A new spirit evolved from
Amami Oshima’s brown sugar shochu.
THE AMAMI SPIRITS: ZEN.
ZEN is a sumptuous spirit produced by
redistilling Amami’s brown sugar or kokuto shochu.
Amami Oshima island’s oldest Amami kokuto shochu distillery, Yayoi Shochu Jozosho is proud to introduce THE AMAMI SPIRITS: ZEN, defining a new category of spirits.
Top-quality Amami kokuto shochu is carefully redistilled to bring out complex flavors and aromas.
It is a spirit guided by the history and nature of the Amami Islands and blessed by chance (“gu-zen”).
It is a unique spirit refined as if by fate (“hitsu-zen”).
It is a spirit nurtured by Amami’s mother nature (“shi-zen”).
Chance, fate, and nature, or the three zens were brought together in redistillation and sublimed into a crystal clear, beautiful yet rich liquor.
Zen, the common character and sound from gu-zen, hitsu-zen, and shi-zen also means ‘agreement’ or ‘as it is’, an accepting, affirming attitude. As the name suggests, AMAMI SPIRITS: ZEN has endless possibilities. It can be enjoyed straight up or on the rocks, and is also an alluring base for new creative cocktails at bars around the world.
Chance, Fate, and Nature - the Three Zens
Blessed by Chance: Amami’s History and Culture
Amami Oshima is a subtropical island between Kagoshima and the main island of Okinawa. While the landscape looks exotic and tropical, the island may feel less like Okinawa and more like other rural Japanese areas. This is due to the island’s history: the island has always had a relationship with the Ryukyu Empire, Japan’s Satsuma Domain, and, more recently, the United States. The resulting culture is a unique cross between Japan and Ryuku.
The history and culture make Amami Oshima an extraordinary subtropical island, serendipitously providing the perfect place to develop AMAMI SPIRITS: ZEN.
Enabled by Fate: Redistilling Kokuto Shochu
THE AMAMI SPIRITS: ZEN is created from Amami kokuto shochu, a rare type of shochu that only 17 distilleries in Japan produce continually. One of these distilleries is the Yayoi Shochu Jozojo, established in 1922 and the oldest on the island of Amami Oshima. Ever since the current 4th generation Master Brewer or Toji began 15 years ago, he aspired to produce a distilled liquor based on Amami kokuto shochu.
Amami kokuto shochu is made from rice malt and brown sugar. Amami kokuto shochu is then distilled once more to produce THE AMAMI SPIRITS: ZEN, which has an exceptional concentration of multilayered flavors and bouquets. Perhaps only Yayoi Shochu Jozojo, the oldest distillery with rich expertise in Amami kokuto shochu production, was destined to succeed. It is, in a way, an achievement of fate.
Nurtured by Nature: Amami’s Natural Environment
Amami Oshima is slightly smaller than Okinawa’s main island but is Japan's eighth largest island. It is known for its endemic species such as the Amami Rabbit, other endangered beings, Japan's second largest mangrove habitat, and the high-clarity Amami-blue ocean. The island is so full of diverse and rare life that it was recognized as a Natural World Heritage site by UNESCO on July 26th, 2021.
The natural microcosm of Amami is what nurtures the flavors of AMAMI SPIRITS: ZEN.
Making THE AMAMI SPIRITS: ZEN
HOW TO ENJOY
Our Amami Soul in
THE AMAMI SPIRITS
Yayoi Shochu Jozosho has been producing Amami shochu since 1922. As the fourth-generation President and Toji, my mission or passion is executing a hazekomi so deep the koji mold’s hyphae reach the core of each grain of steamed rice; it is an essential step for a smooth and superb shochu. Creating THE AMAMI SPIRITS: ZEN by redistilling Amami kokuto shochu was my longtime dream.
At Yayoi Shochu Jozosho, we pour our Amami soul into refining the richness of the liquor. AMAMI SPIRITS: ZEN is amazing when tried straight up or on the rocks, but it is also a versatile cocktail base, perfect with tropical fruits such as mangoes. We hope bar proprietors and cocktail lovers around the world will enjoy it.
CEO, Yayoi Shochu Jozosho Ltd.
Hiroyuki Kawasaki
Established in 1922, Yayoi Shochu Jozosho is the oldest distillery on the Amami Oshima island.
While brown sugar shochu became widely popular after the war, we continue to strive today to create an exceptional, satisfying shochu.
The smooth flavors of Amami shochu with a unique aroma and sweetness, blended with rice malt, makes Amami shochu a local specialty popular among a diverse clientele.
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THE AMAMI SPIRITS : ZEN 47%, 500ml
- Straight
- Crystal clear and colorless, with whiffs of sumptuous vanilla and cinnamon. Take a sip to feel the delicate scents fill your mouth as the aroma of roasted nuts emerges and the flavor deepens. Compared to barley shochu, the flavor is more elegant.
- On The Rocks
- The scents are tempered by ice, but the flavors are more defined and sweeter.
- Mixed With Water (Mizuwari)
- The alcohol kick and scents are obscured while a tender sweetness trails to the finish.
- Mixed With Soda
- Feel the sweetness of brown sugar encapsulated in the bubbles; enjoy the unique experience.
- Mixed With Hot Water (Oyuwari)
- Both the scent and sweetness potently unfold in your mouth.
TASTING NOTES -
THE AMAMI SPIRITS : ZEN Tankan47%, 500ml
- Straight
- Crystal clear and colorless, citrus tankan’s brilliant bouquet of orange peel and marmalade scents emerges from the very top. The original ZEN’s deep and nutty flavor is imbued with the fragrance of tankan, making even the aftertaste glamorous.
- On The Rocks
- While the aroma is the same as when taken straight, the flavor is milder, and the gorgeous aftertaste sweeter.
- Mixed With Water (Mizuwari)
- The aroma is similar to straight or on the rocks; the brilliance of tankan is better defined when mixed with water.
- Mixed With Soda
- The tankan flavor is more pronounced, as both the aroma and flavors are mixed with the bubbles.
- Mixed With Hot Water (Oyuwari)
- The brilliance of tankan’s aroma is there, while the flavors are milder.
TASTING NOTES
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