Shochu that goes with osmanthus (kinmokusei)
Flowers
These are bottles to mix osmanthus (kinmokusei) into. Some of them taste of it too, and where that is the reason a bottle is here, its line says so.
Dried osmanthus flowers steeped, or the syrup. Apricot and honey, and the smell of October in Japan.
Best bottles for osmanthus (kinmokusei)
The strongest matches in the catalogue, across every style. Everything below is the same ranking opened out by what the shochu is made from.
Autumn blossom on a floral bottle
Kinmokusei blooms when the new imo shochu is released, same season
sweet potato, citrus, floral, sweet
sweet potato, floral, fruity, umami
sweet potato, tropical fruit, floral, smooth
sweet potato, tropical fruit, floral, caramel
sweet potato, citrus, floral, caramel
sweet potato, tropical fruit, floral, caramel
rice, ginjo-like, floral, aged
floral, clean, sharp, aged
rice, citrus, dried fruit, floral
rice, floral, 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
Only for the lychee-scented bottles. On a heavy, roasted imo the flowers simply disappear.
Kinmokusei blooms when the new imo shochu is released, same season
Autumn blossom on a floral bottle
sweet potato, floral, fruity, umami
sweet potato, tropical fruit, floral, smooth
sweet potato, tropical fruit, floral, caramel
sweet potato, citrus, floral, caramel
Show the other 155 osmanthus (kinmokusei) matches
sweet potato, tropical fruit, floral, caramel
sweet potato, white peach, grape, berry
muscat, citrus, floral, sweet potato
sweet potato, smooth, rich, sweet
sweet potato, umami, rich, sweet
sweet potato, aged
sweet potato, floral, full-bodied
sweet potato, aged
sweet potato, fruity, silky, smooth
sweet potato, sweet, sherry-like, cask
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, shiso, smooth, tea
sweet potato, floral, fruity, clean
sweet potato, light-bodied, dry, aged
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, rich, clean
sweet potato, umami, rich, aged
sweet potato, fruity, earthy, mineral
sweet potato, umami, soft, clean
sweet potato, sweet, smooth, aged
sweet potato, earthy, crisp, aged
sweet potato, lychee, floral, fruity
sweet potato, soft, light-bodied, sweet
sweet potato, whisky-like, aged
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, nutty, umami
sweet potato, soft, smooth, aged
sweet potato, floral, soft, maple
sweet potato, vanilla, toast, spice
sweet potato, light-bodied, clean, dry
sweet potato, lychee, chocolate, bright
sweet potato, soft, smooth, rich
sweet potato, tropical fruit, spice, light-bodied
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, aged
sweet potato, lychee, white peach, tropical fruit
sweet potato, tropical fruit, pepper, sweet
sweet potato, purple sweet potato, berry, yogurt
lychee, grape, jasmine, rich
vanilla, cask, rich, crisp
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, umami, silky
sweet potato, sweet, rich, full-bodied
citrus, pear, sweet potato, clean
sweet potato, crisp, bitter
sweet potato, sweet, clean, soft
sweet potato, umami, rich, sweet
sweet potato, pineapple, tropical fruit, fruity
sweet potato, pineapple, maple, mineral
sweet potato, banana, vanilla, clean
sweet potato, soft, crisp, clean
sweet potato, soft, sweet
sweet potato, umami
sweet potato, rich, clean, sweet
sweet potato, rich, sweet
sweet potato, soft, tea
sweet potato, umami
sweet potato, light-bodied, long finish
sweet potato, lychee, grape, muscat
sweet potato, umami, sweet, rich
sweet potato, fruity, soft, sweet
sweet potato, apple, soft, rich
sweet potato, soft, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, smooth, rich, light-bodied
sweet potato, smooth, 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, tea, rich
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, earthy
sweet potato, spice, sweet
sweet potato, light-bodied, clean, sweet
sweet potato, smooth, rich, sweet
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, coffee, earthy, pepper
sweet potato, umami, smooth
sweet potato, melon, banana, sweet
sweet potato, citrus, fruity, mint
sweet potato, whisky-like, cask
sweet potato, funky
sweet potato, smooth, rich, sweet
sweet potato, rich, sweet
sweet potato, umami, rich
sweet potato, sweet, clean, rich
sweet potato, soft, light-bodied, sweet
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, smooth, rich
sweet potato, fruity
sweet potato, sweet, clean, fruity
sweet potato, soft, sweet
sweet potato, smooth, sweet
sweet potato, smooth, fruity, bright
sweet potato, fruity, umami, rich
sweet potato, pear, grassy, light-bodied
sweet potato, pear, grassy, rich
sweet potato, yogurt, creamy texture
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, roasted grain, sweet
sweet potato, bright
sweet potato, bright
sweet potato, vanilla, creamy texture, bright
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, sweet
sweet potato, smooth, sweet, vanilla
sweet potato, rich, purple sweet potato
sweet potato, crisp
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, bright
sweet potato, bright
sweet potato, smooth
sweet potato
sweet potato, sweet, soft, rich
sweet potato, smooth, sweet, long finish
sweet potato, chocolate, sherry-like, cask
sweet potato, smoky, rich, long finish
sweet potato, sweet
sweet potato, sweet, rich, full-bodied
Kome shochu
The cleanest of the shochu bases, so a flower actually reads instead of being swallowed.
