Shochu that goes with cardamom
Spice and warmth
These are bottles to mix cardamom into. Some of them taste of it too, and where that is the reason a bottle is here, its line says so.
A few crushed pods, or a syrup. Floral, citrusy and warm at once; it bridges fruit and spice.
Best bottles for cardamom
The strongest matches in the catalogue, across every style. Everything below is the same ranking opened out by what the shochu is made from.
Cardamom is a floral spice; floral bottles meet it
sweet potato, citrus, floral, caramel
Warm spice meets the brown-sugar aroma the distillate keeps. The sugar itself is gone, so sweeten separately if the drink needs it.
kokuto, cask, aged
kokuto, rich, long finish, aged
kokuto, smooth, smoky, cask
kokuto, smooth, cask, aged
rice, citrus, dried fruit, floral
Spice on aged, nutty notes
rice, citrus, roasted grain, sweet
rice, citrus, vanilla, chocolate
rice, citrus, tropical fruit, vanilla
Grouped by what the shochu is made from, because that is the level the reasoning works at: what this does to an imo shochu is a fact about imo shochu rather than about one bottle. Within each style the strongest matches come first, and bottles we pour are marked rather than promoted. The scores are the same engine that recommends a mixer from a bottle, run the other way round, but the labels are not: a bottle page badges at most twelve strong matches and at most three per family, so that the twelve describe that bottle rather than the same citrus and soda every time. Here there is no cap, so a pairing badged strong on this page can read as a good match on the bottle's own.
Awamori
Spice reads as native on this base rather than imported, star anise and chilli and ginger most of all.
Spice on aged, nutty notes
rice, citrus, roasted grain, sweet
rice, citrus, vanilla, chocolate
rice, citrus, tropical fruit, vanilla
Cardamom is a floral spice; floral bottles meet it
The bottle already smells of citrus, and this puts more of it in the glass.
Show the other 102 cardamom matches
floral, clean, sharp, aged
rich, full-bodied, aged, umami
aged, caramel, smooth, spice
rice, clean, smooth, aged
rice, pear, caramel, rich
rice, smooth, savory, aged
rice, bright, aged
rice, clean, bright, aged
rice, smooth, rich, sweet
rice, soft, smooth, rich
rice, smooth, rich, sweet
rice, soft, rich, sweet
rice, soft, aged
rice, sweet, smooth, rich
rice, smooth, soft, aged
rice, soft, clean, aged
rice, sweet, crisp, smooth
rice, roasted grain, aged
rice, sherry-like, aged
rice, aged
rice, steamed rice, soft, caramel
rice, sweet, soft, smooth
rice, smooth, sweet, aged
rice, smooth, crisp, aged
rice, smooth, sweet, oily
rice, vanilla, funky, creamy texture
rice, smooth, soft, clean
rice, nutty, dry, aged
rice, umami, clean, light-bodied
There is enough weight here to stand up to a bitter or a spice without disappearing under it.
umami, rich, full-bodied, cask
rice, cherry, vanilla, chocolate
rice, smooth, sweet
rice, smooth, rich, sweet
rice, caramel, chocolate, crisp
rice, soft, smooth
rice, sweet, rich, full-bodied
A few crushed pods, or a syrup. Floral, citrusy and warm at once; it bridges fruit and spice.
clean, off-dry, soft, light-bodied
rice, smooth, cereal, sweet
rice, light-bodied, sweet
rice, earthy, mushroom, rich
Imo shochu
Warm spice gives an earthy bottle a pulse without covering the earth itself.
