{"product_id":"hawaiian-shochu-company-21-namihana-shochu","title":"Hawaiian Shochu Company #21 Namihana Shochu","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHawaiian Shochu Company #21 Namihana Shochu\u003c\/strong\u003e is batch #21 of Namihana (\"wave flower\"), the handmade sweet potato shochu distilled in Haleiwa, on Oahu's North Shore, by Ken and Yumiko Hirata. Hawaiian-grown sweet potatoes are fermented with koji-cultured rice in century-old ceramic vats and distilled a single time in a traditional wooden pot still, then bottled unfiltered at 30% ABV in a 750mL bottle. It is one of the rarest bottles in our \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/shochu\"\u003eshochu\u003c\/a\u003e collection — each batch of roughly 3,000 bottles takes about six months to make.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eStyle:\u003c\/strong\u003e Shochu — Imo (sweet potato), Honkaku\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eABV:\u003c\/strong\u003e 30% (60 proof)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e 750mL\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eProducer:\u003c\/strong\u003e Hawaiian Shochu Company (Ken Hirata), Haleiwa, Hawaii\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eRegion:\u003c\/strong\u003e Hawaii, USA\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eKagoshima Craft, Hawaiian Terroir\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKen Hirata apprenticed for years under Master Manzen at Manzen Shuzo in Kirishima, Kagoshima — a famed house of handcrafted imo shochu — learning the techniques of the Kurose Brew Masters before founding Hawaiian Shochu Company in 2013, Hawaii's first and only shochu distillery. The process is unchanged from Kagoshima: rice is steamed in a wooden koshiki steamer and cultured with black koji, the mash of koji rice and steamed Hawaiian sweet potatoes ferments slowly in 150-year-old ceramic kametsubo vats, and distillation happens just once in a wooden kidaru pot still. Namihana is essentially unfiltered — only a thin layer of cloth takes out the sediment — so it keeps the full, earthy character of the sweet potato. Hawaii's warm climate, much like Kagoshima's autumn, lets Hirata produce two small batches a year; each batch varies with its sweet potato source, and batch #21 is the current release in our shop.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eTasting Notes\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFloral and earthy, with roasted sweet potato, white pepper and a gentle tropical sweetness; slightly cloudy from its minimal filtration, with a dry, lingering body that is distinctly honkaku — nothing like a neutral vodka.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eHow to Enjoy\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe distiller asks that you shake the bottle lightly before serving. Drink it neat at room temperature, on the rocks, or oyuwari — cut with hot water — alongside Japanese food. Finish the bottle within about a month of opening and store it at room temperature away from direct sunlight. For more Japanese distilling, compare the barley-based \u003ca href=\"\/products\/iichiko-shochu-silhouette\"\u003eiichiko Shochu Silhouette\u003c\/a\u003e and the blended \u003ca href=\"\/products\/nankai-premium-blended-shochu\"\u003eNankai Premium Blended Shochu\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eFAQ\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat does Namihana mean?\u003c\/strong\u003e \"Nami\" is wave — for the famous surf of the North Shore — and \"hana\" is flower, also a nod to the koji that blooms on the rice.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat is imo shochu?\u003c\/strong\u003e Shochu distilled from sweet potatoes (imo) and koji rice — the signature style of Kagoshima, Japan, made here with Hawaiian-grown sweet potatoes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy batch #21?\u003c\/strong\u003e Every Namihana release is a numbered batch from a single production run, and each differs slightly with the sweet potatoes used. Batch #21 is the bottling we stock; see our \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/holiday-gift-guide\"\u003eHoliday Gift Guide\u003c\/a\u003e for more small-batch gift ideas.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis bottle is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, with nationwide shipping where legal.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Hawaiian Shochu Company","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":68109405126699,"sku":"DM17754L","price":86.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1277\/3667\/files\/namihana-600x800.jpg?v=1793681456","url":"https:\/\/www.delmesaliquor.com\/products\/hawaiian-shochu-company-21-namihana-shochu","provider":"Del Mesa Liquor","version":"1.0","type":"link"}