Koganesengan Sweet Potato — Nutty, Sweet, and Elegant
At a Glance: The most popular sweet potato shochu cultivar. Often results in a slightly sweet, citrusy, floral, and pumpkin-spiced shochu. Grab a random bottle of imo shochu, and it’s most likely it will be made with Koganesengan.
Koganesengan sweet potato 黄金千貫 is widely considered “the King” of cultivars for Imo-jochu production. The results are usually both sweet and flavorful. Chestnut is a major tasting descriptor for shochu made with the imo varietal– others include: steamed pumpkin, fresh earth, citrus, and dried flowers.
Koganesengan sweet potato originated in Kyushu in the mid-60’s. Overall, it’s the most popular cultivar of sweet potato in Kyushu. This demands is both for Shochu, as well as for the table. It’s high yielding, with high levels of starch and sugar, and it ripens early. However, it is susceptible to nematodes and black rot issues. Does not store well, and older potatoes are highly prone to Imo Itamisyu.
A lof of shochu is made with Koganesengan. Social media is a fun place to see what’s available in Japan. Some of the most popular imo shochu imported into America uses this varietal. Kuro Kirishima and Satsuma Shiranami are both famous and each uses Koganesengan. Interestingly– they have quite different profiles. Trying them side by side is a must for those looking to dive deeper into the subject.
Shochu made with Koganesengan
Kanji / Keywords
Koganesengan 黄金千貫, こがねせんがん
Imo 芋 Imo shochu 芋焼酎