Cardamom is a floral spice; floral bottles meet it
sweet potato, citrus, floral, caramel
sweet potato, floral, fruity, umami
sweet potato, lychee, floral, fruity
sweet potato, tropical fruit, floral, caramel
Cardamom and lychee is a perfumer's pair
Show the other 155 cardamom matches
sweet potato, tropical fruit, floral, caramel
muscat, citrus, floral, sweet potato
sweet potato, tropical fruit, floral, smooth
sweet potato, lychee, white peach, tropical fruit
lychee, grape, jasmine, rich
Spice on aged, nutty notes
sweet potato, umami, rich, sweet
sweet potato, floral, full-bodied
sweet potato, fruity, silky, smooth
sweet potato, sweet, sherry-like, cask
sweet potato, tropical fruit, bright, aged
sweet potato, smooth, aged
sweet potato, milky, soft, aged
sweet potato, aged
sweet potato, umami, soft, full-bodied
sweet potato, spice, clean, sharp
sweet potato, shiso, smooth, tea
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, rich, clean
sweet potato, smooth, clean, aged
sweet potato, umami, rich, aged
sweet potato, fruity, earthy, mineral
sweet potato, umami, soft, clean
sweet potato, sweet, smooth, aged
sweet potato, earthy, crisp, aged
sweet potato, soft, light-bodied, sweet
sweet potato, whisky-like, aged
sweet potato, rich, soft, aged
sweet potato, umami, rich, aged
sweet potato, clean, aged
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied, sweet
sweet potato, smooth, nutty, umami
sweet potato, soft, smooth, aged
sweet potato, floral, soft, maple
sweet potato, vanilla, toast, spice
sweet potato, soft, smooth, rich
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, aged
sweet potato, tropical fruit, pepper, sweet
The bottle already smells of citrus, and this puts more of it in the glass.
sweet potato, citrus, fruity, mint
sweet potato, smooth, sweet, vanilla
sweet potato, lychee, grape, muscat
sweet potato, floral, fruity, clean
sweet potato, light-bodied, dry, aged
sweet potato, light-bodied, clean, dry
sweet potato, tropical fruit, spice, light-bodied
vanilla, cask, rich, crisp
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, umami, silky
sweet potato, sweet, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, umami, rich, sweet
sweet potato, pineapple, maple, mineral
sweet potato, rich, clean, sweet
sweet potato, rich, sweet
sweet potato, umami, sweet, rich
sweet potato, apple, soft, rich
sweet potato, soft, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, smooth, rich, light-bodied
sweet potato, smooth, sweet
sweet potato, tea, rich
sweet potato, smooth, rich, sweet
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, umami, smooth
sweet potato, whisky-like, cask
sweet potato, smooth, rich, sweet
sweet potato, rich, sweet
sweet potato, umami, rich
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, smooth, rich
sweet potato, smooth, sweet
sweet potato, fruity, umami, rich
sweet potato, yogurt, creamy texture
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, vanilla, creamy texture, bright
sweet potato, rich, purple sweet potato
sweet potato, rich, crisp, soft
sweet potato, tea, vanilla, mushroom
sweet potato, smooth, soft, clean
sweet potato, full-bodied, sweet
sweet potato, sweet, soft, rich
sweet potato, chocolate, sherry-like, cask
sweet potato, sweet, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, purple sweet potato, berry, yogurt
sweet potato, crisp, bitter
sweet potato, sweet, clean, soft
sweet potato, pineapple, tropical fruit, fruity
sweet potato, banana, vanilla, clean
sweet potato, soft, crisp, clean
sweet potato, soft, sweet
sweet potato, umami
sweet potato, soft, tea
sweet potato, light-bodied, long finish
sweet potato, fruity, soft, sweet
sweet potato, soft, dry, sweet
sweet potato, sweet, soft, light-bodied
sweet potato, fruity, soft
sweet potato, umami
sweet potato, soft, dry, sweet
sweet potato, berry, soft, sweet
sweet potato, roasted grain
sweet potato, smooth, toast
sweet potato, rich, smooth, umami
sweet potato, smooth, umami, light-bodied
sweet potato, earthy
sweet potato, spice, sweet
sweet potato, light-bodied, clean, sweet
sweet potato, coffee, earthy, pepper
sweet potato, melon, banana, sweet
sweet potato, funky
sweet potato, sweet, clean, rich
sweet potato, soft, light-bodied, sweet
sweet potato, fruity
sweet potato, sweet, clean, fruity
sweet potato, soft, sweet
sweet potato, smooth, fruity, bright
sweet potato, pear, grassy, light-bodied
sweet potato, pear, grassy, rich
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, roasted grain, sweet
sweet potato, bright
sweet potato, bright
sweet potato, white peach, grape, berry
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, sweet
sweet potato, crisp
sweet potato, soft, sweet
sweet potato, crisp, sweet
sweet potato, smooth
sweet potato, bright
sweet potato, bright
sweet potato, smooth
sweet potato, smooth, sweet, long finish
sweet potato, smoky, rich, long finish
Kokuto shochu
Warm spice meets the brown-sugar aroma the distillate keeps. The sugar itself is gone, so sweeten separately if the drink needs it.
