Shochu that goes with kurozu (kagoshima black vinegar)
Savory and salt
These are bottles to mix kurozu (kagoshima black vinegar) into. Some of them taste of it too, and where that is the reason a bottle is here, its line says so.
Sakamoto's, fermented outdoors in earthenware jars in Fukuyama and aged at least a year; Toiro and Japanese Taste ship it in the US. A teaspoon in a mizuwari is the whole intervention, and a second one is usually a mistake.
Best bottles for kurozu (kagoshima black vinegar)
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 vinegar with savour under it rather than only sharpness, so beside a savoury bottle it reads as family instead of contrast
sweet potato, umami, smooth
sweet potato, smooth, clean, aged
sweet potato, smooth, soft, clean
sweet potato, smooth, nutty, umami
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, umami, silky
An earthy, heavy spirit flattens out without acid. This is the ingredient doing structural work, not decoration.
sweet potato, citrus, fruity, mint
sweet potato, crisp, bitter
sweet potato, fruity, soft, sweet
sweet potato, smooth, sweet
sweet potato, sweet, soft, light-bodied
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
An earthy bottle has a savoury side already, and these meet it rather than trying to sweeten it away.
A vinegar with savour under it rather than only sharpness, so beside a savoury bottle it reads as family instead of contrast
sweet potato, umami, smooth
sweet potato, smooth, clean, aged
sweet potato, smooth, soft, clean
sweet potato, smooth, nutty, umami
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, umami, silky
Show the other 154 kurozu (kagoshima black vinegar) matches
An earthy, heavy spirit flattens out without acid. This is the ingredient doing structural work, not decoration.
sweet potato, citrus, fruity, mint
sweet potato, crisp, bitter
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, shiso, smooth, tea
sweet potato, funky
sweet potato
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, rich, clean
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, smooth, sweet, vanilla
sweet potato, rich, crisp, soft
sweet potato, tea, vanilla, mushroom
sweet potato, rich, soft, aged
sweet potato, soft, sweet
sweet potato, crisp, sweet
sweet potato, full-bodied, sweet
sweet potato, soft, smooth, aged
sweet potato, smooth
sweet potato, vanilla, toast, spice
sweet potato, tropical fruit, spice, light-bodied
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, aged
sweet potato, sweet, rich, full-bodied
Acid with a savoury depth behind it, which suits the koji side better than a lemon does
sweet potato, coffee, earthy, pepper
sweet potato, fruity, earthy, mineral
sweet potato, earthy, crisp, aged
sweet potato, pineapple, tropical fruit, fruity
sweet potato, lychee, white peach, tropical fruit
sweet potato, umami, rich, sweet
sweet potato, umami, rich, sweet
sweet potato, umami, sweet, rich
Oxidative depth on both sides, the bottle's out of a cask and the vinegar's out of a year in an earthenware jar
sweet potato, sweet, clean, rich
sweet potato, pear, grassy, rich
sweet potato, chocolate, sherry-like, cask
The sweetness here is aroma rather than sugar, because sugar does not come over a still. Acid is what keeps the impression from turning cloying.
sweet potato, white peach, grape, berry
Vinegar flattens a delicate perfume
vanilla, cask, rich, crisp
sweet potato, sweet, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, smooth, rich, sweet
sweet potato, sweet, clean, soft
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, fruity, silky, smooth
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, soft, light-bodied, sweet
sweet potato, sweet, clean, fruity
sweet potato, soft, sweet
sweet potato, smooth, sweet
sweet potato, sweet, smooth, aged
sweet potato, yogurt, creamy texture
sweet potato, soft, light-bodied, sweet
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied, sweet
sweet potato, sweet, soft, rich
sweet potato, smooth, sweet, long finish
sweet potato, sweet
sweet potato, tropical fruit, pepper, sweet
sweet potato, umami
sweet potato, umami
sweet potato, rich, smooth, umami
sweet potato, smooth, umami, light-bodied
sweet potato, umami, soft, full-bodied
sweet potato, umami, rich
sweet potato, umami, rich, aged
sweet potato, umami, soft, clean
sweet potato, fruity, umami, rich
sweet potato, umami, rich, aged
citrus, pear, sweet potato, clean
sweet potato, lychee, grape, muscat
sweet potato, floral, fruity, clean
sweet potato, tropical fruit, floral, smooth
sweet potato, aged
sweet potato, banana, vanilla, clean
sweet potato, soft, tea
sweet potato
sweet potato, light-bodied, long finish
sweet potato, aged
sweet potato, tropical fruit, bright, aged
sweet potato, soft, dry, sweet
sweet potato, smooth, aged
sweet potato, fruity, soft
sweet potato, soft, dry, sweet
sweet potato, tea, rich
sweet potato, milky, soft, aged
sweet potato, smooth, toast
sweet potato, aged
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, spice, clean, sharp
sweet potato, whisky-like, cask
sweet potato, light-bodied, dry, aged
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, smooth, rich
sweet potato, fruity
sweet potato, smooth, fruity, bright
sweet potato, pear, grassy, light-bodied
sweet potato, bright
sweet potato, bright
sweet potato, rich, purple sweet potato
sweet potato
sweet potato, whisky-like, aged
sweet potato, crisp
sweet potato, aged
sweet potato, clean, aged
sweet potato, bright
sweet potato, bright
sweet potato, smooth
sweet potato, light-bodied, clean, dry
sweet potato, lychee, chocolate, bright
sweet potato, soft, smooth, rich
sweet potato, smoky, rich, long finish
sweet potato
The flowers in this bottle are delicate enough that a tannic or savoury mixer simply erases them.
sweet potato, citrus, floral, sweet
sweet potato, tropical fruit, floral, caramel
sweet potato, citrus, floral, caramel
sweet potato, floral, soft, maple
sweet potato, tropical fruit, floral, caramel
muscat, citrus, floral, sweet potato
sweet potato, lychee, floral, fruity
Soba shochu
Buckwheat is a savoury grain, and a soba restaurant already serves this spirit next to dashi.
