{"product_id":"yanagita-aokage-fortyone-barley-shochu-41-700ml","title":"Yanagita, Aokage Fortyone Barley Shochu, 41%, 700ml","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"product-description\" style=\"line-height: 1.7; max-width: 800px;\"\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin-bottom: 16px; font-size: 0.95rem;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePre-order: due to arrive in the UK in late October 2026\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 600; font-size: 1.05rem; margin-bottom: 6px;\"\u003eAokage at full strength: a 41% barley shochu, dense and roasted, made for sipping and serious cocktails.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin-bottom: 16px; font-size: 0.95rem;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSold only to customers aged 18 or over.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin-bottom: 16px; font-size: 0.95rem;\"\u003eAokage Fortyone is the high-strength version of Yanagita Distillery's flagship barley shochu. Same recipe, two-row barley with white kōji, distilled at atmospheric pressure and lightly hand-filtered, but bottled at 41% ABV, so the roasted, oily character comes through at full weight. 700ml.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display: grid; grid-template-columns: repeat(auto-fit, minmax(260px, 1fr)); gap: 24px; margin-bottom: 28px; margin-top: 16px;\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 600; font-size: 0.9rem; border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(127,127,127,0.35); padding-bottom: 6px; margin-bottom: 10px;\"\u003eWhy Chefs Choose This\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul style=\"padding-left: 18px; margin: 0; font-size: 0.85rem; list-style: disc;\"\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 7px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFull strength:\u003c\/strong\u003e 41% ABV carries far more flavour than a standard 25% shochu\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 7px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBuilt for mixing:\u003c\/strong\u003e the maker notes it brings a distinct sesame or barley note to cocktails\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 7px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAtmospheric distilled:\u003c\/strong\u003e for toasted, savoury depth rather than a neutral spirit\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 7px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLightly filtered:\u003c\/strong\u003e hand filtering keeps the oils and texture\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 600; font-size: 0.9rem; border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(127,127,127,0.35); padding-bottom: 6px; margin-bottom: 10px;\"\u003eHow to Use\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul style=\"padding-left: 18px; margin: 0; font-size: 0.85rem; list-style: disc;\"\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 7px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNeat or on the rocks:\u003c\/strong\u003e a small measure over a large ice cube\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 7px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eStirred drinks:\u003c\/strong\u003e in place of whisky in an Old Fashioned or a Manhattan-style drink\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 7px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHighball:\u003c\/strong\u003e long with soda for a fuller highball than 25% shochu gives\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 7px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWith hot water:\u003c\/strong\u003e diluted well down for a warming winter serve\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin-bottom: 22px; font-size: 0.95rem;\"\u003eYanagita Distillery (柳田酒造) was founded in 1902 in Miyakonojo, Miyazaki Prefecture, and is the oldest distillery in the city. It is still family-run, now by fifth-generation president Tadashi Yanagita, an engineer by training who adjusts the stills himself, and it makes around 65,000 bottles a year from barley and sweet potato, with labels still pasted on by hand. Water comes from the distillery's own wells, 100 to 150 metres deep, fed by the Kirishima mountains. Honkaku shōchū (本格焼酎) is Japan's single-distilled spirit, made with kōji like sake but distilled, and it is usually drunk with water, hot water, soda or ice. Yanagita names its core range after the colours of horses' coats, a nod to Miyazaki's horse-breeding history: aokage (青鹿毛) is the Japanese word for a pitch-black horse.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 600; font-size: 1rem; margin-bottom: 6px;\"\u003eWhat does Aokage Fortyone taste like?