Kokuto shochu is made with brown sugar and rice koji. It’s a relatively new shochu style created after WWII.
It can only be made on the Amami Islands of Kagoshima.
What Does Kokuto Shochu Taste Like?
In general, kokuto shochu has a rum-like aroma and a soft texture. Molasses, coconut, lime, and banana are common notes.
Amami Kokuto Shochu
The Amami Islands are the only place permitted to use cane-based raw materials for shochu. Locally-grown raw sugarcane is the base ingredient plus koji rice.
Historically, the islands made shochu with millet, rice, and sago palm fruit. Sugar was too expensive for shochu-making. But after WWII, Amami wasn’t able to export much of its sugar. So changes were made permitting kokuto shochu production after 1953.
Popular Kokuto Shochu Brands
There are only around 16 distilleries on the Amami Islands. And unfortunately, most brands are nearly impossible to find in the US. Jougo and Lento are the two most available brands.