Beniotome Standard Shochu Eguchi Edition (Black Sesame)

Beniotome Standard Shochu Eguchi Edition is distilled from black sesame seeds in Kurume City, Fukuoka Prefecture — a rare base material in the shochu world where rice, barley, and sweet potato dominate. Beniotome Shuzo pioneered sesame shochu as a category, and this expression bottled at 25% ABV showcases the seed's ability to carry both delicate fruit and deep roasted-nut character in a single spirit. The label features original manga artwork by illustrator Hisashi Eguchi, a deliberate collaboration designed to draw younger drinkers into a traditional craft. This is shochu built around an ingredient most Chicago drinkers associate with tahini, not distillation. Beniotome Shuzo operates as a traditional shochu distillery in Kurume, a city in Fukuoka known for its ramen and agricultural output along the Chikugo River plain. Shochu itself is Japan's indigenous distilled spirit, typically made from rice, barley, sweet potato, or buckwheat, though producers have experimented with chestnuts, brown sugar, and in this case black sesame. The base is fermented with koji mold, then distilled once in pot stills to preserve the raw material's aromatic signature — a sharp contrast to the neutral-leaning profile of sake or the multiple distillations common in Western spirits. The sesame seed's high oil content presents technical challenges in fermentation and distillation, which is why few distilleries work with it at all. The nose opens clean and subtle, yielding to bright fruit notes — melon, pear — before toasted sesame takes over mid-palate, full and round like freshly milled tahini. The mouthfeel is smooth and almost creamy despite the modest proof, sliding into a long nutty finish with a hint of char. Serve this chilled, on ice, or mizuwari-style cut with cold water in a tall glass, the traditional Japanese highball preparation that softens the alcohol and opens the sesame aroma. Pair it with grilled fish, cold soba, or anything involving sesame dressing — the ingredient echo amplifies both the food and the spirit. It works as a digestif after richer meals, or as an aperitif when served with pickled vegetables and edamame. Available for pickup at our Lincoln Park bottle shop at 1128 W Armitage Ave, local Chicago delivery, or nationwide shipping.