Up in the mountains of Kirishima, Kagoshima, you’ll find Manzen Shuzo, a small shochu maker with a very hands-on approach to making their spirits.

The brewery dates back to 1922, but in 1999 the family moved production into the mountains, surrounded by the forests and spring water of Kirishima. It’s a pretty remote place, and that suits Manzen well.

They still make their koji by hand, ferment the mash in traditional ceramic kame jars and use a rare wooden still for distillation. The wooden still gives the shochu a lovely roundness and brings out flavours of vanilla, coconut and roasted sweetness.

What we really like about Manzen is that their shochu isn't trying to be loud. It is soft, rich and full of umami, with enough character to drink on its own but also a natural affinity with food.

A proper old-school Kagoshima distillery, making shochu in much the same spirit as they have for generations.