Komasa Jyozo Komasa no Yuzushu (500 ml)

Komasa Jyozo, a Kagoshima distillery with roots in sweet-potato shochu, turned to Kochi Prefecture's yuzu — Japan's most aromatic citrus, grown in the mountainous river valleys of Shikoku where cool nights and acidic, well-drained soils concentrate essential oils in the thick, knobbled rind. The decision to source from Kochi rather than use commodity yuzu is deliberate: Kochi accounts for roughly half of Japan's yuzu output and its fruit carries a distinctly floral, resinous character absent in lowland-grown equivalents.

The liqueur is built on Komasa's own imo-jochu (sweet-potato shochu) base, which provides a soft, slightly earthy backbone rather than the neutral spirit most yuzu-shu producers use. Cold-pressed yuzu peel is macerated directly into the spirit — no heat extraction, no artificial flavouring — preserving the volatile top-notes of the zest. The result sits at 12% ABV, low enough to retain freshness without diluting the citrus intensity.

What separates this expression from category peers is the shochu base itself: the sweet-potato character adds a faint umami depth that lengthens the finish beyond what a neutral-grain base allows. Drink well-chilled or over a large ice block; the 500 ml format is designed for rapid consumption once opened to protect the volatile aromatics.