My “Shōchū of the Day” is Hakaiō (破壊王) a genshu produced by Kami Shuzō (神酒造) of Izumi, Kagoshima. Made from kogane sengan sweet taters and black kōji, it has an ABV of 43%. 破壊王 means God of Destruction and with one sip I can understand. POW Be kind, Shiva!

Very musty, potent stuff, not for the faint of heart, by any means. Kami Shuzō’s website claims Hakaiō is “fruity”, but it isn’t. Best put this heavy-hitting sparring partner into your freezer and drink him straight, one slug at a time to prevent getting punch drunk