Rice shochu is probably the oldest form of shochu, first recorded sometime in the 16th century, logical given how closely related it is to sake (which is thousands of years old). In fact, many sake producers also produce shochu (like Hakkaisan) or leverage their sake lees to create Kasutori shochu (like Dassai – see below).  Like sake, shochu uses koji spores to breakdown rice into sugars before fermentation, but that mash (moromi) is of course further distilled to make shochu, unlike in sake production which directly utilises that byproduct after pressing/filtering. As a result, many rice shochus have an aroma of essentially distilled sake, with yeasty undertones, tropical fruits and umami notes. The legendary Torikai is a perfect example. 

Basic rice shochu are quite clean and crisp, and they are the most “vodka-like” of all the shochus, though with more fruit and richness from the koji-rice combination. Vacuum-distillation is the norm, which allows lighter flavors and more delicate aromas to come through. As you move up the rice shochu ladder though, the variety of flavors coaxed out of humble rice is amazing; Sengetsu’s Kawabe is full of banana esters and complexity, Kuroki Honten’s atmospherically-distilled Yamasemi has nutty, barley notes. This is even before discussing aged rice shochu which are sadly quite rare in HK, but I feel have lots of potential for whiskey-lovers looking for something a bit lighter and more floral.