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Company name: Taikoku Distillery
Co., Ltd.
Founded: 1952
Address: 90, Tairagawa, Gushikawa City
TEL: 098-973-3211
FAX: 098-974-1857 |
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Japan's southernmost refined
sake maker has made full use of its brewing techniques to
reflect the benefits of the A and B classes of shochu in
the taste of awamori.
This distillery, located in the central area of the Okinawan main
island, specializes in the awamori brand Hantabaru. It is
also Japan's southernmost sake brewery. Because refined sake
calls for cold temperatures, the tradition of sake-making
did not develop in the southern island of Okinawa. Instead, it nurtured
its local distilled liquor called awamori. But the brewery founder,
Shigeshi Yasuda, who studied agricultural chemistry at the present
Iwate University, decided to challenge the limits of brewing technology
in Okinawa.
Since the brewery was founded in 1952, Mr. Yasuda has acquired licenses
to manufacture A Class shochu, awamori, whiskey, liqueurs
and refined sake. In making refined sake, he joined
hands with the Reimei Brewery in Nagasaki to create its rich, dry
sake, Reimei. The skills nurtured through producing
different kinds of alcoholic beverages were put to use to make traditional
awamori distilled liquor. Hantabaru is a blend of B Class
awamori shochu with A Class shochu and matured to
produce awamori that does not have the typically strong smell associated
with awamori. The easy-to-drink texture and rich sweetness were
made possible through these procedures. The brand is also said to
be a healthy drink that does not induce hangovers. This was achieved
by removing all impurities.
The brand takes its name from the local place in Gushikawa City
which is the brewery's domicile. 'Hantabaru' is the title
of a local folksong. The awamori was named in memory of the old
days, when simplicity dominated and the people were rich in spirit.
The brewery has also engaged in efforts to preserve the natural
environment. The present owner, Yasuharu Yasuda, says that recycling
is a natural effort. The brewery reuses bottles after thorough washing
and still uses tanks and machinery that were in use before the Okinawa
reversion in 1972. One step into the brewery takes us straight back
to the old days; it's unique in its blend of traditions and innovations.
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