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin-bottom: 22px; font-size: 0.95rem;\"\u003eYanagita describes it as dense, flavourful and aromatic, yet drinking surprisingly light: toasted sesame and cereal grains on the nose, then rich flavours of bitter dark chocolate and red fruit. At 41% the texture is fuller and oilier than the 25% Aokage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 600; font-size: 1rem; margin-bottom: 6px;\"\u003eProduct Details\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ctable style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; margin: 10px 0 25px 0; border: 1px solid rgba(127,127,127,0.35);\"\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"opacity: 0.75; width: 35%; padding: 10px; border: 1px solid rgba(127,127,127,0.35); font-size: 0.85rem;\"\u003eType\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; border: 1px solid rgba(127,127,127,0.35); font-size: 0.85rem;\"\u003eHonkaku barley shochu (本格麦焼酎)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"opacity: 0.75; width: 35%; padding: 10px; border: 1px solid rgba(127,127,127,0.35); font-size: 0.85rem;\"\u003eMaker\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; border: 1px solid rgba(127,127,127,0.35); font-size: 0.85rem;\"\u003eYanagita Distillery (柳田酒造), founded 1902\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"opacity: 0.75; width: 35%; padding: 10px; border: 1px solid rgba(127,127,127,0.35); font-size: 0.85rem;\"\u003eOrigin\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; border: 1px solid rgba(127,127,127,0.35); font-size: 0.85rem;\"\u003eMiyakonojo, Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"opacity: 0.75; width: 35%; padding: 10px; border: 1px solid rgba(127,127,127,0.35); font-size: 0.85rem;\"\u003eAlcohol\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; border: 1px solid rgba(127,127,127,0.35); font-size: 0.85rem;\"\u003e41% vol\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"opacity: 0.75; width: 35%; padding: 10px; border: 1px solid rgba(127,127,127,0.35); font-size: 0.85rem;\"\u003eVolume\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; border: 1px solid rgba(127,127,127,0.35); font-size: 0.85rem;\"\u003e700ml bottle (per our order; confirm on the label)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"opacity: 0.75; width: 35%; padding: 10px; border: 1px solid rgba(127,127,127,0.35); font-size: 0.85rem;\"\u003eBase\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; border: 1px solid rgba(127,127,127,0.35); font-size: 0.85rem;\"\u003eTwo-row barley\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"opacity: 0.75; width: 35%; padding: 10px; border: 1px solid rgba(127,127,127,0.35); font-size: 0.85rem;\"\u003eKōji\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; border: 1px solid rgba(127,127,127,0.35); font-size: 0.85rem;\"\u003eWhite kōji\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"opacity: 0.75; width: 35%; padding: 10px; border: 1px solid rgba(127,127,127,0.35); font-size: 0.85rem;\"\u003eDistillation\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; border: 1px solid rgba(127,127,127,0.35); font-size: 0.85rem;\"\u003eAtmospheric pressure\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"opacity: 0.75; width: 35%; padding: 10px; border: 1px solid rgba(127,127,127,0.35); font-size: 0.85rem;\"\u003eMaturation\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; border: 1px solid rgba(127,127,127,0.35); font-size: 0.85rem;\"\u003ePorcelain enamel tank; blend including 3-year aged shochu (maker's tech sheet)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"opacity: 0.75; width: 35%; padding: 10px; border: 1px solid rgba(127,127,127,0.35); font-size: 0.85rem;\"\u003eAge Restriction\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; border: 1px solid rgba(127,127,127,0.35); font-size: 0.85rem;\"\u003eSold only to customers aged 18 or over\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003cdetails style=\"margin-bottom: 12px; border: 1px solid rgba(127,127,127,0.35); border-radius: 4px;\"\u003e\n\u003csummary style=\"padding: 12px; font-weight: 600; font-size: 0.9rem; cursor: pointer;\"\u003eHow is Fortyone different from the standard Aokage?\u003c\/summary\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"padding: 12px; font-size: 0.85rem; margin: 0;\"\u003eIt is the same barley shochu bottled at a higher strength: 41% rather than 25%. That makes it richer and more intense, better for sipping and for cocktails where it needs to stand up to other ingredients.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003cdetails style=\"margin-bottom: 12px; border: 1px solid rgba(127,127,127,0.35); border-radius: 4px;\"\u003e\n\u003csummary style=\"padding: 12px; font-weight: 600; font-size: 0.9rem; cursor: pointer;\"\u003eHow strong is 41% compared with other spirits?\u003c\/summary\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"padding: 12px; font-size: 0.85rem; margin: 0;\"\u003eAbout the same as most gin and whisky, and much stronger than standard 25% shochu. Treat it like a whisky: a small measure, over ice or with water or soda.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003cdetails style=\"margin-bottom: 40px; border: 1px solid rgba(127,127,127,0.35); border-radius: 4px;\"\u003e\n\u003csummary style=\"padding: 12px; font-weight: 600; font-size: 0.9rem; cursor: pointer;\"\u003eWhen will my pre-order arrive?\u003c\/summary\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"padding: 12px; font-size: 0.85rem; margin: 0;\"\u003eThis line is due to arrive in the UK in late October 2026. Pre-orders are dispatched once the stock has landed and been checked in at our warehouse. Anything still marked \"To follow\" on this page will be added when the stock is in.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Yanagita Distillery","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58721379877245,"sku":"X5002","price":68.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0353\/5621\/files\/d5ad8e91-bb97-4441-ba41-448431349037_00001.jpg?v=1790272740","url":"https:\/\/www.sushisushi.co.uk\/products\/yanagita-aokage-fortyone-barley-shochu-41-700ml","provider":"SushiSushi","version":"1.0","type":"link"}