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Company name: Kokusen Awamori
Corporation
Founded: 1958
Address: 142 Yonaguni, Yonaguni Town, Yaeyama-gun
TEL: F09808-7-2315
FAX: FF09808-7-3117 |
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Famous for its 60% proof
'hanazaki', which is stunning and mild at the same time.
Yonaguni Island used to be called 'Donan' in the local dialect,
which means 'hard to reach'. The island does indeed have high cliffs
and the weather is fickle, so it was not easy to reach its shores.
The island's nickname has now become the name of the island's liquor
produced by Kokusen Awamori. The distillery was founded in 1958
when three distillers-Mr. Ganaha, Mr. Kinjyo and Mr. Otake-joined
forces. The distillery still produces awamori by hand today,
steaming the rice and distilling the liquor using traditional iron
pots.
Donan has an alcohol content of 25, 30, 43 or 60%. The liquor
with the highest alcohol content is called 'hanazaki'. It
is made from the first drops of distillate. It can only be made
on the island because of its high alcohol content, which is not
permitted elsewhere.
The bottles bear the description 'spirits' or 'alcohol used as a
raw ingredient'. It is a very strong liquor, just like the island's
untamed natural landscape, and is incredibly 'hot' when first tasted-the
flavor of the southern islands. But when you take a second sip,
you notice other elements-the richness of the flavor and the aroma,
so typical of awamori. 'Hanazaki' means 'flower wine',
and certainly, when drunk with water, the white liquid dissolves
into the water like a flower.
Hanazaki was only tasted by nobles during the Ryukyu Kingdom
era. Many people today take a taste out of curiosity, only to become
hooked by its rich taste and aroma. |
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