Podcast

EPISODE INTRO

In episode 32 of the Japan Distilled podcast, your hosts Christopher Pellegrini and Stephen Lyman tackle the mysterious world of spirits cuts. It turns out these are not so mysterious and experienced distillers use a number of variables to determine “the cuts” … listen in for more details.

CREDITS

Theme Song: Begin Anywhere by Tomoko Miyata (http://tomokomiyata.net/)

Mixing and Editing: Rich Pav (https://www.uncannyjapan.com/)

HOSTS

CHRISTOPHER PELLEGRINI Vermont born and bred, long-time Tokyo resident and author of The Shochu Handbook, Christopher learned about delicious fermentations as a beer brewer at Otter Creek (Middlebury, VT). He now spends most of his waking hours convincing strangers that shochu and awamori are unlike anything they’ve ever tried before. 

STEPHEN LYMAN discovered Japan’s indigenous spirits at an izakaya in New York City. He was so enthralled that he now lives in Japan and works in a tiny craft shochu distillery every autumn. His first book, The Complete Guide to Japanese Drinks, was nominated for a 2020 James Beard Award.

Stephen and Christopher appreciate a well made spirits regardless of where the cuts are made.

If you have any comments or questions about malt vs. koji, please reach out to Stephen or Christopher via Twitter. We would love to hear from you. 

SHOW NOTES

What are Cuts?

Spirits cuts are the points at which distillers begin to capture and stop capturing distillate for their drinks. Since different liquids have different evaporation points or vapor points (when liquid turns to gas), the component parts of a fermentation will begin evaporating at different temperatures. These temperature breakpoints determine what liquids end up in the distillate.

Since alcohol evaporates at 78 degrees Celsius (172.4 Fahrenheit)and water at 100 degrees Celsius (212 F), you will end up with a higher concentration of ethanol at temperatures between 78 and perhaps 90 degrees. Other alcohols evaporate at even lower temperatures.

Heads

The most critical part of distillation cuts is the removal of the foreshots, or the early part of the heads, which contains poisons. Methanol is the most lethal, causing blindness or even death at relatively low concentrations. Fortunately, the boiling point of methanol is 66 degrees Celsius (150.8 F) so as long as the earliest distillate out of the still is discarded, the spirit should be safe for human consumption.

There is plenty of usable alcohol in the heads so once the foreshots are removed, the distiller has a lot of options as to what to do with the heads. Some redistill, some keep and blend, some even turn the heads into other products. The heads are typically high in other alcohols and have more astringent qualities. A common aroma of the heads is acetone, which is used in nail polish remover.

Hearts

The hearts are where the best spirit lives. Of course, best is relative, but the hearts tend to be high in ethanol and sweet with nice aromas. Some premium spirits are only made with the hearts.

Tails

The tails are the end of the distillation run. Depending on the character you want, you may keep more or less of the tails. However, distillers can easily recognize the tails, because the alcohol coming of the still is much lower and the flavors become more bitter. When you really finish the process, “wet dog” aromas appear and that’s when its definitely time to turn of the still.

Much More to Explore

These show notes just scratch the surface, but should serve as a useful aid as you listen to the episode itself. As always, please feel free to reach out if you have any questions about cuts.

KANPAI!

EPISODE INTRO

In the 31th episode of the Japan Distilled podcast, your host Stephen Lyman interviews the founders and owners of Umami Mart in Oakland, California. What started as a blog has turned into a direct to consumer Japanese alcohol business with nearly national reach while also remaining a friendly neighborhood bar & liquor store.

CREDITS

Theme Song: Begin Anywhere by Tomoko Miyata (http://tomokomiyata.net/)

Mixing and Editing: Rich Pav (https://www.uncannyjapan.com/)

HOST

STEPHEN LYMAN discovered Japan’s indigenous spirits at an izakaya in New York City. He was so enthralled that he now lives in Japan and works in a tiny craft shochu distillery every autumn. His first book, The Complete Guide to Japanese Drinks, was nominated for a 2020 James Beard Award.

Stephen has been friends with Yoko Kumano of Umami Mart for more than a decade. He remembers when it was a blog with a tiny online store.

If you have any comments or questions about Umami Mart, please reach out to Stephen or Christopher via Twitter. We would love to hear from you. 

SHOW NOTES

What is UmamiMart?

Umami Mart began its life as a blog, the brainchild of Kayoko Akabori & her high school friend, Yoko Kumano. They and their friends began writing about their culinary adventures in NYC (Kayoko) and Tokyo (Yoko) and elsewhere. Their international Japanese food and drink focused community grew and grew to the point where it was time to monetize the blog. Instead of going the usual google adwords route, they set up an online shop that became Umami Mart. Believe us when we say, we are all better off for it. Imagine if other food blogs had decided to provide actual products for their readers rather than endless banners and clickbait and ad bloat?

