Shochu that goes with cinnamon
Spice and warmth
These are bottles to mix cinnamon into. Some of them taste of it too, and where that is the reason a bottle is here, its line says so.
A stick in hot water with the spirit, or a light syrup. Winter.
Best bottles for cinnamon
The strongest matches in the catalogue, across every style. Everything below is the same ranking opened out by what the shochu is made from.
Warm spice meets the brown-sugar aroma the distillate keeps. The sugar itself is gone, so sweeten separately if the drink needs it.
kokuto, smooth, smoky, cask
kokuto, smooth, cask, aged
kokuto, vanilla, spice, cask
kokuto, rich, long finish, aged
Both are warm aromatics rather than sharp ones, so they stack instead of arguing
Cinnamon and aged notes are a hot toddy
sweet potato, sweet, sherry-like, cask
kokuto, tropical fruit, vanilla, sweet
sweet potato, floral, fruity, umami
kokuto, molasses, vanilla, spice
sweet potato, aged
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.
Imo shochu
Warm spice gives an earthy bottle a pulse without covering the earth itself.
Both are warm aromatics rather than sharp ones, so they stack instead of arguing
Cinnamon and aged notes are a hot toddy
sweet potato, sweet, sherry-like, cask
sweet potato, floral, fruity, umami
Show the other 151 cinnamon matches
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
Cinnamon on sweet potato is a pie
sweet potato, umami, rich, aged
sweet potato, fruity, earthy, mineral
sweet potato, umami, soft, clean
sweet potato, whisky-like, aged
sweet potato, umami, rich, aged
sweet potato, clean, aged
sweet potato, lychee, chocolate, bright
sweet potato, soft, smooth, rich
Cinnamon is too warm for a crisp bottle
sweet potato, banana, vanilla, clean
sweet potato, light-bodied, dry, aged
sweet potato, light-bodied, clean, dry
sweet potato, lychee, white peach, tropical fruit
sweet potato, umami, rich, sweet
sweet potato, citrus, floral, sweet
sweet potato, fruity, silky, smooth
sweet potato, shiso, smooth, tea
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, rich, clean
sweet potato, smooth, clean, aged
sweet potato, sweet, smooth, aged
sweet potato, soft, light-bodied, sweet
sweet potato, tropical fruit, floral, caramel
sweet potato, vanilla, creamy texture, bright
sweet potato, citrus, floral, caramel
sweet potato, tea, vanilla, mushroom
sweet potato, rich, soft, aged
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied, sweet
sweet potato, smooth, nutty, umami
sweet potato, soft, smooth, aged
sweet potato, chocolate, sherry-like, cask
sweet potato, tropical fruit, floral, caramel
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, aged
sweet potato, tropical fruit, pepper, sweet
lychee, grape, jasmine, rich
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, umami, silky
sweet potato, sweet, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, floral, full-bodied
sweet potato, tea, rich
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, umami, rich
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, smooth, rich
sweet potato, fruity, umami, rich
sweet potato, lychee, floral, fruity
sweet potato, rich, purple sweet potato
sweet potato, earthy, crisp, aged
sweet potato, tropical fruit, floral, smooth
sweet potato, smooth, sweet, vanilla
sweet potato, tropical fruit, spice, light-bodied
muscat, citrus, floral, sweet potato
citrus, pear, sweet potato, clean
sweet potato, pineapple, tropical fruit, fruity
sweet potato, soft, tea
sweet potato, light-bodied, long finish
sweet potato, lychee, grape, muscat
sweet potato, soft, dry, sweet
sweet potato, fruity, soft
sweet potato, umami
sweet potato, soft, dry, sweet
sweet potato, smooth, toast
sweet potato, rich, smooth, umami
sweet potato, smooth, umami, light-bodied
sweet potato, earthy
sweet potato, coffee, earthy, pepper
sweet potato, fruity
sweet potato, smooth, fruity, bright
sweet potato, pear, grassy, light-bodied
sweet potato, bright
sweet potato, bright
sweet potato, bright
sweet potato, bright
sweet potato, smooth
sweet potato, smoky, rich, long finish
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, smooth, rich, sweet
sweet potato, umami, smooth
sweet potato, smooth, rich, sweet
sweet potato, rich, sweet
sweet potato, smooth, sweet
sweet potato, yogurt, creamy texture
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, smooth, soft, clean
sweet potato, full-bodied, sweet
sweet potato, floral, soft, maple
sweet potato, sweet, soft, rich
sweet potato, sweet, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, purple sweet potato, berry, yogurt
sweet potato, sweet, clean, soft
sweet potato, soft, sweet
sweet potato, umami
sweet potato, fruity, soft, sweet
sweet potato, sweet, soft, light-bodied
sweet potato, berry, soft, sweet
sweet potato, roasted grain
sweet potato, spice, sweet
sweet potato, light-bodied, clean, sweet
sweet potato, floral, fruity, clean
sweet potato, melon, banana, sweet
sweet potato, funky
sweet potato, sweet, clean, rich
sweet potato, soft, light-bodied, sweet
sweet potato, sweet, clean, fruity
sweet potato, soft, sweet
sweet potato, pear, grassy, rich
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, roasted grain, sweet
sweet potato, white peach, grape, berry
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, sweet
sweet potato, soft, sweet
sweet potato, smooth
sweet potato, smooth, sweet, long finish
sweet potato, crisp
sweet potato, rich, crisp, soft
Awamori
Spice reads as native on this base rather than imported, star anise and chilli and ginger most of all.
