Looking at the Instagram posts of Mr. and Mrs. Higa from Higa Residence visiting Iheya Island, I saw a post about purchasing 「Teru Shino Island」, which is sold by Iheya Distillery, the only distillery on Iheya Island, for interested buyers to take home. Since it can only be obtained as limited island sales or as a return gift from hometown tax donations, I decided to request one bottle as well.
To pick up the bottle, I went to Higa Residence where I could also eat fish they had obtained on Iheya Island. We enjoyed a variety of awamori from Iheya Distillery together.
First, we had Iheya Island sea turtle and prefectural tuna with the "Teru Shino Island" I had requested. "Teru Shino Island" is an awamori brewed with long-grain rice from Iheya. Iheya Distillery's awamori uses "natural spring water from the Upper River (Inu no Kawa)," which is between hard and soft water, and has a light, easy-to-drink impression.
The IHEYA AWAMORI on the left is an awamori diluted to 12 degrees. It goes down smoothly, with a dangerously drinkable quality like water.
The Shima-gumi Chura Hikari 3-Year Old on the right is an awamori made with "Chura Hikari," a Japonica rice variety from Iheya. Awamori made with Japonica rice has a softness as if the edges have been rounded off, resulting in a gentle flavor.
The comparison between Japonica and Indica rice awamori was also interesting. We paired them with salt-grilled sea turtle.
Teruishima 44 degrees was paired with island pickled ginger. The aroma and spiciness of island pickled ginger pairs wonderfully with such robust awamori.
The left is Bashofu 7-Year Old. The right is one from the Pride Sake Project, an awamori blended from Chiyoizumi, which closed on Miyako Island, and Tatsu Nami from Iheya Distillery.
The clear bottle is a secret awamori that Mr. Higa had drawn from Iheya Distillery that day. This kind of thing appearing is typical of Higa Residence.
For the finale, I made an audacious request for a martini inspired by Iheya Island. What came out was an awamori martini using Naga Glass, a specialty of Iheya Island, as a garnish. Naga Glass is salt-cured shellfish and sea urchin harvested from Iheya Island, and it came together perfectly in the glass, making for the ultimate martini.
The meal finished with fish soup made from fish caught on Iheya Island. Finishing with one bottle of IHEYA AWAMORI purchased outright, drinking it straight from the bottle like water, was quite audacious indeed.
Savoring Iheya Island fish with awamori from Iheya Distillery. And finishing with a martini inspired by Iheya Island and fish soup. It was a luxurious time.