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Flash forward to 2012 and that online shop became a brick and mortar shop in Oakland, California. This was a big challenge, but it turned out to be a great opportunity. How could they pass up the 6 months in free rent offered by their landlord in a deal with the city to revitalize downtown Oakland?

Over time they have been able to acquire their off-premise soft liquor license (beer and wine store), off-premise hard liquor license (wine & spirits), on-premise soft liquor license (beer, wine, and sake bar), and on-premise hard liquor license (full bar). Today they operate a full bar in the back of their retail store, which has been an integral meeting place for the local community.

Shochu Gumi

You’ve heard of a wine of the month club, and of course, Umami Mart has their very popular Sake Gumi (sake of the month club), but what has us at Japan Distilled excited is Umami Mart’s Shochu Gumi, a quarterly delivery of two themed shochu. Upcoming theme for women’s history month is Female Frontrunners, shochu from companies with female leadership.

Community

With a Facebook page, Instagram account, and YouTube channel, Umami Mart is hard at work with continuing to grow the online community that started with their blog. Today they are also a place for people to gather and enjoy a drink with their friends while exploring the wonderful world of Japanese spirits (and sake).

In the winding path to what they’ve become, Umami Mart has survived the Great Recession, the pandemic, and the summer of unrest. With their 10th anniversary coming up for their brick and mortar shop, we know that even bigger things are in store for these passionate young women who are fast becoming among the taste makers of Japanese beverage alcohol in the US. Thanks for everything you do!

KANPAI!

EPISODE INTRO

In the 30th episode of the Japan Distilled podcast, your hosts Christopher Pellegrini and Stephen Lyman swim into uncharted waters. That is the water of life, eau de vie. An uncommon spirits style that’s only very recently begun capturing the attention of Japan’s spirits community.

CREDITS

Theme Song: Begin Anywhere by Tomoko Miyata (http://tomokomiyata.net/)

Mixing and Editing: Rich Pav (https://www.uncannyjapan.com/)

HOSTS

CHRISTOPHER PELLEGRINI Vermont born and bred, long-time Tokyo resident and author of The Shochu Handbook, Christopher learned about delicious fermentations as a beer brewer at Otter Creek (Middlebury, VT). He now spends most of his waking hours convincing strangers that shochu and awamori are unlike anything they’ve ever tried before. 

STEPHEN LYMAN discovered Japan’s indigenous spirits at an izakaya in New York City. He was so enthralled that he now lives in Japan and works in a tiny craft shochu distillery every autumn. His first book, The Complete Guide to Japanese Drinks, was nominated for a 2020 James Beard Award.

Stephen and Christopher have an almost insatiable thirst for well made spirits.

If you have any comments or questions about malt vs. koji, please reach out to Stephen or Christopher via Twitter. We would love to hear from you. 

SHOW NOTES

What is Eau De Vie?

At its most basic, eau de vie is French for “water of life”, but most often refers to unaged (or very lightly barrel aged) fruit based distillates. In Western Europe there is a long history of home distillation of eau de vie (known as schnapps in Germany). When made from fruits with high sugar content, the fruits or their juices are fermented while for fruits with lower sugar content they are usually macerated in neutral spirit before redistilling to capture the aromas of those fruits. They are very much designed to be reflective of what they are made from.

With regard to Japanese eau de vie, it is no surprise that a country so adept at making gorgeous aromatic shochu, would also be able to produce some wonderful eau de vie.

Nikka Apple Brandy

As we mentioned on the last episode, Nikka’s first alcohol product was an apple brandy after they fermented and distilled unsold apple juice. This was likely unaged or only lightly aged so it could have been considered an eau de vie. We are unsure if this was the first fruit distillate in Japan, but it was certainly one of the earliest.

Sata Souji

Modern eau de vie in Japan has departed from the western European traditions in that two of the three eau de vie makers use honkaku shochu as the base spirit before macerating fruits, botanicals, herbs, spices, or even vegetables before redistilling to capture the aromas.

At the forefront of this is Kagoshima based Sata Souji, which has turned their know how with making high quality sweet potato shochu and turned it toward some stellar Japanese eau de vie and gin expressions. They’ve gone all in, importing vintage European copper pot stills to do the work of capturing the gorgeous aromas of everything from Japanese plums to cumin to sansho peppercorns.

Mitosaya Botanical Distillery

The Mitosaya Botanical Distillery, which opened just a few years ago in a former municipal botanical garden in Chiba Prefecture, has focused on making true fruit-based eau de vie in the European style with single orchard expressions of all sorts of Japanese fruits from around the country. Really stellar output that is sold out nearly as soon as its put on their website.

Tatsumi Distillery

Up in the mountains of Gifu Prefecture, you’ll find the microdistillery Tatsumi. This one man show run by Shohei Tatsumi, who began production in 2017 after learning how to make shochu in Kyushu. He makes everything in his tiny production runs in a very traditional wooden still.

