavor.

Flagship honkaku shochu that is a
must-have at ceremonial occasions, especiallyin the Hitoyoshi-Kuma region. Blend ofrice and barley shochu gives it a refreshingcrispness.

Ingredients: rice, rice koji, barley
ABV: 35%
Distillation method: vacuum
Aged: 30+ years

Ingredients: rice, rice koji
ABV: 25%
Distillation method: vacuum

Ingredients: rice, rice koji, barley
ABV: 25%
Distillation method: vacuum

Fusanotsuyu
THE HISTORY OFKUMA 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. The
cool 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?

■ 568 Taragi, Taragi, Kuma-gun, Kumamoto Prefecture■ Tel: 0966-42-2008■ http://www.fusanotsuyu.co.jp/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: The wooden building (foreground)at the center of the spacious property is mainly
used for cask storage and stands beside the newfactory (background) where production is donewith modern equipment. Upper right: A brickboiler still stands, a relic from when coal was used
for distillation. Left: President Kazuhiro Tsutsumi
Right: The scale of production is one unique aspectof Fusanotsuyu. The toji goes down the line offermentation tanks lined up for batch production,using his paddle to carefully mix the mash.

■ FUSANOTSUYU (Taragi) ■Loved locally, always evolving,a legendary flavor made by time
■ HISTORY

Shochu made to the locals' liking

Large casks densely occupy the shelvesof a dim storehouse facing Route 219.
Fusanotsuyu was established in 1907
when the current president's grandfather
Juzo Tsutsumi opened Tsutsumi Shoten, ashop that sold miso, soy sauce, and sweet
potato shochu. Since then, Fusanotsuyu
has only continued to evolve, starting withatmospheric distilled shochu, switching torice shochu, starting vacuum distillation,and more, all while preserving their reputation.
When the company was founded,
access to Kumamoto City was limited, so
Fusanotsuyu’s main market was Miyazakiand Kagoshima. Fusanotsuyu shochu wasoriginally made with sweet potatoes, whichwere considerably cheaper than rice, andgathered quite a following in Kirishima.
The product of an exquisite blend ofrice and barley shochu, Fusanotsuyu’sKurahachi brand is a fantastic honkaku
shochu that has become synonymous withFusanotsuyu. Reasonably priced, it is adinner table staple in Hitoyoshi.

Left: Tsutsumi Shoten was the first to bring a bicycle to Taragi. The photo exudes the enterprising nature of the company. Center: The distillery still has items thathearken back to the period when it made soy sauce and miso. Right: Tsutsumi Shoten, circa 1950, with founder Juzo Tsutsumi, his family, and his employees.

■ ABOUT US

A focus on aged shochu
Amid the many products produced overits long history, Fusanotsuyu shochu matured in white oak casks demands the mostattention. Some of the oldest specimens
were distilled in the 1950s and are still
aging on sherry casks from Spain. The unmistakable flavor of sherry gradually fuses
into the shochu, giving it a rich sweetness.
The resulting color, aromas, and flavors
can only be achieved through years ofaging. After all, a blender's ability to show
his or her mastery of the craft comes fromtheir skill at utilizing aged components.
By maximizing the unique qualities fromthe casks and carefully blending different

shochus, the blender can create a shochu
of impressive complexity and depth.
Ginjo Fusanotsuyu is made withJapanese sake rice, yellow sake koji, and#9 yeast normally used for making ginjo
sake. Whether it's the long aging periods,
the careful control of heat and humidity,or close monitoring of yeast activity, Fusanotsuyu makes no concessions in quality
when making shochu. Special attention
is extended to their ingredients, like thesweet potatoes cultivated in Fusanotsuyu’sgarden, as they continue to pursue making
the finest honkaku shochu.

Aged shochus
can spend
upwards of 30years maturing
in a cask. The
blender will thencheck the color,aroma, and tasteof each cask
before blending.

One of Fusanotsuyu’s strengths is its capacity toefficiently produce high-quality shochu for thegeneral public. They use automatic koji production
equipment and vacuum stillls to make their Kuma
Shochu.