Tomino Hozan: The Imo Shochu Made With Sake Koji

Sweet potato shochu is usually made with black or white koji. Tomino Hozan uses yellow.

That single decision is why this bottle changed what a lot of people thought imo shochu could be.

Why Yellow Koji Is Unusual

Koji is the mold that converts starch into fermentable sugar. Shochu production in southern Kyushu runs on black and white koji, and there's a practical reason: both produce citric acid, which protects the mash from spoiling in a hot, humid climate.

Yellow koji is the sake mold. It produces far less acid, which makes fermentation riskier in the south, and it's exactly why Kyushu moved away from it in the first place.

What you get in exchange is fragrance. Yellow koji gives a lighter, more aromatic, more sake-like result, and on sweet potato that reads as fruit.

What's In It

Golden Senkan sweet potatoes grown in Kagoshima, rice koji made from domestic rice, atmospheric distillation, 25% ABV.

Nishi Shuzo has been in the hills of Kagoshima for over a century and a half, and they work directly with local farmers on the potatoes rather than simply buying them in.

What It Tastes Like

Aroma: Citrus and pear, distinctly fruity

Taste: Sophisticated and clean, with the sweet potato present but not heavy

Finish: Light

If your reference for imo shochu is something earthy and pungent, this is the bottle that argues with that. It's closer in feel to a good ginjo than to a rustic country spirit.

How to Drink It

On the rocks or with cold water. Nishi Shuzo recommends both, and they're right, the aromatics are the point and heat disturbs them.

Skip oyuwari here. Hot water suits heavier imo shochu; this one loses its best feature.

Pair It With

Lighter than the usual imo pairings. Handrolls, crispy rice, agedashi tofu, scallop skewers.

It still handles yakitori well, but you don't need to hand it fat to make it work.

Try It at Juraku

Tomino Hozan is on the shochu list at Izakaya Juraku, Lower East Side. If you've written off imo shochu, ask for this one next to Kuro Kirishima and taste them side by side.