Shochu that goes with daidai (bitter orange)
Citrus
These are bottles to mix daidai (bitter orange) into. Some of them taste of it too, and where that is the reason a bottle is here, its line says so.
Bitter orange: sour and aromatic rather than sweet, the citrus that goes into ponzu. Bottled juice is sold for cooking and works straight in a glass. Use the peel too, it carries most of the smell.
Best bottles for daidai (bitter orange)
The strongest matches in the catalogue, across every style. Everything below is the same ranking opened out by what the shochu is made from.
Daidai is the citrus in ponzu, and ponzu is already on the table next to imo shochu
sweet potato, smooth, sweet, vanilla
sweet potato, shiso, smooth, tea
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, rich, clean
sweet potato, smooth, clean, aged
sweet potato, rich, soft, aged
sweet potato, smooth, nutty, umami
sweet potato, soft, smooth, aged
sweet potato, vanilla, toast, spice
sweet potato, tropical fruit, spice, light-bodied
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, aged
sweet potato, melon, banana, sweet
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
Citrus acid cuts sweet potato's weight. That's why Kagoshima bars reach for grapefruit and yuzu before anything else.
Daidai is the citrus in ponzu, and ponzu is already on the table next to imo shochu
sweet potato, smooth, sweet, vanilla
sweet potato, shiso, smooth, tea
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, rich, clean
sweet potato, smooth, clean, aged
sweet potato, rich, soft, aged
Show the other 155 daidai (bitter orange) matches
sweet potato, smooth, nutty, umami
sweet potato, soft, smooth, aged
sweet potato, vanilla, toast, spice
sweet potato, tropical fruit, spice, light-bodied
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, aged
sweet potato, melon, banana, sweet
sweet potato, lychee, white peach, tropical fruit
sweet potato, crisp, bitter
sweet potato, umami
sweet potato, fruity, soft, sweet
sweet potato, smooth, sweet
sweet potato, sweet, soft, light-bodied
sweet potato, berry, soft, sweet
sweet potato, sweet
sweet potato, roasted grain
sweet potato, sweet, soft
sweet potato, light-bodied, clean, sweet
sweet potato, umami, smooth
sweet potato, funky
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, roasted grain, sweet
sweet potato, vanilla, creamy texture, bright
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, sweet
sweet potato, rich, crisp, soft
sweet potato, tea, vanilla, mushroom
sweet potato, soft, sweet
sweet potato, crisp, sweet
sweet potato, smooth, soft, clean
sweet potato, full-bodied, sweet
sweet potato, smooth
sweet potato, sweet, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, fruity, earthy, mineral
sweet potato, earthy, crisp, aged
citrus, pear, sweet potato, clean
sweet potato, pineapple, tropical fruit, fruity
sweet potato, smooth, rich, sweet
sweet potato, umami, rich, sweet
sweet potato, fruity, silky, smooth
sweet potato, sweet, sherry-like, cask
sweet potato, sweet, smooth, aged
sweet potato, soft, light-bodied, sweet
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied, sweet
sweet potato, tropical fruit, pepper, sweet
sweet potato, purple sweet potato, berry, yogurt
sweet potato, white peach, grape, berry
Daidai's bitterness sits on top of a delicate floral bottle rather than beside it
sweet potato, tropical fruit, floral, smooth
sweet potato, citrus, floral, caramel
vanilla, cask, rich, crisp
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, umami, silky
sweet potato, sweet, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, earthy
sweet potato, coffee, earthy, pepper
sweet potato, sweet, clean, soft
sweet potato, umami, rich, sweet
sweet potato, pineapple, maple, mineral
sweet potato, soft, crisp, clean
sweet potato, soft, sweet
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, spice, sweet
sweet potato, smooth, rich, sweet
sweet potato, smooth, rich, sweet
sweet potato, rich, sweet
sweet potato, sweet, clean, rich
sweet potato, soft, light-bodied, sweet
sweet potato, sweet, clean, fruity
sweet potato, soft, sweet
sweet potato, smooth, sweet
sweet potato, pear, grassy, rich
sweet potato, yogurt, creamy texture
sweet potato, sweet, soft, rich
sweet potato, smooth, sweet, long finish
sweet potato, chocolate, sherry-like, cask
sweet potato, sweet
sweet potato, aged
sweet potato, aged
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, light-bodied, dry, aged
sweet potato, umami, rich, aged
sweet potato, umami, soft, clean
sweet potato, whisky-like, aged
sweet potato, aged
sweet potato, umami, rich, aged
sweet potato, clean, aged
sweet potato, light-bodied, clean, dry
sweet potato, lychee, chocolate, bright
sweet potato, soft, smooth, rich
lychee, grape, jasmine, rich
sweet potato, lychee, grape, muscat
sweet potato, floral, fruity, clean
muscat, citrus, floral, sweet potato
sweet potato, floral, fruity, umami
sweet potato, tropical fruit, floral, caramel
sweet potato, tropical fruit, floral, caramel
sweet potato, banana, vanilla, clean
sweet potato, soft, tea
sweet potato, umami
sweet potato
sweet potato, light-bodied, long finish
sweet potato, soft, dry, sweet
sweet potato, fruity, soft
sweet potato, umami
sweet potato, soft, dry, sweet
sweet potato, tea, rich
sweet potato, smooth, toast
sweet potato, rich, smooth, umami
sweet potato, smooth, umami, light-bodied
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, whisky-like, cask
sweet potato, umami, rich
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, smooth, rich
sweet potato, fruity
sweet potato, smooth, fruity, bright
sweet potato, fruity, umami, rich
sweet potato, pear, grassy, light-bodied
sweet potato, bright
sweet potato, bright
sweet potato, rich, purple sweet potato
sweet potato, crisp
Bitter orange: sour and aromatic rather than sweet, the citrus that goes into ponzu. Bottled juice is sold for cooking and works straight in a glass. Use the peel too, it carries most of the smell.