Cinnamon and aged notes are a hot toddy
Both are warm aromatics rather than sharp ones, so they stack instead of arguing
rice, steamed rice, soft, caramel
rice, sweet, soft, smooth
Show the other 100 cinnamon matches
rice, vanilla, funky, creamy texture
rice, citrus, tropical fruit, vanilla
rich, full-bodied, aged, umami
Cask and cinnamon: an old fashioned instinct
aged, caramel, smooth, spice
rice, clean, smooth, aged
rice, pear, caramel, rich
rice, smooth, savory, aged
rice, cherry, vanilla, chocolate
rice, bright, aged
rice, clean, bright, aged
rice, citrus, cereal, 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, roasted grain, aged
rice, citrus, roasted grain, sweet
rice, sherry-like, aged
rice, aged
rice, smooth, sweet, aged
rice, smooth, sweet, oily
rice, smooth, soft, clean
rice, nutty, dry, aged
floral, clean, sharp, aged
rice, umami, clean, light-bodied
There is enough weight here to stand up to a bitter or a spice without disappearing under it.
rice, smooth, sweet
rice, smooth, rich, sweet
rice, soft, smooth
rice, sweet, rich, full-bodied
Cinnamon is too warm for a crisp bottle
rice, smooth, crisp, aged
A stick in hot water with the spirit, or a light syrup. Winter.
clean, off-dry, soft, light-bodied
rice, smooth, cereal, sweet
rice, light-bodied, sweet
rice, earthy, mushroom, rich
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, smooth, smoky, cask
kokuto, smooth, cask, aged
kokuto, vanilla, spice, cask
kokuto, rich, long finish, aged
kokuto, tropical fruit, vanilla, sweet
Show the other 21 cinnamon matches
kokuto, molasses, vanilla, spice
dried fruit, chocolate, honey, kokuto
kokuto, chocolate, nutty, sweet
kokuto, soft, light-bodied, sweet
kokuto, light-bodied, clean, aged
kokuto, molasses, roasted grain, dry
kokuto, rum-like, chocolate
kokuto, sweet, clean, rich
Kome shochu
Both are warm aromatics rather than sharp ones, so they stack instead of arguing
rice, vanilla, smooth, sweet
rice, banana, vanilla, chocolate
rice, vanilla, cask, aged
Cinnamon and aged notes are a hot toddy
rice, smooth, aged, cask
Show the other 28 cinnamon matches
rice, aged, cask, smooth
rice, cask, aged
rice, smooth, light-bodied, sweet
rice, vanilla, caramel, chocolate
rice, rich, aged
rice, soft, rich, aged
rice, citrus, dried fruit, floral
Cask and cinnamon: an old fashioned instinct
rice, soft, smoky, creamy texture
rice, ginjo-like, floral, aged
rice, floral, smooth, soft
rice, soft, light-bodied, aged
rice, light-bodied, cask
rice, light-bodied, dry, aged
rice, vanilla, smooth, fruity
rice, melon, vanilla, toast
There is enough weight here to stand up to a bitter or a spice without disappearing under it.
Mugi shochu
Both are warm aromatics rather than sharp ones, so they stack instead of arguing
barley, vanilla, nutty, toast
Cinnamon and aged notes are a hot toddy
barley, smoky, soft, cask
barley, smooth, rich, whisky-like
Show the other 36 cinnamon matches
barley, citrus, melon, banana
barley, cask, aged
barley, jasmine, honey, vanilla
barley, soft, silky, smooth
barley, soft, cask, aged
barley, rich, cask, aged
barley, cask, aged
barley, dry, cask, aged
barley, caramel, rich, sweet
barley, sesame, caramel, chocolate
barley, chocolate, umami, smooth
barley, chocolate, earthy, smooth
barley, soft, light-bodied, clean
barley, smooth, long finish, aged
barley, smooth, light-bodied, clean
barley, umami, rich, sweet
barley, umami, rich, aged
barley, smooth, rich, aged
Cask and cinnamon: an old fashioned instinct
barley, vanilla, chocolate, nutty
barley, toast, savory, rich
barley, toast, spice, rich
barley, melon, banana, floral
barley, chocolate, coffee, rich
barley, pear, banana, bread
barley, caramel, chocolate, smoky
barley, toast, cereal, rich
There is enough weight here to stand up to a bitter or a spice without disappearing under it.
barley, apple, pineapple, creamy texture
Cinnamon is too warm for a crisp bottle
Kasutori, chestnut and other bases
Both are warm aromatics rather than sharp ones, so they stack instead of arguing
Cinnamon and aged notes are a hot toddy
floral, smooth, aged
Show the other 5 cinnamon matches
Cinnamon on sweet potato is a pie
There is enough weight here to stand up to a bitter or a spice without disappearing under it.
Soba shochu
Cinnamon and aged notes are a hot toddy
Both are warm aromatics rather than sharp ones, so they stack instead of arguing
buckwheat, smooth, aged