Shochu that goes with gentian (suze-style)
Bitter and aperitivo
These are bottles to mix gentian (suze-style) into. Some of them taste of it too, and where that is the reason a bottle is here, its line says so.
Suze or Salers. Bitter root, bright yellow. A little in a highball changes everything.
Best bottles for gentian (suze-style)
The strongest matches in the catalogue, across every style. Everything below is the same ranking opened out by what the shochu is made from.
A clean bottle and gentian is a white negroni
Gentian is earth in a bottle; earthy shochu meets it
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, umami, silky
rice, clean, smooth, aged
kokuto, sweet, clean, rich
sweet potato, rich, clean, sweet
Gentian and grapefruit
barley, apple, pineapple, creamy texture
sweet potato, umami, soft, full-bodied
sweet potato, spice, clean, sharp
rice, clean, bright, aged
rice, citrus, cereal, 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
A bitter answers the earth with more earth, amaro and gentian most of all. A split-base imo drink then reads as intentional rather than odd.
A clean bottle and gentian is a white negroni
Gentian is earth in a bottle; earthy shochu meets it
sweet potato, rich, clean, sweet
Gentian and grapefruit
sweet potato, umami, soft, full-bodied
sweet potato, spice, clean, sharp
Show the other 153 gentian (suze-style) matches
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, rich, clean
sweet potato, smooth, clean, aged
sweet potato, fruity, earthy, mineral
sweet potato, umami, soft, clean
sweet potato, earthy, crisp, aged
sweet potato, citrus, floral, caramel
sweet potato, clean, aged
sweet potato, smooth, soft, clean
muscat, citrus, floral, sweet potato
sweet potato, sweet, clean, soft
sweet potato, banana, vanilla, clean
sweet potato, soft, crisp, clean
sweet potato, earthy
sweet potato, light-bodied, clean, sweet
sweet potato, coffee, earthy, pepper
sweet potato, floral, fruity, clean
sweet potato, citrus, fruity, mint
sweet potato, sweet, clean, rich
sweet potato, sweet, clean, fruity
sweet potato, pear, grassy, rich
sweet potato, light-bodied, clean, dry
lychee, grape, jasmine, rich
vanilla, cask, rich, crisp
sweet potato, sweet, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, smooth, rich, sweet
sweet potato, umami, rich, sweet
sweet potato, umami, rich, sweet
sweet potato, aged
sweet potato, pineapple, maple, mineral
sweet potato, floral, full-bodied
sweet potato, rich, sweet
sweet potato, umami, sweet, rich
sweet potato, aged
sweet potato, fruity, silky, smooth
sweet potato, sweet, sherry-like, cask
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, aged
sweet potato, smooth, rich, sweet
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, shiso, smooth, tea
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, umami, rich, aged
sweet potato, floral, fruity, umami
sweet potato, smooth, sweet
sweet potato, fruity, umami, rich
sweet potato, sweet, smooth, aged
sweet potato, yogurt, creamy texture
sweet potato, lychee, floral, fruity
sweet potato, soft, light-bodied, sweet
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, tropical fruit, floral, caramel
sweet potato, vanilla, creamy texture, bright
sweet potato, rich, purple sweet potato
sweet potato, whisky-like, aged
sweet potato, rich, crisp, soft
sweet potato, aged
sweet potato, tea, vanilla, mushroom
sweet potato, rich, soft, aged
sweet potato, umami, rich, aged
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied, sweet
sweet potato, 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, sweet, soft, rich
sweet potato, lychee, chocolate, bright
sweet potato, soft, smooth, rich
sweet potato, chocolate, sherry-like, cask
sweet potato, tropical fruit, floral, caramel
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, aged
sweet potato, sweet, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, tropical fruit, pepper, sweet
citrus, pear, sweet potato, clean
sweet potato, crisp, bitter
sweet potato, pineapple, tropical fruit, fruity
sweet potato, soft, sweet
sweet potato, umami
sweet potato, soft, tea
sweet potato, umami
sweet potato, light-bodied, long finish
sweet potato, lychee, grape, muscat
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, sweet
sweet potato, roasted grain
sweet potato, smooth, toast
sweet potato, rich, smooth, umami
sweet potato, smooth, umami, light-bodied
sweet potato, sweet, soft
sweet potato, spice, sweet
sweet potato, melon, banana, sweet
sweet potato, funky
sweet potato, light-bodied, dry, aged
sweet potato, soft, light-bodied, sweet
sweet potato, fruity
sweet potato, soft, sweet
sweet potato, smooth, fruity, bright
sweet potato, tropical fruit, floral, smooth
sweet potato, pear, grassy, light-bodied
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, tropical fruit, spice, light-bodied
sweet potato, smoky, rich, long finish
sweet potato, sweet
sweet potato, lychee, white peach, tropical fruit
Awamori
Aged kusu is intense enough to meet amaro without either one winning.
