Which style...?

[scQue]

Hello!  My name is Sc'Eric (aka sc'Que).  I'm the bar manager of a Japanese/Chinese restaurant in Pennsylvania.  After 2.5 yrs, I've finally gotten the geist of sake and I'm ready to expand some horizons--my own and our customers. 

I've had Korean soju, which I imagine is *similar* to Japanese shochu (same language roots, after all).  The two Korean brands I've had are Charm--which is surprisingly horrid--and Chamisul--which I recall being quite palatable. 

I've been reading about Japanese shochu styles and am really curious to try things out.  Problem is, I am on a budget.  And since honkaku shochu is not readily available in stores, I must special-order it from a large distributor.  (And this may mean that I have to purchase a minimum of 6 bottles, but I'm not yet certain.)  In any case, shochu seems to be priced in the $30+ range, so I don't want to make an un-wise decision for our restaurant. 

We sell lots of sake.  That said, I see no reason to procure a rice shochu, as the flavors and texture will no doubt have similarities.  We also have quite a few customers with wheat allergies, so providing a wheat-free, barley-free alternative behind the bar would probably be a good move.  With what Takara has to offer, that leaves me with buckwheat and sweet potato as options. 

Can anyone provide any comparative information about TOWARI, IKKOMON and KOROKAME?   The information provided by Takara is, of course, promotionally-oriented.  I'm looking for more objective facts and subjective taste comparisons.  I'm a very seasoned drinker, so any comparisons you can make to other styles of liquor are quite welcomed.  (For instance, how does the smoky characteristic of some shochu compare to that of Scotch whisky... as well as the body and overall flavor?)  Also, do you think my logic on choosing a variety (from the above paragraph) is sound?

Thx for your help!!!   

[Shochu-san]

Hello sc'Que,

I am only 3 months late it looks.  So sorry, but maybe I can still offer a little help.  I feel Korean and Japanese shochu are vastly different.  Korean soju is far more like vodka (or paint thinner in many cases).  Japanese shochu seems more like a whisky as opposed to a vodka. 

Purchasing on a budget is never easy or fun, but you can definitely find some flavorful, inexpensive shochu.  The three you listed below are the standard entry level brands in America.  Out of the three, I would choose Towari and Ikkomon.  For novice shochu drinkers though, it is good to start with rice because the flavors are familiar thus they are less likely to have a negative first-time experience.  My number 1 recommendation for rice is Tori kai.  It's quite expensive here in the States but it's really good. 

As I stated before, shochu is more like whisky and typically has similar flavor profiles.  If you are looking from some shochu reviews, check out www.shochucircle.com

[yamanote]

I agree that perhaps novice drinkers or those used to sake might prefer the taste and aroma of a rice shochu, but I have to say that I find the flavor of the imo(sweet potato) shochu just so amazing!  I highly recommend adding a bottle of that to your menu as well, for people who are a little more adventurous or who have been to Japan and know their shochus!  Most people who have drunk Shochu in Japan seem to prefer the Imo shochus, in my experience.

Good luck with expanding your restaurant menu!

[swilsown73]

Which one of the style sets do you use to view the site with? Is there anything we can do to make them better? Sound off here and let us know...

[Belealese]

Classic II. Its as close as I can get to MoO3 style on Apolyton, which is also easy on the eyes.

[D.UNert]

Hi Mike,

Im about ready to break in my Baisley built 95 and would like your advise as to which style works best?

Motortune style, S&S style or the manuals proceedure?

I had so many problems the last time I never was able to warm it up and go and it looked to me the skirts had too much wear.

Now its bored and ready to go again.

Thanks, Jeff

[D.UNert]

Thats right, what style set do you use? I use CGN classic FYI.

[Ovalmix09]

While Im not a big fan of the YouGamers style, I do like how the new ORB looks.

[Clieree09]

my favourite is RA2, i got board with the seriousness of the ra1 storyline. I think that the style of ra2 was very good. Ra3 may be better but i am not in a position to comment on it because i havent been following its developement that closely

[Belealese]

Buying a turbo mani is not about style, unless your just putting it on for show.  It all depends on your setup and power goals, not which one looks cooler.

[Clieree09]

Destinys Child style has come up a long way from those peices of leather & vinyl they use to rock

[Pellegrini]

I'm really late here, but hopefully the original poster is still paying attention.

First of all, rice shochu and nihonshu (sake) are very dissimilar, so don't let that deter you from adding the former to your menu. The former is distilled--the latter brewed. The resulting beverages, in general, are often as different as whiskey and beer.

As for which varietal of shochu to purchase, if you want to go with what the folks in Japan are drinking, imo (potato) shochu is far and away the most popular libation at the moment. Served on the rocks, it should appeal to a wide variety of customers.

Hope everything is going well with your restaurant!