I’ve never cared much for that saying. For one thing, it is hackneyed. For another, I am not especially fond of lemonade. However, it does have its uses, especially when one is familiar with the history of distillation, a story that takes the student from perfume production all the way up to column stills and mass marketing, a history whose actors range from the Arabs to the Chinese to the Russians to the French to the Scots to the Irish to the Japanese…. Well, you get the picture. What many of these venerable distillers realized is that a one-size-fits-all-approach to distilling with respect to the raw materials to be used in the production of the final product was neither appropriate or in many cases feasible. With abundant grain, would it have made more sense for the Russians to produce a local version of Cognac or vodka? The lesson here: use what is at your disposal to the greatest effect.
In this week’s entry we look at a rice whisky from Japan—Rice Whisky Sou from Kumamoto. This is a beverage made from German malt, Japanese rice, and rice-based shochu. It has been matured in that most important of woods—the mighty oak. We encountered this gem at JFEX (summer, 2025).
Sensory Evaluation: Nose: redolent of vanilla, a clear indication of oak exposure. A subtle sweetness, especially honey notes, as well. Palate: Some elements of rice-based shochu, but with a clearly whisky profile. A bit more oak-generated vanilla. It goes down smooth. Let me repeat that, “GOES DOWN SMOOTH!” No lemons here, guaranteed.
Drinking Japan 