With runs of less than 500 bottles per product, he stuff is almost impossible to find, but if you do happen across it, try it. Fascinating stuff.

KANPAI!

EPISODE INTRO

In the 29th episode of the Japan Distilled podcast, your hosts Christopher Pellegrini and Stephen Lyman take a look back at the most important man in the history of Japanese whisky. Masataka Taketsuru not only build the Yamazaki Distillery for Suntory, but then set out on his own and founded Nikka. The ripples of his contribution are still being felt today.

CREDITS

Theme Song: Begin Anywhere by Tomoko Miyata (http://tomokomiyata.net/)

Mixing and Editing: Rich Pav (https://www.uncannyjapan.com/)

HOSTS

CHRISTOPHER PELLEGRINI Vermont born and bred, long-time Tokyo resident and author of The Shochu Handbook, Christopher learned about delicious fermentations as a beer brewer at Otter Creek (Middlebury, VT). He now spends most of his waking hours convincing strangers that shochu and awamori are unlike anything they’ve ever tried before. 

STEPHEN LYMAN discovered Japan’s indigenous spirits at an izakaya in New York City. He was so enthralled that he now lives in Japan and works in a tiny craft shochu distillery every autumn. His first book, The Complete Guide to Japanese Drinks, was nominated for a 2020 James Beard Award.

Stephen and Christopher have a deep and abiding respect for the craftsmen of Japan and Masataka Taketsuru was in the embodiment of this in early whisky production.

If you have any comments or questions about malt vs. koji, please reach out to Stephen or Christopher via Twitter. We would love to hear from you. 

SHOW NOTES

Early Years

Born June 20, 1894 to the family that owned the Taketsuru Sake Brewery, which is still in operation today. The brewery started as a salt manufacturer in 1651 before beginning sake production in 1733.

Taketsuru studied sake brewing at Osaka Technical High School (today known as Osaka University). He never graduated, instead being recruited by Settsu Distillery, the largest maker of industrial alcohol and imitation spirits in Japan at the time.

Scotland

Within fewer than 18 months of starting at Settsu, Taketsuru would be sent on an audacious journey to steal the best kept secrets of Scotch malt whisky so Japan could begin their own authentic whisky making.

He studied chemistry and English at Glasgow University before embarking on a series of distillery internships. First at Longmorn Distillery in Speywide, the Bo’ness grain distillery, and finally at Hazelburn in Campbeltown. He wrote down everything he learned and his notes become the Japanese whisky bible, which is still used today.

While in Scotland he met his wife, Rita Cowan. The couple married in January 1920 and then spent the first 5 months of their marriage in Campbeltown before returning to Japan to start their lives together.

Yamazaki

Upon returning from Scotland, Japan was in a recession. Settsu had lost an appetite for the large capital investment required to build an authentic malt whisky distillery. Taketsuru quickly resigned, though he was not unemployed for long.

Shinjiro Torii of Kotobukiya was looking to open a whisky distillery. He apparently offered Taketsuru the same salary he had been offering to Scottish whisky makers to relocate to Japan. The Yamazaki Distillery, built to Taketsuru’s specification, was opened in 1923. In fact, the first distillation began at 11:11pm on November 11, 1924.

They would release their first whisky, Suntory Shirofuda (white label) in April 1929. It would be a huge flop. Taketsuru had made a robust, smokey scotch whisky, which Japanese drinkers were unfamiliar with. He was sent to run a beer brewery in Yokohama – something he had no interest in. He resigned at the end of his 10 year contract and within 6 months was ready for his own venture.

Dai Nippon Kaji (aka, Nikka)

By 1934, Masataka Taketsuru had met some wealthy industrialists thanks to Rita teaching their wives English. They were ready to back him and Nikka was born. The Yoichi Distillery began making Nikka Whisky in 1940.

Taketsuru would spend the rest of life building Nikka into a national brand, but never gave up his focus as a craftsman first and businessman second.

He’s buried with his wife Rita on a hillside overlooking the Yoichi Distillery.

It’s not too much to say that Japanese whisky would not be what it is today without the contributions of Masataka Taketsuru.

KANPAI!

EPISODE INTRO

In the 28th and second episode of season two of the Japan Distilled podcast, your hosts Christopher Pellegrini and Stephen Lyman dive into the huge increase in new Japanese whisky making licenses that have been issued in the past 5 years as well as who may be behind some of these new ventures.

CREDITS

Theme Song: Begin Anywhere by Tomoko Miyata (http://tomokomiyata.net/)

Mixing and Editing: Rich Pav (https://www.uncannyjapan.com/)

HOSTS

CHRISTOPHER PELLEGRINI Vermont born and bred, long-time Tokyo resident and author of The Shochu Handbook, Christopher learned about delicious fermentations as a beer brewer at Otter Creek (Middlebury, VT). He now spends most of his waking hours convincing strangers that shochu and awamori are unlike anything they’ve ever tried before. 

