Miyahara Shuzojo Selection

FLAGSHIP PRODUCTS

KU MA SHOCHU - WORLD -RENOW NED PREMIUM SPIRIT

Miyahara Shuzojo
宮原酒造場

A simple,silky-smooth taste

A smooth shochu, the result ofspending 5 years in clay pots

A vintage shochuwith boundless ﬂavor

KUMASENNIN

MIYA NO HOMARE

JUNEN NO UTATANE

A simple, pure vacuum-distilled shochu
anyone can enjoy. Great on the rocks, withwater, or mixed with soda.

The koji used is a mix of white koji and blackkoji, and the mash is distilled in a pot still.
Enjoy the smooth taste and careful balance ofrich and savory flavors that result from 5 years
aging in earthenware pots.

This 10-year shochu is aged in earthenware
pots after being distilled. It is characterized
by a mellow, savory aroma and well-roundedflavor.

Ingredients: rice, rice koji
ABV: 25%
Distillation method: atmospheric
Aged: 5 years

Ingredients: rice, rice koji
ABV: 25%
Distillation method: atmospheric
Aged: 10 years

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

Miyahara Shuzojo
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?

■ 581-1 Fukada-higashi, Asagiri, Kuma-gun, Kumamoto Prefecture■ Tel: 0966-45-0178

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.

Top left: The distillery, marked by a large tank, ismuch more spacious than one might expect fromthe outside.
Top right: Cold-fermented mash is put into a pot still
for atmospheric distillation.
Left & right: Aging in jars, enamel tanks, or barrels
has a profound effect on the resulting shochu.

■ MIYAHARA SHUZOJO (Asagiri) ■Carefully crafted shochu aged in clay pots
makes for savory aromas & clean flavors■ HISTORYUsing both black & white koji

Miyahara Shuzojo was founded on
December 29, 1896 after the founder,
Nishiro Miyahara, on a visit from nearby
Yatsushiro to buy lumber, was invited by
the locals to try making shochu due totheir over-abundance of rice. Nishiro is thegreat-grandfather of the current president,
Junichiro Miyahara. From Nishiro's timeto Junichiro's, each generation has passed

down its style of shochu making. Although
Miyahara started out making rice shochu,
the company also made sweet potato andbarley shochu when rice was rationed afterWorld War II. Rice shochu was consideredgreatly superior to sweet potato shochu atthe time.
Miyahara has since returned to its focus
on rice shochu and uses 100% Japaneserice. They make both vacuum-distilled
and atmospheric-distilled shochu. Theyuse both black and white koji dependingon what kind of shochu they aim to make.
Miyahara prides itself on its shochu thatcombines delicious tastes, savory aromas,
and refreshing flavors. These include: Kumasennin, a refreshing vacuum-distilled
shochu; Miya no Homare, a 5-year atmospheric-distilled aged shochu; and Junenno Utatane, an atmospheric distilled
shochu aged for at least ten years.

Left: A declaration to the tax office regarding the 1896 establishment of the distillery. Center: Customers
would bring their own bottles to buy shochu from the local distillery. Right: The stone koji room surrounded
by tools necessary for shochu production. It is still in use today.

■ ABOUT US

Available at local sake stores
Miyahara began using vacuum distillation in 1982. Although vacuum-distilled
shochu took off and dominated the lineup
for a time, sales are currently 50-50 withatmospheric shochu. Atmospheric shochu
is more popular in Kumamoto, while vacuum-distilled shochu is more popular inTokyo.
Although the distillery was rebuilt in
1993, the stone koji room has been in constant use since the company's founding.
Koji has been made carefully by handusing traditional methods in this roomfor generations. At the moment, the focus
is on developing atmospheric distilled
shochu. A cold mash made with 3-day kojiand Kuma River groundwater is distilledusing a pot still. After five years of aging
in a jar or enameled metal tank, it will
become Miya no Homare, the distillery's
most popular product. Miyahara shochu
is mainly sold through local sake storesthroughout Japan, from Hokkaido in thenorth to Kyushu in the south.
The president of the distillery has manyideas for new shochu, including blending
atmospheric and vacuum distilled shochus
and rethinking distillation methods. When
asked about recommendations on how
to drink shochu, he said, "First, drink it
half-and-half with water. After that, try it
heated at 8 parts shochu, 2 parts water. If
you take your time with it, you can enjoy
shochu to the max."Junichiro
Miyahara, thefifth-generation
owner, says, "Wetake our time, spareno effort, and put
our heart and soul
into our shochu."

The distillery's production flow has been designed
to facilitate work with a small staff. The jars used for
brewing are lined up at the top of the stairs.