No doubt many perusers of this blog will have noted that one of the writers is into his coffee and beer. And indeed, the former beverage kicks tea's ass all over the place, while the latter is literally the bedrock of civilization.
Many readers may also have tasted mass produced South Korean sojus as has this same author. He would generally describe them as having notes of industrial cleaner, anti-freeze or grout. Often with a nose reminiscent of molotov cocktails, rat-poison or those urinal pucks.
We're not great fans of most soju.
It was with typical trepidation that we were coaxed into a 'solidarity shot' recently. (Note that as a male in Asia, this happens.) Surprisingly, it was...pretty dang tasty. Dansamsul turns out to literally have a smooth, buttery taste with afternotes of vanilla and potpourri. Seriously. It's ingredients are just rice and ginseng, but the ginseng doesn't give that earthy bitterness that it often can.
Shot taken by Geoffrey (multiple meanings intended). Stopped for dinner at the highway back to Hanoi. North Koreans pulled out NK soju, Vietnamese waitress pulls out South Korea soju cups. Sojunification!
It was in a restaurant in Vietnam that served a handful of South Korean products, so we had the chance to do unification shots: Dansamsul pours in Chamisul glasses.
With the craft beer revolution sweeping Asia and a consumer class that gets into artisanal products, one imagines more hand-made small batch sojus coming out of the South. Until such time, Dansamsul reigns as the best we have have tasted.
Note: Geoffrey K. See wants to trademark the term 'Sojunification'. Any counsel on how best to do this would be appreciated.