Shochu that goes with coffee (cold brew)
Tea and coffee
These are bottles to mix coffee (cold brew) into. Some of them taste of it too, and where that is the reason a bottle is here, its line says so.
Cold brew, unsweetened. For barley, brown-sugar, cask-aged and awamori bottles; it will bury a delicate, perfumed one.
Best bottles for coffee (cold brew)
The strongest matches in the catalogue, across every style. Everything below is the same ranking opened out by what the shochu is made from.
Roasted barley and coffee are one flavor family
This bottle's aroma is the reason to own it, and a roasted or smoky mixer covers exactly that.
Roast and caramel are the same sugar taken to two different points, so one continues the other
Vanilla is the thing added to a coffee syrup; this bottle has it already
barley, sesame, grassy, chocolate
barley, caramel, rich, sweet
barley, smooth, mint, caramel
barley, vanilla, chocolate, nutty
barley, caramel, chocolate, smoky
rice, steamed rice, soft, caramel
barley, vanilla, cask
barley, vanilla, nutty, toast
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.
Mugi shochu
Oolong-hai and green tea highballs are izakaya staples, and barley is clean enough to let the tea lead.
Roasted barley and coffee are one flavor family
Roast and caramel are the same sugar taken to two different points, so one continues the other
Vanilla is the thing added to a coffee syrup; this bottle has it already
barley, sesame, grassy, chocolate
barley, caramel, rich, sweet
barley, smooth, mint, caramel
Show the other 94 coffee (cold brew) matches
barley, vanilla, chocolate, nutty
barley, caramel, chocolate, smoky
barley, vanilla, cask
barley, vanilla, nutty, toast
Cask notes and coffee: think of a coffee old fashioned
barley, chocolate, umami, smooth
barley, chocolate, earthy, smooth
barley, smooth, rich, aged
barley, smooth, rich, whisky-like
barley, honey, chocolate, spice
barley, smooth, crisp, cask
barley, banana, white peach, tea
barley, soft, chocolate, toast
barley, cask, aged
barley, jasmine, honey, vanilla
barley, soft, silky, smooth
barley, rich, cask, aged
barley, dry, cask, aged
The bottle carries the grain and the mixer carries it roasted, so it is one ingredient reaching the glass two ways.
barley, earthy, mineral, pepper
barley, crisp, clean, aged
barley, smooth, crisp, aged
barley, crisp, clean
barley, tropical fruit, light-bodied
barley, soft, light-bodied, clean
barley, smooth, rich, light-bodied
barley, pear, soft, spice
barley, smooth, long finish, aged
barley, rich, crisp
barley, soft, clean
barley, smooth, light-bodied, clean
barley, smooth
barley, rich, clean
barley, umami, rich, sweet
barley, umami, rich, aged
barley, soft, sweet
barley, smooth, rich, aged
barley, umami, rich, sharp
barley, light-bodied
barley, rice, umami
barley, rice, umami
barley, fruity, soft
barley, earthy, clean, bright
barley, roasted grain
barley, toast, rich, light-bodied
barley, toast, spice, rich
barley, umami, aged
barley, umami, light-bodied
barley, smooth, dry
barley, white peach, cherry, soft
barley, banana, toast
barley, pear, banana, bread
barley, toast, light-bodied, sweet
barley, crisp, light-bodied, fruity
barley, toast, cereal, rich
barley, fruity, light-bodied
barley, sweet, clean
barley, silky, smooth
barley, clean, sharp
barley, banana, berry, bread
barley, soft, cask, aged
barley, cask, aged
This bottle's aroma is the reason to own it, and a roasted or smoky mixer covers exactly that.
Cold brew, unsweetened. For barley, brown-sugar, cask-aged and awamori bottles; it will bury a delicate, perfumed one.
barley, bright, clean, light-bodied
barley, umami, savory, clean
barley, toast, savory, rich
barley, soft, bright
barley, smooth, crisp, aged
barley, citrus, melon, white peach
Coffee obliterates perfume
Kome shochu
Rice shochu is light enough to let the tea lead, which is how it is drunk with dinner in Kyushu.