STEPHEN LYMAN discovered Japan’s indigenous spirits at an izakaya in New York City. He was so enthralled that he now lives in Japan and works in a tiny craft shochu distillery every autumn. His first book, The Complete Guide to Japanese Drinks, was nominated for a 2020 James Beard Award.

Stephen and Christopher like new Japanese whisky as much as anyone else, but at this point we are drinking Scotch at home. These prices are insane!

If you have any comments or questions about malt vs. koji, please reach out to Stephen or Christopher via Twitter. We would love to hear from you. 

SHOW NOTES

Japanese Whisky Distilleries by Year of Operation

Akashi White Oak (1919) – arguably Japan’s first whisky distillery in Hyogo Prefecture, but sometimes whisky makers.

Suntory Yamazaki (1929) – designed by Masataka Taketsuru, situated strategically on the border between Osaka and Kyoto and an easy trip to Tokyo.

Nikka Yoichi (1934) – Masakata Taketsuru’s dream realized in the idyllic village of Yoichi on the northwest coast of Hokkaido.

Sasanokawa Asaka (1945) – sake makers in Fukushima Prefecture received their whisky license in 1945, but did not begin distilling malt until 2015. Up until then they were content making low grade whisky or bottling imported Scotch.

Wakatsuru Saburomaru (1952) – based in Toyama prefecture, releasing whisky sporadically since 1959, they make it in a French allospas still. Still releasing only dribs and drabs occasionally.

Sanraku Karuizawa (1956) – owned by Mercian, shuttered in 2000. Acquired by Kirin in 2006, demolished 2016.

Nikka Miyagikyo (1969) – situated in Miyagaki Prefecture, making both malt and grain whisky for Nikka’s blends.

Suntory Hakushu (1973) – the highest altitude malt whisky distillery in the world in the Japanese Alps of Nagano Prefecture.

Kirin Fuji Gotemba (1973) – situated at the foot of Mt. Fuji, a collaboration between Kirin, Seagrams, and Chivas (now wholly owned and operated by Kirin).

Suntory Chita (1973) – grain distillery.

Hanyu (1980) – malt whisky distillery shuttered in 2000. Sales of old casks led to opening Chichibu in 2008.

Mars Shinshu (1985) – Nagano distillery acquired when Hombo Distillery from Kagoshima decided to get into the wine business. Shuttered from 1969 to 1985 and shuttered again from 1992 to 2011. Now making the popular Komagatake brand.

Chichibu (2008) Distillery opened by Ichiro Atsuko in Saitama. Now making some of the most sought after craft malt whiskies in Japan.

Miyashita Okayama (2011) longtime sake and shochu maker released their first single malts in 2015. Still limited availability.

Kiuchi Nukada (2016) best known for Hitachino Next beer, Kiuchi’s first whisky release was in a canned highball! Opened the Yasato Distillery in 2020. Good things sure to come.

Kenten Akkeshi (2016) Hokkaido’s second distillery after the fabled Yoichi, Akkeshi is focusing on heavily peated styles. Recently released their first bottlings.

Gaia Flow Shizuoka (2016) The CEO of the Gaia Flow energy company vacationed in Scotland and after decided to move to whisky making. Shizuoka acquired some of the old Karuizawa equipment and released their first malt whiskies in 2021.

Mars Tsunuki (2017) Hombo Distillery decided to expand in their traditional home in Kagoshima Prefecture where the hot, humid climate should make for some very good younger malt whisky. They also have an aging warehouse on Yakushima Island even further south.

Kanosuke (2018) Shochu maker Komasa Distillery got into the whisky making game earlier than some of their competitors. Their long running barrel maintenance program for their Mellowed Kozuru brand made them natural first movers. The early releases have been extremely well received.

New Japanese Whisky Coming Soon

We’ll stop here and just state that since 2018, 54 new Japanese whisky making licenses have been issued. There is going to be a huge amount of new Japanese whisky coming in the future. Some of the highlights are:

Kuroki Honten, makers of the most famous barrel aged barley shochu, Hyakunen Kodoku, has opened a whisky distillery in Miyazaki Prefecture.

Nishi Distillery, makers of the well known Hozan shochu line and the barrel aged shochu, Tenshi no Yuwaku, have opened in Kagoshima.

The Shinozaki Distillery, makers of the koji-fermented whisky, Takamine, have opened the Shindo Distillery in Fukuoka to make their own malt whisky.

And, of course, as we led off the episode, the New Karuizawa Distillery is coming back (kind of) with none other than Mitsubishi getting into the whisky making business.

It’s going to take a lot more effort to keep track of everything going forward, that’s for sure!

KANPAI!