HamadaShuzo, a shochu maker based in Ichiki-Kushikino City, Kagoshima Prefecture, was founded in 1868. It was awarded the trophy for the best shochu in the "IWSC2019" SHOCHU category! We are sure you have heard of it before.
Hamada Shuzo has just released an amazing new sake! It is an authentic barley shochu called " Ukaze. Ukaze is an IWSC 2024 Gold Award-winning shochu with the catchphrase, "The best sweet and savory flavor produced by an exquisite blend of four types of unique original shochu. It was also released on September 26, 2023 (Tuesday) to commemorate the 155th anniversary of Hamada Shuzo, and this year marks the first anniversary of " Uwaze.
We received a bottle of Reika's liver-fluttering shochu this time and will review many of them!
Let's start with the label!
The label is a Japanese-style design painted with four colors of watercolors. The four colors have a meaning, and as mentioned at the beginning of this article, they are a blend of four different types of sake: "barrel-aged", "mellow", "light", and "fragrant".
To achieve this, we selected the sake that best fit our image from among several hundred different types of sake, and finally narrowed it down to four. We then blended these four types of sake in 1% increments in order to achieve the ideal taste.
The softly colored packaging does not float anywhere (or is it?), and is designed with a modern Japanese taste. The name in hiragana suggests that the taste is also gentle!
What is the label on the back of "Uzaze"?
Hmmm... "Uwaze" was born in Kagoshima, wasn't it? Kagoshima is the second largest producer of rough tea in Japan and the birthplace of "Japanese black tea".
It is generally brewed at 25 degrees Celsius. It tastes " fruity and gorgeous ". Shochu is distilled to extract the alcohol, so it contains no sugar.
In today's increasingly health-conscious society, shochu can be drunk without worrying about calories, and it is said to be less likely to cause hangovers.
The liver craves alcohol! Now it's time to open the package!
This is irresistible. Ramen is from the soup, alcohol is from the aroma.
It has a "fruity" aroma as described on the label. Even though it's 25%, it didn't have that alcohol-specific "quack! I can't imagine what it would taste like. I can't imagine what it will taste like. I can't wait to drink it...
I recommend drinking it with tea! I bought a lot of it at a convenience store!
According to the official report, "Uzaze" is a good match for tea, so this time Saiga NAK bought....
- Oolong tea
- Green tea
- Black tea (unsweetened)
- Jasmine tea
- Green tea bags
The following is a list of the most popular teabags! I am impressed by the convenience stores these days. Until recently, there was no such thing as unsweetened black tea. It is said to go well with most other teas such as rooibos tea and barley tea, so why don't you try mixing it with your favorite tea?
Here is the review of each flavor! I love drinking!
First out was the black tea. The ice was absolutely chock-full! And then, "one cup of Uzaze is divided into two cups," right? Let's call this the " Uzaze 1 to 2 rule.
While I was saying that, it was finished! How does it taste?
Mr. Reika: " Is this a juice with alcohol in it? Mr. Reika: "Is this a juice with alcohol in it...?
The sweetness of the tea leaves, which is unique to black tea, combined with the fruity taste of "Uaze" makes it taste sweet. It is not a sugary sweetness, but a sweetness that makes the most of the taste of the ingredients! The sweetness of the tea leaves is softly felt, and when swallowed, it goes down your throat with a refreshing taste.
I felt that this is a drink that can be enjoyed both during and after a meal.
Next, we drank oolong tea!
Reika has a history of drinking oolong tea with shochu, which he drank at a supper in the past, and got a bad taste because of its unique flavor. She is slightly traumatized, but how does it taste...?
"!!!! "
Reika: " The spiritual pressure of the tea leaves has disappeared...? "
Strictly speaking, it has not disappeared. However, the sweet flavor unique to oolong tea combined with the taste of "Ukaze" somehow made it disappear in a good way, and I felt a faint oolong tea flavor and a refreshing aftertaste of Ukaze!
Mr. Reika: "Will you kindly lean on my trauma, Ukaze..." This is trauma conquered!
Next, the legendary green tea of the tea world
The barley shochu mixed with green tea is called " barley green" and is loved by all generations.
When you actually drink it...
"Puhah! "
It's still delicious this way! But compared to what I drank earlier, I felt the alcohol taste was the strongest!
Why is that? Many people said, "It has a strong alcohol taste..." This is a recommended drink for those who want to enjoy the feeling of drinking!
The taste of green tea is different from that of black tea, and you can feel both sweetness and astringency of green tea. The best part, however, is the "Uzaze," which refreshes the throat!
We've been waiting for it! Jasmine tea, the hot tea of the tea world!
Jasmine tea is fairly new among the teas available at convenience stores. With its aromatic, fresh aroma and astringent taste, this tea is especially popular among young women, and is the gal of the tea world, so to speak.
I wonder if "Ukaze-kun" will be able to handle the gals of the tea world...
" Ukaze! "
Ukaze-kun" has the gorgeous flavor of jasmine, but with less astringency! It is as if he is an "understanding class president" who is charming himself while enhancing the gal's charm....
The sweetness of the barley shochu is also enhanced by the jasmine.
Ukaze-kun" is a good friend to everyone!
There is another way to drink it!
We have found an interesting way to drink shochu. It's called " Tea-bag mixing.
To make it, you put a tea bag in the bottom of the cup, add ice, pour water and give it a swirl with a muddler, and you're done.
Is this really green tea? I'm worried....
The taste is similar to that of water, and although you can taste the sweetness and aroma of the barley shochu, the flavor from a splash of green tea gives it a refreshing taste that you won't get tired of! So it was tea bags for flavoring.... The liver is overjoyed by this new way of drinking green tea, which is completely different from the usual green tea mixing!
Uzaze" is a savior that reduces the fruity taste of tea.
After trying various ways of drinking it, we found that all of the tea-driven shochu products have a fruity and refreshing aftertaste with less of a tangy aftertaste.
I thought that the sweet aftertaste of barley shochu in general is very assertive, but "Uwaze" has a very moderate sweetness, and I felt that it was the best sake for enhancing the flavor of tea without killing it!
I introduced it in Reika's delivery!
This product was very tasty. Reika is quick to drink when it comes to alcoholic beverages, and she delivers her games while drinking. By the way, black tea was Reika's favorite drink.
"I'm drunk even before I deliver the game... I'm not sure what my favorite way to drink is..."
" Original sake! "
That's my review of Ukaze.
For more information on Ukaze, please visit the Ukaze special page. Also, follow Hamada Shuzo's official X (@hamadasyuzou ) to get the latest news!
急に冷え込んできて、
ずっと暖かかった鹿児島でも
冬の訪れを感じつつあります⛄❄️寒い日には#うかぜ のお茶割りで
ほっとひと息つきませんか☕アールグレイやルイボスティが
おすすめです☺️🙌 pic.twitter.com/YgVKNPQiGv— 【公式】濵田酒造（はまだしゅぞう）焼酎メーカー (@hamadasyuzou) November 8, 2024
Sorry, this article is only available in Japanese. at the moment.
