Superb Kusu Awamori: Transcending the Centuries The Jewel of Okinawa (The Fabled Kusu Liquor)

"In this bottle is liquor that is over a thousand years old, a true jewel. The aroma of this ancient nectar cannot be described. The owner showed me with pride an old Nanban unglazed pottery bottle with a wooden name tag hung on it. He pointed to the wooden nametag that said Kouki (Shining Peace)."

So the fable goes. Kouki was the name of a poem celebrating Awamori, the local Okinawan liquor distilled from rice. The poem was written in Chinese by Sho Jun, the fourth son of Sho Tai, the last of the Okinawan kings in the ancient Ryukyu Dynasty. Kouki also refers to a brilliant era at the beginning of the Chi'ng Dynasty in China, about 270 years ago. It was surprising that Kusu (aged Awamori) close to 300 years old existed. It was the most ancient Kusu, handed down by the Ryukyuan royal family and called "Kouki no Uzaki" (Awamori of Shining Peace). Unfortunately, none of this prized liquor survived WWII.

Awamori became renowned worldwide in large part due to the charm of the aged variety called Kusu. The technique used in aging is one of the special characteristics of making Kusu. It is from the aging that its unique mellow smooth taste and aroma are achieved. During the golden age of the Ryukyu Kingdom, it is said that homeowners might entrust care of their money chests to others but always carried the keys to their Awamori storehouses themselves. The Kusu aged in Nanban style unglazed pottery jars was only offered up at the most special of banquets. The host of the festivities would pour some of the treasured Kusu from its jar into small serving containers and would make the rounds serving it to guests. It was also part of being proper that only one small cup per guest would be served.

Three years ago I traveled to the Awamorikan, a center devoted to Awamori in the Shuri area of Naha, to collect material for an article on this liquor. I went to interview Akiyoshi Miyagi, an advocate of "Awamori Culture" and a salesperson as well. He himself has been collecting and storing away many kinds of Awamori, including the "Uminokuni" brand. Before talking with him I had no idea how precious Awamori really was. It has been three years since then and what really changed my perception and helped me understand was a taste of "Uminokuni 77."

Miyagi says, "To start marketing 10 year-old Uminokuni Kusu, I took out loans to purchase and start my collection. I collected 20,000 bottles, which included Uminokuni and four other brands. I made a storehouse to keep them safe and planned to start selling a couple of decades later. I had plans even then to start the Awamorikan, but at that time Awamori did not really have the image of being a noted liquor, not many people really understood what I was trying to do. Finally, six years ago I was able to get it all together and open the Awamorikan. The Uminokuni I had bought 15 years ago had been aged to 25 years by that time. It was authentic 100% 25 year-old Kusu, very rare, and I wanted everyone to try it." You can only buy Uminokuni 77 at the Awamorikan. Even the Okinawa Prefecture Distiller's Association, where it was distilled, does not have any Uminokuni 77. Awamori that is aged over 3 years is called Kusu. If a brand has over 50% Kusu, for tax purposes it is designated Kusu and can indicate that on the label. So, for example, if one brand has 51% Kusu and 49% freshly distilled Awamori it can be marketed as Kusu. For that reason, 100% 25 year-old Kusu is extremely rare liquor.

Uminokuni debuted as a brand in 1977. When Awamori was not very well known, various distillers in Okinawa worked together to produce it. They knew the precious quality of Kusu, even though they had very little in the way of capital investment and no real strategy to market it outside the prefecture. What came out of the cooperation was the Okinawa Distiller's Association and the Kusu Awamori they developed was called Uminokuni (Country of the Sea). Awamori from 47 distillers within the prefecture was blended then aged for ten years in storage tanks. After being marketed, in the blink of an eye its reputation soared.

"I would like to offer a 20 year-old Kusu inexpensively so that the excellent qualities of this liquor could be appreciated better by all. It is a taste to enjoy, and I look forward to being able to offer 30- and 50- year old Kusu. My dream is to make a shop that will be able to offer 100- year old Kusu. But I have to last another 75 years." Kusu drinks in time. I would like to taste the flavor of that supreme bliss just once.