This bottle's aroma is the reason to own it, and a roasted or smoky mixer covers exactly that.
rice, smooth, aged
rice, banana, vanilla, chocolate
rice, umami, crisp, sweet
rice, soft, umami, rich
Show the other 54 coffee (cold brew) matches
rice, light-bodied, clean
rice, aged, cask, smooth
rice, vanilla, smooth, cask
rice, vanilla, smooth, sweet
rice, rich, aged
rice, soft, rich, aged
rice, umami, rich, aged
rice, smooth, rich
rice, vanilla, smooth, fruity
rice, smooth, light-bodied, sweet
rice, rich, clean, bright
rice, soft, light-bodied, aged
rice, light-bodied, dry, aged
rice, vanilla, cask, aged
rice, smooth, crisp, aged
rice, rich, bright
rice, smooth, aged
rice, soft, umami, rich
rice, smooth, aged, cask
rice, citrus, silky, light-bodied
rice, steamed rice, citrus, pineapple
rice, pear, jasmine, light-bodied
rice, light-bodied, cask
rice, chocolate, sweet
rice, cask, aged
rice, soft, smoky, creamy texture
Awamori
Oolong and jasmine both belong to the same Chinese-adjacent kitchen awamori grew up in.
Roast and caramel are the same sugar taken to two different points, so one continues the other
Vanilla is the thing added to a coffee syrup; this bottle has it already
rice, caramel, chocolate, crisp
rice, cherry, vanilla, caramel
caramel, smoky, rich, earthy
Cask notes and coffee: think of a coffee old fashioned
Show the other 98 coffee (cold brew) matches
aged, caramel, smooth, spice
rice, pear, caramel, rich
rice, whisky-like, cask, aged
Maple and coffee is a breakfast pairing, and maple has the tannin-free sweetness coffee wants
rice, sweet, soft, smooth
rice, vanilla, funky, creamy texture
Coffee obliterates perfume
There is enough weight here to stand up to a bitter or a spice without disappearing under it.
rice, clean, smooth, aged
rice, smooth, savory, aged
rice, bright, aged
rice, clean, bright, aged
rice, citrus, cereal, aged
rice, smooth, rich, sweet
rice, soft, rich, sweet
rice, soft, smooth, rich
rice, smooth, rich, sweet
rice, smooth, aged
rice, soft, rich, sweet
rice, smooth, sweet
rice, soft, aged
rice, smooth, rich, sweet
rice, sweet, smooth, rich
rice, smooth, soft, aged
rice, soft, clean, aged
rice, sweet, crisp, smooth
rice, smooth, sweet
rice, smooth, sweet
rice, sherry-like, aged
rice, soft, smooth
This bottle's aroma is the reason to own it, and a roasted or smoky mixer covers exactly that.
rice, smooth, sweet, aged
rice, smooth, aged
rice, smooth, crisp, aged
rice, smooth, sweet, oily
rice, smooth, sweet, aged
rice, clean, sharp, aged
rice, smooth, soft, clean
rice, nutty, dry, aged
Cold brew, unsweetened. For barley, brown-sugar, cask-aged and awamori bottles; it will bury a delicate, perfumed one.
clean, off-dry, soft, light-bodied
rice, smooth, cereal, sweet
rice, toast, sweet
rice, umami, clean, light-bodied
rice, clean, sweet
rice, clean, smooth
rice, light-bodied, sweet
rice, earthy, mushroom, rich
rice, cask, aged
rice, citrus, tropical fruit, vanilla
Kokuto shochu
Tea and coffee meet the molasses in the bottle rather than arguing with it, and the darker the cup the better it holds.
Both are dark and slightly burnt, so the coffee reads as more of the bottle rather than as a second idea
Vanilla is the thing added to a coffee syrup; this bottle has it already
kokuto, molasses, roasted grain, dry
Brown sugar spirit and coffee is a rum-and-coffee, and Amami makes coffee liqueur from it
This bottle's aroma is the reason to own it, and a roasted or smoky mixer covers exactly that.
kokuto, sweet, clean, rich
Show the other 21 coffee (cold brew) matches
kokuto, chocolate, nutty, sweet
kokuto, rich, long finish, aged
kokuto, light-bodied, clean, aged
kokuto, cask, aged
kokuto, smooth, smoky, cask
kokuto, smooth, cask, aged
kokuto, tropical fruit, vanilla, sweet
Imo shochu
Green tea and oolong are how shochu is drunk with dinner across Kyushu. Tea's tannin meets the earth without covering it.
