IICHIKO Hita Zenkouji Barley Shochu (720 ml)

When Sanwa Shurui launched iichiko in 1979, it did something structurally unprecedented in honkaku shochu: it applied a blended-whisky architecture — combining more than two dozen proprietary single-distillate recipes, each varying koji strain, yeast strain, and fermentation temperature — to a spirit that, by law, can only be distilled once per component. The Hita Zenkouji expression draws specifically on the Hita Distillery, a converted former Nikka juice factory in southern Oita, whose defining asset is spring water naturally filtered through over 1,000 feet of volcanic rock, yielding an exceptionally soft, iron-free profile that shapes the spirit's texture from fermentation through to glass.

Base material is 100% two-row Nishi no Hoshi barley ('Western Star'), an Oita Prefecture cultivar selected for high starch content, inoculated with white barley koji (Aspergillus oryzae) and driven by a proprietary house yeast maintained via the sashimoto carry-over method since the 1980s — each fermentation batch seeded from its predecessor, preserving microbial continuity across decades. Single distillation only, as honkaku shochu law requires: no re-distillation, no sweeteners, no additives.

What separates this expression is site specificity within iichiko's own system: the Hita Distillery's volcanic-filtered water imparts a measurably softer mouthfeel than the Usa City headquarters components, making Zenkouji the most texturally distinct address in the core lineup.

NV by design; the multi-distillate blending formula ensures house consistency across releases. Drink now through any point — honkaku shochu does not oxidize in bottle.