![]() While most traditional Japanese whiskies emulate Scotch in their flavor profiles, Kikori rice whiskey does its own thing. Visu never found his balance in life, but the moral of his story is repeated on every bottle of Kikori Whiskey. Working day and night, Visu forsook his friends and family and eventually lost everything. He is the stubborn protagonist in a cautionary folk tale about life without balance. The word “Kikori” translates to “woodsman” in Japanese and was inspired by a Japanese fable about an ancient woodsman named Visu. Kikori Whiskey is a newcomer to the liquor market, but it’s already proven itself as a worthy rival and a unique and versatile alternative to the more established brands. ![]() Whiskey fans from around the world have come to appreciate the unique, smooth flavors produced in Japan as well as the attention to quality ingredients and pure water. Whiskies from Japan are incredibly hot right now and global interest in the beverage has exploded over the past few years. You might be wondering, “Isn’t whiskey usually made from barley, wheat, stuff like that?” Yes, that’s usually the case, but whiskey can be made from any grain, including rice, and Kikori whiskey is a great one. It is distilled, aged and bottled on the island of Kyushu, one of the southernmost islands in Japan. Launched in Los Angeles in Fall 2015 by Ann Soh Woods, cofounder of Soh Spirits, Kikori Whiskey is unique spirit made entirely from rice. It’s part of why you have the privilege of getting to know Kikori.A new whiskey has arrived on the scene, and it’s made from rice! As I mentioned, that term is fluid, and you should be grateful for this fluidity. Just don’t get too hung up on the fact that it doesn’t necessarily look or taste like whiskey. Pour some in a rocks glass, maybe add a drop of water, and admire Kikori’s hay-like complexion. This spirit is also great for sipping neat when you don’t necessarily want your mouth to taste like an oak barrel after every drink. Try some in a Whiskey Sour with an egg white and several heavy dashes of Scrappy’s Lavender Bitters. For one, it’s super versatile in cocktails. Sure, it doesn’t have the depth or smoke of a top-shelf scotch, but - as a current outlier in the stateside market - Kikori comes with its own set of strengths. I do not mean to imply, however, that this spirit is not for the serious connoisseur. Put on a blindfold, and you might even mistake Kikori for an interesting, artisanal vodka.įor that reason, Kikori is a very accessible entry point to the world of whiskey. The flavor is light, subtle, and incredibly smooth, and it tastes sort of like a grassy field in May full of bumblebees and honey. Instead, Kikori is almost sweet - although not in the sense that it actually seems sugary. Take a sip, and you don’t really get that sour, tannic bite you expect from your average whiskey. As opposed to copper or maple syrup-colored, it’s more of a pale gold. Despite the fact that it’s aged in oak for a minimum of three years, Kikori is also a lot lighter in hue than most of its American and Scottish counterparts. Whereas most other whiskies are made from barley, wheat, corn, or some other grain like rye, Kikori is distilled from 100% rice (similar to shōchū). Kikori is, notably, a female-owned brand produced in Kumamoto, Japan, and it’s been around in the U.S. As new or lesser-known styles grow in popularity, they, in turn, can nudge forward the perception of what seems like whiskey. Thanks to this circular definition (in which very little is actually defined), there’s room for the concept of this grain-based spirit to grow and expand. If that reasoning makes your brain hurt, that’s only natural. But what does that mean? According to this country’s legal definition, whiskey is a spirit bottled at 80-proof or above and made from “a fermented mash of grain” that “possesses the taste, aroma, and characteristics generally attributed to whisky.” In other words, it’s something that has the property of seeming like whiskey. Does that make sense? If not, allow me to explain, using as an example the smooth, delicately nuanced whiskey known as Kikori.Īs I just mentioned, Kikori is a whiskey. Well, they do - but not usually in the sense that you think they do. Do enough digging, and you’ll eventually find that most terms are bogus.
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