This bottle's aroma is the reason to own it, and a roasted or smoky mixer covers exactly that.
There is enough weight here to stand up to a bitter or a spice without disappearing under it.
sweet potato, sweet, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, vanilla, toast, spice
sweet potato, chocolate, sherry-like, cask
sweet potato, smooth, rich, sweet
Show the other 66 coffee (cold brew) matches
sweet potato, pineapple, maple, mineral
sweet potato, sweet, sherry-like, cask
sweet potato, whisky-like, cask
sweet potato, vanilla, creamy texture, bright
sweet potato, tea, vanilla, mushroom
sweet potato, lychee, chocolate, bright
sweet potato, coffee, earthy, pepper
sweet potato, banana, vanilla, clean
sweet potato, smooth, sweet, vanilla
sweet potato, umami, rich, sweet
sweet potato, umami, rich, sweet
sweet potato, aged
sweet potato, rich, clean, sweet
sweet potato, rich, sweet
sweet potato, umami, sweet, rich
sweet potato, aged
sweet potato, fruity, silky, smooth
sweet potato, apple, soft, rich
sweet potato, soft, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, smooth, rich, light-bodied
sweet potato, smooth, sweet
sweet potato, tropical fruit, bright, aged
sweet potato, smooth, aged
sweet potato, tea, rich
sweet potato, milky, soft, aged
sweet potato, aged
sweet potato, umami, soft, full-bodied
sweet potato, smooth, rich, sweet
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, spice, clean, sharp
sweet potato, shiso, smooth, tea
sweet potato, umami, smooth
sweet potato, smooth, rich, sweet
sweet potato, rich, sweet
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, rich, clean
sweet potato, umami, rich
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, smooth, rich
sweet potato, smooth, clean, aged
sweet potato, umami, rich, aged
sweet potato, fruity, earthy, mineral
sweet potato, umami, soft, clean
sweet potato, smooth, sweet
sweet potato, fruity, umami, rich
sweet potato, sweet, smooth, aged
sweet potato, earthy, crisp, aged
sweet potato, yogurt, creamy texture
sweet potato, soft, light-bodied, sweet
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, rich, purple sweet potato
sweet potato, whisky-like, aged
sweet potato, rich, crisp, soft
sweet potato, aged
sweet potato, rich, soft, aged
sweet potato, umami, rich, aged
sweet potato, clean, aged
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied, sweet
sweet potato, smooth, soft, clean
sweet potato, full-bodied, sweet
sweet potato, smooth, nutty, umami
sweet potato, soft, smooth, aged
sweet potato, sweet, soft, rich
sweet potato, soft, smooth, rich
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, aged
sweet potato, sweet, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, tropical fruit, pepper, sweet
Soba shochu
Roasted tea and buckwheat are one flavour from two plants. Hojicha and soba-yu are the same instinct.
Vanilla is the thing added to a coffee syrup; this bottle has it already
This bottle's aroma is the reason to own it, and a roasted or smoky mixer covers exactly that.
buckwheat, savory, nutty, earthy
buckwheat, smooth, aged
buckwheat, smooth
Show the other 4 coffee (cold brew) matches
buckwheat, barley, rice
buckwheat, sweet
Korui, the continuous-still shochu
Oolong-hai and green tea-hai are this bottle's job. The tea is the drink; the shochu is the proof behind it.
Cold brew, unsweetened. For barley, brown-sugar, cask-aged and awamori bottles; it will bury a delicate, perfumed one.
rice, soft, crisp, clean
soft, light-bodied, clean, sweet
barley, soft, crisp, clean
Shiso, sesame, yuzu and other flavoured shochu
This bottle's aroma is the reason to own it, and a roasted or smoky mixer covers exactly that.