The Traditional, Single-Distilled, Artisanal Method – Step-by-Step (2025 Edition)
Honkaku shochu = legally defined as “authentic shochu” made by pot still (single distillation), using only one main ingredient + koji + water. No neutral alcohol, no added sugar, no flavourings allowed. It is the Japanese equivalent of single-malt whisky or agricole rum in terms of strictness and terroir focus.
There are four main types by ingredient:
Barley (mugi)
Sweet-potato (imo)
Rice (kome) – includes Kuma shochu and awamori
Brown-sugar (kokutō) – only in Kagoshima’s Amami islands
All follow the same 10-step process, with small regional variations.
1. Koji Making (製麹 – Seikiku) – 48–60 hours
Steamed rice (or sometimes barley) is inoculated with Aspergillus (black, white, or yellow koji).
Temperature controlled at 30–42 °C in wooden trays or stainless boxes.
This is the soul of honkaku shochu: koji converts starch → sugar and creates the signature flavour precursors.
→ Black koji (Okinawa awamori) = high citric acid → funky, tropical notes
→ White koji (Kagoshima imo) = clean, fruity
→ Yellow koji (Kuma rice shochu) = sake-like elegance
2. Primary Fermentation – First Moromi (一次仕込み – Shiodate) – 6–8 days
Koji + water + yeast → small starter mash (≈ 1,000 L)
Ferments at 20–28 °C
Goal: build a healthy yeast population and convert all rice starch to sugar + alcohol (≈ 12–15 % ABV)
3. Secondary Fermentation – Main Moromi (二次仕込み – Tsukidate) – 8–18 days
The main ingredient is added to the starter mash:
Sweet potatoes (steamed or raw, crushed)
Barley (steamed, cracked)
Rice (steamed)
Brown sugar (dissolved)
Total volume now 6,000–12,000 L
Ferments cooler (20–25 °C) and slower → reaches 15–20 % ABV
Sweet-potato moromi is thick like wet concrete; barley is soupy.
4. Distillation – Single Pot Still Only (常圧 or 減圧) – 1 day
Legal requirement: maximum one distillation in a pot still.
Two sub-styles:
Most premium honkaku is jōatsu (atmospheric) – preserves more congeners and character.
5. Resting / Separation – 1–30 days
Freshly distilled shochu is rested in stainless tanks.
Heads & tails are removed (but less strictly than whisky).
6. Dilution to Bottling Strength
Usually cut with pure local water to 25 %, 30 %, or 35 % ABV (rarely higher).
Some left cask-strength (genshu 原酒) at 37–44 %.
7. Ageing (Optional but Increasingly Common)
Unaged (shiro 白) – bottled immediately → bright, punchy
Aged 3 months–3 years in stainless or clay pots (kame 甕) → mellow, rounded
Aged 3–25+ years in oak, sherry, or brandy casks → whisky-like complexity
→ Famous examples:Satsuma Hōjō (25-year sweet-potato)
Kiroku (18-year barley)
Tenshi no Yuwaku (10-year imo aged in sherry)
8. Filtration (Very Light or None)
Almost all honkaku shochu is unfiltered or only roughly filtered → slight cloudiness and oiliness on the palate is prized.
9. Bottling
Traditional: 900 ml or 1.8 L paper-wrapped glass bottles
Modern: 720 ml premium bottles, cans for chu-hi base
10. Legal Labelling Requirements (2025)
“Honkaku shochu” or regional name (Kuma, Iki, Satsuma, Ryukyu awamori)
Main ingredient must be ≥51 % of fermentable material
Distilled ≤95 % ABV (in practice ≤45 %)
No added alcohol or flavourings
Regional Signature Variations (2025)
Timeline of One Batch (Typical Kagoshima Imo Shochu)
Day 0–2 Koji making
Day 3–10 Primary fermentation
Day 11–28 Secondary fermentation (sweet potatoes added)
Day 29 Distillation
Day 30–90 Resting & dilution
Day 91+ Bottling or barrel ageing
Total: 6–10 weeks from rice to bottle (plus ageing).
Bottom Line
Honkaku shochu is one of the purest, most terroir-driven spirits on earth:
One ingredient
One distillation
One fungus (koji) doing all the magic
It is basically Japanese moonshine that spent 500 years evolving into a world-class craft category.
Drink it on the rocks, with hot water (oyu-wari), cold water (mizu-wari), or soda — and taste 500 years of Kyushu soul in every sip.
Kanpai!
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