sweet potato, bright
sweet potato, bright
sweet potato, smooth
sweet potato, smoky, rich, long finish
sweet potato
sweet potato, floral, soft, maple
sweet potato, lychee, floral, fruity
sweet potato, floral, full-bodied
Awamori
Awamori carries citrus and tropical aromatics of its own, out of an all-koji ferment rather than out of anything added. Citrus meets what is already there instead of introducing it.
rich, full-bodied, aged, umami
rice, citrus, cereal, aged
rice, citrus, roasted grain, sweet
rice, citrus, vanilla, chocolate
rice, citrus, tropical fruit, vanilla
Show the other 102 daidai (bitter orange) matches
caramel, smoky, rich, earthy
umami, rich, full-bodied, cask
rice, earthy, mushroom, rich
rice, citrus, umami, soft
aged, caramel, smooth, spice
rice, clean, smooth, aged
rice, pear, caramel, rich
rice, cask, aged
rice, whisky-like, cask, aged
rice, smooth, savory, aged
rice, umami, clean, light-bodied
rice, bright, aged
rice, clean, bright, aged
rice, smooth, rich, sweet
rice, soft, smooth, rich
rice, smooth, rich, sweet
rice, smooth, aged
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, smooth, maple, umami
rice, sherry-like, aged
rice, aged
rice, steamed rice, soft, caramel
rice, sweet, soft, smooth
rice, smooth, sweet, aged
rice, smooth, aged
rice, smooth, crisp, aged
rice, smooth, sweet, oily
rice, chocolate, sweet, aged
rice, smooth, sweet, aged
rice, cherry, vanilla, caramel
rice, clean, sharp, aged
rice, vanilla, funky, creamy texture
rice, smooth, soft, clean
rich, smooth, clean, soft
clean, off-dry, soft, light-bodied
rice, smooth, cereal, sweet
rice, cherry, vanilla, chocolate
rice, toast, sweet
rice, soft, rich, sweet
rice, clean, sweet
rice, smooth, sweet
rice, clean, smooth
rice, smooth, rich, sweet
rice, light-bodied, sweet
rice, caramel, chocolate, crisp
rice, smooth, sweet
rice, smooth, sweet
rice, soft, smooth
rice, sweet, rich, full-bodied
floral, clean, sharp, aged
rice, floral, honey, caramel
Mugi shochu
A clean mugi does under citrus what a neutral shochu does, with a little more grain left behind it.
barley, citrus, melon, white peach
barley, citrus, melon, banana
barley, caramel, rich, sweet
barley, sesame, caramel, chocolate
barley, chocolate, umami, smooth
Show the other 93 daidai (bitter orange) 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, rich, full-bodied, cask
barley, vanilla, spice, cask
barley, rich, aged
barley, toast, savory, rich
barley, smooth, crisp, cask
barley, toast, spice, rich
barley, umami, aged
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
barley, clean, off-dry, smooth
barley, bright, clean, light-bodied
barley, earthy, mineral, pepper
barley, crisp, clean
barley, tropical fruit, light-bodied
barley, smooth, rich, light-bodied
barley, pear, soft, spice
barley, rich, crisp
barley, soft, clean
barley, smooth
barley, rich, clean
barley, soft, sweet
barley, umami, rich, sharp
barley, chocolate, rich, full-bodied
barley, light-bodied
barley, umami, savory, clean
barley, apple, pineapple, creamy texture
barley, rice, umami
barley, rice, umami
barley, fruity, soft
barley, earthy, clean, bright
barley, honey, chocolate, spice
barley, roasted grain
barley, sesame, grassy, chocolate
barley, smooth, mint, caramel
barley, vanilla, chocolate, nutty
barley, toast, rich, light-bodied
barley, banana, white peach, tea
barley, umami, light-bodied
barley, smooth, dry
barley, white peach, cherry, soft
barley, soft, bright
barley, soft, chocolate, toast
barley, banana, toast
barley, vanilla, cask
barley, toast, light-bodied, sweet
barley, crisp, light-bodied, fruity
barley, rich
barley, fruity, light-bodied
barley, sweet, clean
barley, silky, smooth
barley, clean, sharp
barley, banana, berry, bread
Kome shochu
Rice sweetness wants acid, and citrus is the most direct way to give it some.