Gentian is earth in a bottle; earthy shochu meets it
A clean bottle and gentian is a white negroni
rice, clean, bright, aged
Gentian and grapefruit
rice, soft, clean, aged
rice, citrus, roasted grain, sweet
Show the other 102 gentian (suze-style) matches
rice, citrus, vanilla, chocolate
rice, citrus, umami, soft
rice, clean, sharp, aged
rice, citrus, tropical fruit, vanilla
rice, smooth, soft, clean
floral, clean, sharp, aged
rice, umami, clean, light-bodied
rice, clean, sweet
rice, clean, smooth
rice, earthy, mushroom, rich
There is enough weight here to stand up to a bitter or a spice without disappearing under it.
umami, rich, full-bodied, cask
aged, caramel, smooth, spice
rice, pear, caramel, rich
rice, cask, aged
rice, whisky-like, cask, aged
rice, smooth, savory, aged
rice, cherry, vanilla, chocolate
rice, bright, 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, caramel, chocolate, crisp
rice, sweet, smooth, rich
rice, smooth, soft, aged
rice, sweet, crisp, smooth
rice, roasted grain, aged
rice, smooth, sweet
rice, smooth, sweet
rice, smooth, maple, umami
rice, sherry-like, aged
rice, soft, smooth
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, sweet, rich, full-bodied
rice, cherry, vanilla, caramel
rice, floral, honey, caramel
rice, vanilla, funky, creamy texture
rice, nutty, dry, aged
Suze or Salers. Bitter root, bright yellow. A little in a highball changes everything.
rice, toast, sweet
rice, light-bodied, sweet
rich, smooth, clean, soft
clean, off-dry, soft, light-bodied
Mugi shochu
A clean bottle and gentian is a white negroni
Gentian is earth in a bottle; earthy shochu meets it
barley, chocolate, earthy, smooth
Barley shochu, gentian, tonic: a bitter highball
barley, rich, full-bodied, cask
barley, citrus, melon, white peach
Show the other 31 gentian (suze-style) matches
barley, earthy, clean, bright
barley, chocolate, umami, smooth
barley, tropical fruit, light-bodied
barley, smooth, rich, aged
barley, smooth, rich, whisky-like
barley, light-bodied
barley, caramel, rich, sweet
barley, smooth, mint, caramel
barley, toast, savory, rich
barley, banana, white peach, tea
barley, chocolate, coffee, rich
barley, umami, light-bodied
barley, toast, light-bodied, sweet
barley, soft, silky, smooth
barley, rich, cask, aged
barley, crisp, light-bodied, fruity
barley, fruity, light-bodied
barley, clean, off-dry, smooth
barley, bright, clean, light-bodied
barley, crisp, clean, aged
barley, crisp, clean
barley, soft, light-bodied, clean
barley, soft, clean
barley, smooth, light-bodied, clean
barley, rich, clean
barley, umami, savory, clean
Gentian and grapefruit
barley, vanilla, chocolate, nutty
barley, melon, banana, floral
barley, sweet, clean
Kokuto shochu
Brown sugar carries bitterness the way a boulevardier carries whiskey. Amaro and red bitter both land.
A clean bottle and gentian is a white negroni
kokuto, light-bodied, clean, aged
There is enough weight here to stand up to a bitter or a spice without disappearing under it.
kokuto, chocolate, nutty, sweet
Show the other 19 gentian (suze-style) matches
kokuto, rich, long finish, aged
kokuto, smooth, smoky, cask
kokuto, smooth, cask, aged
Suze or Salers. Bitter root, bright yellow. A little in a highball changes everything.
kokuto, vanilla, spice, cask
kokuto, tropical fruit, vanilla, sweet
Kome shochu
A light rice spirit can be bullied by amaro. Keep the bitter under a quarter ounce or pick a heavier bottle.
Gentian and grapefruit
A clean bottle and gentian is a white negroni
rice, sweet, clean, smooth
Show the other 55 gentian (suze-style) matches
There is enough weight here to stand up to a bitter or a spice without disappearing under it.
rice, vanilla, smooth, cask
rice, vanilla, smooth, sweet
rice, rich, aged
rice, soft, rich, aged
rice, smooth, aged
rice, smooth, full-bodied, cask
rice, banana, vanilla, chocolate
rice, umami, rich, aged
rice, smooth, aged, cask
rice, cask, aged
rice, smooth, rich
rice, vanilla, caramel, chocolate
rice, soft, smoky, creamy texture
Suze or Salers. Bitter root, bright yellow. A little in a highball changes everything.
rice, ginjo-like, floral, aged
rice, umami, crisp, sweet
rice, floral, aged
rice, floral, smooth, soft
rice, soft, umami, rich
rice, vanilla, smooth, fruity
rice, floral, fruity, smooth
rice, vanilla, cask, aged
rice, melon, vanilla, toast
rice, chocolate, sweet
rice, smooth, crisp, aged
rice, rich, bright
rice, cask, aged
rice, smooth, aged
rice, smooth, sweet
rice, smooth, light-bodied, sweet
Shiso, sesame, yuzu and other flavoured shochu
A strong bitter will argue with the botanical rather than support it. Keep it to a dash.
Citrus is in this bottle, not just on its nose, so this doubles it rather than introducing it.
Barley shochu, gentian, tonic: a bitter highball
rice, citrus, crisp
citrus, bright, bitter, crisp
Suze or Salers. Bitter root, bright yellow. A little in a highball changes everything.
Show the other 2 gentian (suze-style) matches
Kasutori, chestnut and other bases
Gentian and grapefruit
Barley shochu, gentian, tonic: a bitter highball
barley, smooth, honey, vanilla
citrus, plum, sweet, yuzu
Citrus is in this bottle, not just on its nose, so this doubles it rather than introducing it.
There is enough weight here to stand up to a bitter or a spice without disappearing under it.
Show the other 1 gentian (suze-style) matches
smooth, rich, cask, aged
Soba shochu
Gentian is earth in a bottle; earthy shochu meets it
Barley shochu, gentian, tonic: a bitter highball
Korui, the continuous-still shochu
There is nothing here for a bitter to argue with, and nothing to meet it either. Keep it small, or the drink is only the bitter.
A clean bottle and gentian is a white negroni