Japanese liquor brand iichiko Shochu launches luxe spirit

Kristen Oliveri
Author Kristen Oliveri

Kristen Oliveri is the editor of Crain Currency. As a career journalist and content director, she has established her career entrenched in the wealth management and family-office community, creating exciting content; establishing business connections; and curating high-touch, content-driven events. She has also freelanced in the luxury, food, wine and travel sectors throughout her career.

Mar 13, 2024
5 months ago
iichiko_Shochu

The Japanese spirit brand iichiko Shochu has launched a new luxury spirit, the iichiko Special. The new spirit boasts an aging process similar to whiskey, where it is aged in white oak and sherry barrels for five to seven years.

What makes this spirit unique is its caramel color, which is unlike any other type of shochu. The spirit has a smooth, velvety finish that includes notes of spicy vanilla, oak and chocolate. It is made from 100% two-row barley and fermented with koji — a traditional Japanese ingredient known for its umami.

The spirit comes with an ultraluxe glass bottle that showcases Japanese elegance and craftsmanship, including a simple etched logo. The iichiko Special can be enjoyed straight, on the rocks or in a simple sparkling water chu-hi — an abbreviation for shochu highball.

Iichiko Shochu, the 31st-largest spirit brand in the world, was founded in 1958 in the Oita Prefecture on Japan’s Kyushu Island.

Kristen Oliveri
Author Kristen Oliveri

Kristen Oliveri is the editor of Crain Currency. As a career journalist and content director, she has established her career entrenched in the wealth management and family-office community, creating exciting content; establishing business connections; and curating high-touch, content-driven events. She has also freelanced in the luxury, food, wine and travel sectors throughout her career.