rice, citrus, aged
rice, steamed rice, citrus, pineapple
rice, citrus, apple, pineapple
rice, citrus, silky, light-bodied
rice, vanilla, caramel, chocolate
Show the other 62 daidai (bitter orange) matches
rice, soft, umami, rich
rice, vanilla, smooth, cask
rice, vanilla, smooth, sweet
rice, rich, aged
rice, soft, rich, aged
rice, smooth, aged
rice, soft, light-bodied, aged
rice, light-bodied, dry, aged
rice, clean, aged
rice, banana, vanilla, chocolate
rice, clean, aged
rice, umami, rich, aged
rice, vanilla, cask, aged
rice, smooth, aged, cask
rice, smooth, crisp, aged
rice, cask, aged
rice, cask, aged
rice, smooth, aged
rice, smooth, light-bodied, sweet
rice, soft, smoky, creamy texture
rice, citrus, dried fruit, floral
rice, umami, crisp, sweet
rice, rich, clean, bright
rice, soft, umami, rich
rice, light-bodied, cask
rice, smooth, full-bodied, cask
rice, vanilla, smooth, fruity
rice, melon, vanilla, toast
rice, sweet, clean, smooth
rice, chocolate, sweet
rice, rich, bright
rice, pear, jasmine, light-bodied
rice, smooth, rich
rice, smooth, sweet
rice, light-bodied, clean
rice, ginjo-like, floral, aged
rice, floral, aged
rice, floral, smooth, soft
Kokuto shochu
Kokuto shochu is a cane spirit at two thirds the proof, and citrus acid is what keeps its sugar moving.
kokuto, tropical fruit, vanilla, sweet
kokuto, light-bodied, clean, aged
dried fruit, chocolate, honey, kokuto
kokuto, sweet, clean, rich
kokuto, chocolate, nutty, sweet
Show the other 21 daidai (bitter orange) matches
kokuto, soft, light-bodied, sweet
kokuto, cask, aged
kokuto, rich, long finish, aged
kokuto, smooth, smoky, cask
kokuto, smooth, cask, aged
kokuto, molasses, roasted grain, dry
kokuto, molasses, vanilla, spice
kokuto, vanilla, spice, cask
kokuto, rum-like, chocolate
Soba shochu
Buckwheat is nutty and low in acid, so citrus is doing structural work rather than adding a flavour.
The peel is doing what the orange twist on an old fashioned does
buckwheat, cask, aged
An earthy, heavy spirit flattens out without acid. This is the ingredient doing structural work, not decoration.
buckwheat, smooth
buckwheat, soft
buckwheat, barley, rice
Show the other 4 daidai (bitter orange) matches
buckwheat, sweet
buckwheat, umami
buckwheat, nutty, earthy, vanilla
Korui, the continuous-still shochu
Neutral by design, so the citrus does all of the flavour and the shochu does the length and the proof. This is the base a lemon sour is built on.
Daidai is the citrus in ponzu, and ponzu is already on the table next to imo shochu
Bitter orange: sour and aromatic rather than sweet, the citrus that goes into ponzu. Bottled juice is sold for cooking and works straight in a glass. Use the peel too, it carries most of the smell.
soft, light-bodied, clean, sweet
barley, soft, crisp, clean
corn, savory, sweet, clean
Kasutori, chestnut and other bases
The bottle already smells of citrus, and this puts more of it in the glass.
citrus, plum, sweet, yuzu
Citrus is in this bottle itself, not just on its nose, so this adds more of the same rather than a second flavour.
The peel is doing what the orange twist on an old fashioned does
barley, smooth, honey, vanilla
Show the other 6 daidai (bitter orange) matches
Daidai is the citrus in ponzu, and ponzu is already on the table next to imo shochu
smooth, rich, full-bodied, sweet
smooth, rich, cask, aged
Shiso, sesame, yuzu and other flavoured shochu
Acid frames a single strong flavour and keeps it from turning syrupy.
Citrus is in this bottle itself, not just on its nose, so this adds more of the same rather than a second flavour.
rice, citrus, crisp
There is real sugar in this bottle already, and acid is what keeps it from reading as syrup.
sesame, nutty, toast, off-dry
Show the other 3 daidai (bitter orange) matches
shiso, red shiso