Autumn blossom on a floral bottle
rice, citrus, dried fruit, floral
rice, floral, aged
rice, floral, smooth, soft
rice, floral, ginjo-like, clean
Honeyed flower on honeyed age
Show the other 64 osmanthus (kinmokusei) 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, citrus, aged
rice, light-bodied, dry, aged
rice, clean, aged
rice, banana, vanilla, chocolate
rice, clean, aged
rice, floral, fruity, smooth
rice, umami, rich, aged
rice, vanilla, cask, aged
rice, steamed rice, citrus, pineapple
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, umami, crisp, sweet
rice, ginjo-like
rice, rich, clean, bright
rice, soft, umami, rich
rice, light-bodied, cask
rice, smooth, full-bodied, cask
rice, vanilla, smooth, fruity
rice, citrus, silky, light-bodied
rice, melon, vanilla, toast
rice, sweet, clean, smooth
rice, chocolate, sweet
rice, citrus, apple, pineapple
rice, rich, bright
rice, pear, jasmine, light-bodied
rice, smooth, rich
rice, smooth, sweet
rice, vanilla, caramel, chocolate
rice, light-bodied, clean
Awamori
Awamori carries perfume of its own, so a flower works when it is quiet enough to sit beside that rather than argue with it.
Autumn blossom on a floral bottle
floral, clean, sharp, aged
Honeyed flower on honeyed age
aged, caramel, smooth, spice
rice, clean, smooth, aged
Show the other 102 osmanthus (kinmokusei) matches
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, citrus, cereal, 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, citrus, roasted grain, sweet
rice, smooth, maple, umami
rice, sherry-like, aged
rice, citrus, vanilla, chocolate
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, citrus, tropical fruit, vanilla
rice, smooth, soft, clean
rice, nutty, dry, aged
caramel, smoky, rich, earthy
rich, smooth, clean, soft
clean, off-dry, soft, light-bodied
umami, rich, full-bodied, cask
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, earthy, mushroom, rich
rice, citrus, umami, soft
rice, sweet, rich, full-bodied
Mugi shochu
Honeyed flower on honeyed age
The bottle already smells of honey, and this puts more of it in the glass.
barley, sesame, caramel, chocolate
barley, chocolate, umami, smooth
barley, crisp, clean, aged
Show the other 34 osmanthus (kinmokusei) matches
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, caramel, rich, sweet
barley, rich, aged
barley, toast, savory, rich
barley, smooth, crisp, cask
barley, toast, spice, rich
barley, umami, aged
Autumn blossom on a floral bottle
barley, chocolate, coffee, rich
barley, pear, banana, bread
barley, caramel, chocolate, smoky
barley, cask, aged
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
Kasutori, chestnut and other bases
Honeyed flower on honeyed age
Autumn blossom on a floral bottle
smooth, rich, aged
floral, fruity, sweet, plum
Show the other 6 osmanthus (kinmokusei) matches
Kinmokusei blooms when the new imo shochu is released, same season
chestnut, floral, roasted grain, sweet
smooth, rich, full-bodied, sweet
smooth, rich, cask, aged
Kokuto shochu
The bottle already smells of honey, and this puts more of it in the glass.
Honeyed flower on honeyed age
kokuto, tropical fruit, vanilla, sweet
kokuto, cask, aged
Show the other 6 osmanthus (kinmokusei) matches
kokuto, light-bodied, clean, aged
kokuto, rich, long finish, aged
kokuto, smooth, smoky, cask
kokuto, smooth, cask, aged
Soba shochu
The nutty base will swallow a delicate flower unless the drink is otherwise very plain.
Honeyed flower on honeyed age
buckwheat, cask, aged
buckwheat, savory, nutty, earthy
buckwheat, nutty, earthy, vanilla
buckwheat, smooth
Show the other 4 osmanthus (kinmokusei) matches
buckwheat, barley, rice
buckwheat, sweet
Korui, the continuous-still shochu
The bottle already smells of honey, and this puts more of it in the glass.
Kinmokusei blooms when the new imo shochu is released, same season
Shiso, sesame, yuzu and other flavoured shochu
Autumn blossom on a floral bottle