Acid with a savoury depth behind it, which suits the koji side better than a lemon does
A vinegar with savour under it rather than only sharpness, so beside a savoury bottle it reads as family instead of contrast
An earthy, heavy spirit flattens out without acid. This is the ingredient doing structural work, not decoration.
buckwheat, smooth
buckwheat, soft
Show the other 4 kurozu (kagoshima black vinegar) matches
buckwheat, sweet
buckwheat, cask, aged
buckwheat, nutty, earthy, vanilla
Mugi shochu
Dashi-wari and an umeboshi in hot barley shochu are real izakaya orders, but they belong to a winter counter rather than a summer glass.
A vinegar with savour under it rather than only sharpness, so beside a savoury bottle it reads as family instead of contrast
Oxidative depth on both sides, the bottle's out of a cask and the vinegar's out of a year in an earthenware jar
barley, citrus, melon, banana
Acid with a savoury depth behind it, which suits the koji side better than a lemon does
barley, chocolate, umami, smooth
barley, chocolate, earthy, smooth
Show the other 93 kurozu (kagoshima black vinegar) matches
barley, umami, rich, sweet
barley, umami, rich, aged
barley, umami, rich, sharp
barley, umami, savory, clean
barley, vanilla, spice, cask
barley, umami
barley, rice, umami
barley, rice, umami
barley, earthy, clean, bright
barley, vanilla, chocolate, nutty
barley, umami, aged
barley, umami, light-bodied
barley, soft, silky, smooth
Sakamoto's, fermented outdoors in earthenware jars in Fukuyama and aged at least a year; Toiro and Japanese Taste ship it in the US. A teaspoon in a mizuwari is the whole intervention, and a second one is usually a mistake.
barley, bright, clean, light-bodied
barley, sesame, caramel, chocolate
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, smoky, soft, cask
barley, smooth
barley, rich, clean
barley, smooth, rich, aged
barley, soft, sweet
barley, smooth, rich, aged
barley, smooth, rich, whisky-like
barley, chocolate, rich, full-bodied
barley, rich, full-bodied, cask
barley, light-bodied
barley, apple, pineapple, creamy texture
barley, fruity, soft
barley, honey, chocolate, spice
barley, roasted grain
barley, cask
barley, sesame, grassy, chocolate
barley, smooth, mint, caramel
barley, rich, aged
barley, toast, savory, rich
barley, toast, rich, light-bodied
barley, smooth, crisp, cask
barley, toast, spice, rich
barley, banana, white peach, tea
barley, chocolate, coffee, rich
barley, smooth, dry
barley, white peach, cherry, soft
barley, soft, bright
barley, soft, chocolate, toast
barley, aged
barley, banana, toast
barley, pear, banana, bread
barley, caramel, chocolate, smoky
barley, cask, aged
barley, jasmine, honey, vanilla
barley, vanilla, cask
barley, toast, light-bodied, sweet
barley, soft, cask, aged
barley, smooth, crisp, aged
barley, rich, cask, aged
barley, crisp, light-bodied, fruity
barley, toast, cereal, rich
barley, rich
barley, fruity, light-bodied
barley, sweet, clean
barley, silky, smooth
barley, clean, sharp
barley, vanilla, nutty, toast
barley, cask, aged
barley, banana, berry, bread
barley, dry, cask, aged
Awamori
A vinegar with savour under it rather than only sharpness, so beside a savoury bottle it reads as family instead of contrast
rich, full-bodied, aged, umami
umami, rich, full-bodied, cask
Acid with a savoury depth behind it, which suits the koji side better than a lemon does
An earthy, heavy spirit flattens out without acid. This is the ingredient doing structural work, not decoration.
rice, umami, clean, light-bodied
Show the other 4 kurozu (kagoshima black vinegar) matches
rice, smooth, maple, umami
Oxidative depth on both sides, the bottle's out of a cask and the vinegar's out of a year in an earthenware jar
rice, citrus, umami, soft
Kome shochu
Oxidative depth on both sides, the bottle's out of a cask and the vinegar's out of a year in an earthenware jar
A vinegar with savour under it rather than only sharpness, so beside a savoury bottle it reads as family instead of contrast
rice, umami, crisp, sweet
rice, soft, umami, rich
rice, umami, rich
Show the other 3 kurozu (kagoshima black vinegar) matches
rice, smooth, light-bodied, sweet
Fruit without acid goes flat fast. A squeeze of something sour is what keeps a fruity bottle tasting fresh instead of sweet.
Kokuto shochu
A vinegar with savour under it rather than only sharpness, so beside a savoury bottle it reads as family instead of contrast
kokuto, soft, light-bodied, sweet
The sweetness here is aroma rather than sugar, because sugar does not come over a still. Acid is what keeps the impression from turning cloying.
kokuto, sweet, clean, rich
kokuto, chocolate, nutty, sweet
Show the other 2 kurozu (kagoshima black vinegar) matches
Kasutori, chestnut and other bases
A vinegar with savour under it rather than only sharpness, so beside a savoury bottle it reads as family instead of contrast
roasted grain, umami, smooth
barley, smooth, honey, vanilla
Shiso, sesame, yuzu and other flavoured shochu
There is real sugar in this bottle already, and acid is what keeps it from reading as syrup.