 What
is the secret of iichiko's excellent taste? |
 |
 The ingredients,
the water, and the air. These are the three factors
most
important when producing alcoholic beverages. The chief ingredient
in iichiko is carefully selected barley that has had almost
60% of the
bran removed. Our exquisitely pure water is pumped
up from an
underground stream 300 meters below ground. And
the air is
crystal-clear, fresh from the mountains. Created
from these materials
and the blessings of nature, iichiko
is produced slowly and carefully.
The secret of its excellent
taste lies therein. |
|
| A Japanese friend told me that iichiko goes
well with all Japanese dishes. |
|
Yes,
it is excellent with all types of food. Since iichiko is
sugar-free and refreshing, it goes well with fatty foods,
and the mild taste of barley particularly matches Japanese
dishes that use natural ingredients. |
|
| iichiko
is available in many different bottles, are the contents
all the same? |
|
(1)
iichiko 25% is an authentic shochu (distilled spirit) made
from
carefully
selected barley, barley koji (malt), and natural
water.
In Japan, it is the most popular of our products.
(2) iichiko SILHOUETTE and iichiko PERSON are superior products that combine
the all-koji raw spirits with the excellent taste of iichiko 25%
and the smoothness and mellowness of raw spirits matured in barrels.
(3) ichiko SUPER fuses three types of raw spirits: aromatic
raw spirits,
flavorful raw spirits, and "SUPER raw spirits" stored in barrels.
(4) iichiko SPECIAL is a mature spirit that uses new yeast blended with raw
spirits
characterized by a rich aroma and mellow taste. The raw spirits,
stored for three
to seven years, account for more than 50%
of the composition of the drink.
(5) iichiko FRASCO is an authentic shochu positioned at the
top of
our product lineup,
made by blending highly pearled,
low-temperature fermented
all-koji raw spirits,
which are
brewed exclusively from barley koji throughout the whole
production
process
including the first and second shikomi
(the preparation process before distillation). |
|
| Is
it true that iichiko is a healthy drink? |
|
Since
iichiko is a distilled spirit, it is sugar-free. It is a
common misunderstanding
that distilled drinks are high in
calories because they have a high proof,
but these drinks
are usually mixed with cold or hot water, so that compared
with
the same volume of other alcoholic drinks, their calorific
count is lower. |
|
| What
is the best way to enjoy the taste of iichiko to its fullest? |
|
To
fully enjoy the authentic taste and aroma of iichiko, we
recommend drinking it
on the rocks, or mixing it with cold
or hot water. However, we think the best way is
to drink
it as you like it. If you discover a good recipe, please
send it in and share it. |
|
| How
should I mix iichiko with hot water? |
|
First
pour hot water into a glass, and then add iichiko.
Since
the temperature of the water is higher than that of iichiko,
convection
takes place naturally, and you will be able to
enjoy its soft aroma.
Adjust the ratio to suit your taste. |
|
| What
does the name "iichiko" mean? |
|
"iichiko" is
a term from the Oita dialect of Japanese meaning "fine" or "good".
Before releasing the product, we polled the public for name suggestions,
and chose "iichiko" from the entries received. |
|
| Does
iichiko have an expiry date? |
|
Because
iichiko is a distilled spirit, it basically does not have
an expiry date.
It will not decay or degrade like brewed
drinks such as sake or wine.
However, the taste could deteriorate
due to factors such as lighting
conditions, time, or degradation
of the bottle cap. iichiko can be drunk without a
problem
several years after its manufactured date if it has been
stored unopened in a cool, dark place and there is no abnormality
around the bottle cap. |
|
| What
is the difference between iichiko and sake? |
|
Alcoholic
drinks can be classified into brewed drinks such as sake,
wine, and beer,
and distilled drinks such as iichiko and
whiskey. Distilled drinks are made by
distilling fermented alcohol, so their proof is relatively
high. iichiko's
proof ranges from 20% to 30%. The proof for
sake is normally around
15%. |
