koge2
It is said that the pillar brewing process was used to prevent spoilage, and I agree that it is different from the addition of alcohol used today. However, unlike brewer's alcohol, which is pure alcohol (not ethanol), shochu is called "shochu" and its flavor can change.
The shochu we use is our own rice shochu "Amanohiboko". It is very mild, not in a bad way, but it does not have much flavor. The ratio of rice shochu is not beyond the range of "ordinary shochu", however.
It has a very good mouthfeel, and you can roll it around in your mouth to enjoy its mildness and the sweetness that comes out of it.
Japanese>English