Made by potatoes,
Fruity
Rich yet mellow, and
bursting with juicy flavor
Characterized by an elegant, elderflower-like aroma
and the fresh fruitiness
of Muscat grapes and mandarin oranges.
-
America
SFWSC 2024
San Francisco World Spirits CompetitionGold Award in Shochu category -
France
Kura Master 2023
honkaku shochu and Awamori: Sweet Potato Shochu Category
Gold Award Winner
After trying KIRISHIMA No.8,
89% of customers said
their view of sweet potato shochu improved!
* Responses from 2,295 customers who participated in SHO-CHU BAR No.8,
a pop-up event held September 27 - October 13, 2024.
- (Woman in her 30s)
I don’t usually go for shochu, so I feel like I’ve discovered a nice option. The shochu flavor is there, but it was very easy to drink for a beginner like myself.
- (Man in his 30s)
It’s a light sweet potato shochu, so I can enjoy it casually. It could turn more people into shochu fans!
- (Woman in her 50s)
This is a very stylish shochu that could go well with any meal, not just Japanese food, and seems easy to drink.
- (Man in his 50s)
Out of so many options, this is the shochu I’d like to begin the meal with.
From a customer survey of the experiential event "SHO-CHU BAR No.8"
Alcoholic beverage expert:
Satoshi Kimijima(Master Craftsman of Kanagawa, Vice President of the Japan Sommelier Association)
Aromatic,
with a beautiful blend of complex and
fruity notes of orange and Muscat grapes.
The flavors are distinctive from traditional shochu yet still provide
the familiar comfort
that lingers after having
a glass of sweet potato shochu.
With Carbonated Water
-
- ① Fill a glass with ice.
-
- ② KIRISHIMA No.8 and carbonated water
1：2Pour in a ratio of
-
- 3. Gently stir once with a muddler and it's ready.
With soda (no ice)
-
- 1. Chill KIRISHIMA No.8
and carbonated water.
-
- 2. Prepare champagne glasses.
-
- 3. Pour in KIRISHIMA No. 8 and carbonated waterat a ratio of
1：2 and serve.
We recommend pairing it
with simple salty dishes
and citrusy flavors.
Cheese and fruit are especially good at bringing out
its elegant aroma and flavor.
-
-
Cheese
platter
-
- Carpaccio
-
- Ajillo
-
- Chicken skewers
More ways to enjoy
KIRISHIMA No.8
Me: With lunch on the terrace.
You: While taking in the night view
over dinner, or while relaxing at home.
With one sip, elegance comes alive.
Discover new ways to enjoy it
that will color your world.
Kirishima 8 Developer:
Hideharu Igawa
- Becoming Japan's
first* - Producing shochu by first creating new sweet potato varieties.
* The first shochu manufacturer to create a sweet potato variety independently, make shochu from it, and sell it (Researched inhouse in January 2023)
KIRISHIMA No.8 Shochu Blender:
Yoshiaki Ozaki
- Achieving the
ideal fruitiness - The key was using our patented Elegance Yeast.
- A design that fuses
Japanese and Western styles - Our goal was to express a sense of elegance.
-
- KIRISHIMA No.8 is made from 100% Kyushu-grown sweet potatoes.*"is.*"Kirishima 8" is a registered trademark of Kirishima Shuzo.
"Kirishima 8" is a general term that includes the cultivar "Kiri N8-1" and its successor cultivar "Kiri N8-2." "Kiri N8-1" is the cultivar that we developed exclusively.
-
- We use Kirishima Rekkasui, a clear underground water from the Miyakonojo Basin at the foot of the Kirishima Mountains.
-
- The rice used to make the koji is 100% domestically produced.
-
- All products are produced 100% at our own factory in Miyakonojo City, Miyazaki Prefecture.
honkaku shochu has zero sugar(※1)
Zero purines(※2)
- ※1According to Japanese food labeling act
- ※2Products containing less than 0.5mg of purines per 100ml can be labeled as "zero purines"
- alcohol content: 25%
- Volume: 490ml
- Suggested retail price: 1,050 yen (excluding tax)
- alcohol content: 25%
- Volume: 900ml
- Suggested retail price: 1,340 yen (excluding tax)
Blend mint and lime with the aroma of KIRISHIMA No.8
to create a refreshingly fruity drink.
Ingredients
-
- KIRISHIMA No.8
- 50ml
-
- Lime
- ¼ piece
-
- Carbonated water
- 50 to 100 ml
-
- Spearmint
- to taste
-
- Sugar syrup
- 5 to 10 ml
-
- Ice
- 1. Put the lime and sugar syrup in a glass and muddle them. Then, add spearmint and gently muddle again.