kokuto, cask, aged
kokuto, rich, long finish, aged
kokuto, smooth, smoky, cask
kokuto, smooth, cask, aged
Show the other 21 cardamom matches
kokuto, tropical fruit, vanilla, sweet
kokuto, light-bodied, clean, aged
dried fruit, chocolate, honey, kokuto
kokuto, sweet, clean, rich
kokuto, chocolate, nutty, sweet
kokuto, molasses, roasted grain, dry
kokuto, molasses, vanilla, spice
kokuto, vanilla, spice, cask
kokuto, soft, light-bodied, sweet
Kome shochu
Cardamom is a floral spice; floral bottles meet it
rice, steamed rice, citrus, pineapple
rice, ginjo-like, floral, aged
Show the other 31 cardamom matches
rice, soft, umami, rich
rice, vanilla, smooth, cask
rice, vanilla, smooth, sweet
rice, rich, aged
rice, soft, rich, aged
rice, banana, vanilla, chocolate
rice, smooth, aged, cask
rice, soft, smoky, creamy texture
The bottle already smells of citrus, and this puts more of it in the glass.
rice, citrus, apple, pineapple
rice, floral, ginjo-like, clean
rice, aged, cask, smooth
rice, soft, light-bodied, aged
rice, light-bodied, dry, aged
rice, floral, fruity, smooth
rice, vanilla, cask, aged
rice, smooth, crisp, aged
rice, cask, aged
rice, smooth, light-bodied, sweet
There is enough weight here to stand up to a bitter or a spice without disappearing under it.
rice, smooth, rich
rice, vanilla, caramel, chocolate
Mugi shochu
Spice on aged, nutty notes
The bottle already smells of citrus, and this puts more of it in the glass.
barley, citrus, melon, banana
barley, sesame, caramel, chocolate
barley, chocolate, umami, smooth
Show the other 37 cardamom matches
barley, crisp, clean, aged
barley, smooth, crisp, aged
barley, chocolate, earthy, smooth
barley, soft, light-bodied, clean
barley, smooth, long finish, aged
barley, smooth, light-bodied, clean
barley, smoky, soft, cask
barley, umami, rich, sweet
barley, umami, rich, aged
barley, smooth, rich, aged
barley, smooth, rich, aged
barley, smooth, rich, whisky-like
barley, vanilla, spice, cask
barley, caramel, rich, sweet
barley, toast, savory, rich
barley, smooth, crisp, cask
barley, toast, spice, rich
Cardamom is a floral spice; floral bottles meet it
barley, chocolate, coffee, rich
barley, pear, banana, bread
barley, caramel, chocolate, smoky
barley, cask, aged
barley, jasmine, honey, vanilla
barley, soft, silky, smooth
barley, soft, cask, aged
barley, smooth, crisp, aged
barley, rich, cask, aged
barley, toast, cereal, rich
barley, vanilla, nutty, toast
barley, cask, aged
barley, dry, cask, aged
There is enough weight here to stand up to a bitter or a spice without disappearing under it.
barley, apple, pineapple, creamy texture
Kasutori, chestnut and other bases
Cardamom is a floral spice; floral bottles meet it
The bottle already smells of citrus, and this puts more of it in the glass.
citrus, plum, sweet, yuzu
Citrus is in this bottle, not just on its nose, so this doubles it rather than introducing it.
Show the other 9 cardamom matches
smooth, rich, aged
barley, smooth, honey, vanilla
floral, fruity, sweet, plum
chestnut, floral, roasted grain, sweet
There is enough weight here to stand up to a bitter or a spice without disappearing under it.
Shiso, sesame, yuzu and other flavoured shochu
Citrus is in this bottle, not just on its nose, so this doubles it rather than introducing it.
rice, citrus, crisp
Cardamom is a floral spice; floral bottles meet it
Soba shochu
Spice on aged, nutty notes