We used to sell tons of soy sauce long ago, but the company is no longer around, and we’ve been without a replacement for quite some time. After many requests and searches, we finally found a soy sauce that fits the bill and is even better than the one we previously sold. Kioke “Yui” Organic Barrel Aged Soy Sauce is the flagship traditional shoyu from Adachi Jozo, a small family brewery founded in 1889 in Taka, Hyogo. It is made from organic Japanese soybeans and wheat, local mountain water, and sea salt, with no added sugar, preservatives, or flavor enhancers. The mash is fermented and matured in old cedar kioke barrels that hold a long-established culture of native yeasts and bacteria, giving the finished soy sauce a distinct sense of place and unique character. Yui is a dark, classic koikuchi-style shoyu, naturally brewed and aged for 14 months with no accelerated processing.

Yui shows deep color and a layered, persistent umami rather than simple salinity, with roasted grain notes, gentle nuttiness, and a rounded, fermentation-driven sweetness. The texture is smooth and slightly viscous, which helps it cling to food and makes small amounts feel very impactful. It works best as a finishing soy sauce for chilled tofu, sashimi, plain rice, grilled vegetables, chicken or steak, and as the core seasoning in high-quality tare, dressings, and dashi where the quality of the shoyu matters. It is practical enough for regular use but incredibly refined and deep, making it especially appealing and downright delicious on almost anything. These have just arrived from Japan, and it is the first time that this soy sauce has been readily available in the USA. Each bottle comes in a gift box listing the barrel number from which it comes. We have some of the only bottles right now, and we’ve already sold a case, and some of our clients are already loving it, so grab some before they are gone!