- 2. Fill the glass with ice, pour in KIRISHIMA No. 8, and stir.
- 3. Lastly, add chilled carbonated water, and it's ready to serve.
Enjoy the harmony of KIRISHIMA No.8
and Shine Muscat grapes.
Ingredients
-
- KIRISHIMA No.8
- 50ml
-
- Shine Muscat grapes
- About 6 grapes
-
- Lemon juice
- to taste
- 1. Add KIRISHIMA No.8, Shine Muscat grapes, and a splash of lemon juice to a blender.
- 2. Blend until smooth, then pour into a glass and enjoy.
You can also use other fruits of your choice, like pears, kiwis, or peaches.
Becoming Japan's
first
When I was newly assigned to the Research and Development Department, I was tasked with developing Kirishima Shuzo’s first ever original sweet potato variety as part of the company’s vision to create innovative new shochu. New sweet potato varieties are mainly developed through crossbreeding promising strains, but since we had no prior expertise or clues, we knew we were in for a long uphill battle.
To develop new varieties, we focused on monoterpene alcohols (MTAs), which are compounds responsible for fruity aromas.※1*1 During the first year of cultivation, we crossbred 37 combinations of 20 sweet potato varieties commonly used for shochu, focusing on their MTA content. The eighth combination, which used Simon No. 1 and Tamaakane, gave us Kiri N8-1. Even specialized institutions take around ten years to develop new varieties, but we found something promising within the first year, which I almost couldn’t believe at first.
[ Left: Kiri N8-1, Right: Kiri N8-2 ]
Shochu made from Kiri N8-1 contains roughly 14 times more MTAs than that made from Kogane Sengan, a typical sweet potato used for shochu. The shochu we made using the successor variety, Kiri N8-2, which we developed in collaboration with NARO※2, contains even more MTAs than Kiri N8-1 and has a stronger Muscat-like aroma. Using these two sweet potato varieties (Kirishima 8)※3, we created an innovative, all-new type of shochu marked by fresh, fruity aromas.
The five main MTAs found in shochu are linalool, terpineol, citronellol, nerol, and geraniol.
*2: National Agriculture and Food Research Organization
*3: Kirishima 8 is a registered trademark of Kirishima Shuzo.
Kirishima 8 is a general term that includes the cultivar Kiri N8-1 and its successor, Kiri N8-2. The sweet potato variety we developed independently is Kiri N8-1.
Achieving the
ideal fruitiness
When I first tasted the R&D’s prototype shochu made from Kirishima 8, I was so surprised and couldn’t believe it was sweet potato shochu because of how fresh and fruity it was.
As we aimed to commercialize the product, we worked with the R&D Department to explore various brewing methods using koji and yeast. In addition to the yeast used in Kuro Kirishima, we also employed Kirishima Shuzo’s proprietary Elegance Yeast, which produces a rich, elegant aroma,※1resulting in an even fruitier flavor.
[ Elegance Yeast ]
However, when we began full production at the factory, this juicy, fruity flavor was diminished. After repeatedly reviewing the recipe and blend to achieve our ideal fresh fruit flavor, we finally reached a flavor that satisfied us.
I recommend trying it with carbonated water, served without ice. Chill KIRISHIMA No.8 and the carbonated water in the refrigerator to bring them to about 8°C so you can fully enjoy its aroma and flavor while helping prevent the carbonation from escaping. When served in a champagne glass, the fresh, fruity aroma is even more delightful. We hope both regular sweet potato shochu drinkers and beginners alike will enjoy this pleasantly surprising flavor.
[Flavor map]
*1 "Elegance Yeast" is a unique name used Kirishima Shuzo.
A design that fuses
Japanese and Western styles
As part of our endeavor to create the next generation of honkaku shochu, we chose a package design distinctive from the existing Kirishima series.
For the first time, Kirishima Shuzo has adopted a slim 490 ml bottle, making it easy for newcomers to shochu to give it a try.
- At the center of the label is the product name, No.8, a number taken from the sweet potato variety. The background features the grapevine arabesques of the Shosoin treasures, historic monuments of Ancient Nara, as well as fruit, sweet potatoes, and the Kyushu azaleas that bloom on Mount Kirishima, conveying fruity flavors made from potatoes.
[ Grapevine arabesque pattern ]
- At the bottom of the label is Mount Kirishima, the symbol of Kirishima Shuzo, depicted using a Genjiko diagram, a type of incense game invented during the Edo period.
Enjoy the design of KIRISHIMA No.8, which blends traditional Japanese elements with a Western-inspired aesthetic. 
[Genjiko: Chapter 8 Flower Banquet]
