Shochu that goes with sobacha (roasted buckwheat tea)
Tea and coffee
These are bottles to mix sobacha (roasted buckwheat tea) into. Some of them taste of it too, and where that is the reason a bottle is here, its line says so.
Roasted buckwheat, in any Japanese grocery, hot or cold. In a soba restaurant the same serve is made with soba-yu, the starchy water the noodles were boiled in, which is thicker and cannot be bought.
Best bottles for sobacha (roasted buckwheat tea)
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 buckwheat and roasted barley are one idea arrived at from two grains
barley, sesame, grassy, chocolate
barley, vanilla, chocolate, nutty
barley, toast, rich, light-bodied
barley, toast, spice, rich
barley, soft, chocolate, toast
barley, banana, toast
barley, toast, light-bodied, sweet
barley, toast, cereal, rich
barley, chocolate, rich, full-bodied
barley, rich, full-bodied, cask
barley, apple, pineapple, creamy texture
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 buckwheat and roasted barley are one idea arrived at from two grains
barley, sesame, grassy, chocolate
barley, vanilla, chocolate, nutty
barley, toast, rich, light-bodied
barley, toast, spice, rich
barley, soft, chocolate, toast
Show the other 94 sobacha (roasted buckwheat tea) matches
barley, banana, toast
barley, toast, light-bodied, sweet
barley, toast, cereal, rich
barley, chocolate, rich, full-bodied
barley, rich, full-bodied, cask
barley, apple, pineapple, creamy texture
barley, earthy, mineral, pepper
barley, sesame, caramel, chocolate
barley, chocolate, umami, smooth
barley, crisp, clean, aged
barley, smooth, crisp, aged
barley, crisp, clean
barley, chocolate, earthy, smooth
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, smooth, rich, aged
barley, soft, sweet
barley, smooth, rich, aged
barley, smooth, rich, whisky-like
barley, umami, rich, sharp
barley, light-bodied
barley, vanilla, spice, cask
barley, umami
barley, rice, umami
barley, rice, umami
barley, fruity, soft
barley, earthy, clean, bright
barley, honey, chocolate, spice
barley, roasted grain
barley, cask
barley, caramel, rich, sweet
barley, smooth, mint, caramel
barley, rich, aged
barley, smooth, crisp, cask
barley, umami, aged
barley, banana, white peach, tea
barley, chocolate, coffee, rich
barley, umami, light-bodied
barley, smooth, dry
barley, white peach, cherry, soft
barley, aged
barley, pear, banana, bread
barley, caramel, chocolate, smoky
barley, cask, aged
barley, jasmine, honey, vanilla
barley, vanilla, cask
barley, soft, silky, smooth
barley, rich, cask, aged
barley, crisp, light-bodied, fruity
barley, rich
barley, fruity, light-bodied
barley, sweet, clean
barley, silky, smooth
barley, clean, sharp
barley, banana, berry, bread
barley, dry, cask, aged
barley, toast, savory, rich
barley, clean, off-dry, smooth
barley, bright, clean, light-bodied
barley, umami, savory, clean
barley, soft, bright
barley, soft, cask, aged
barley, smooth, crisp, aged
barley, cask, aged
A melon note disappears under roasted grain
barley, citrus, melon, banana
This bottle's aroma is the reason to own it, and a roasted or smoky mixer covers exactly that.
Roast sits on top of a delicate floral bottle rather than beside it
Kome shochu
Rice shochu is light enough to let the tea lead, which is how it is drunk with dinner in Kyushu.
rice, smooth, aged
rice, umami, crisp, sweet
rice, soft, umami, rich
Show the other 51 sobacha (roasted buckwheat tea) matches
rice, light-bodied, clean
rice, clean
rice, rich, aged
rice, soft, rich, aged
rice, umami, rich, aged
rice, smooth, rich
rice, aged, cask, smooth
rice, soft
rice, rich, clean, bright
rice, soft, light-bodied, aged
rice, light-bodied, dry, aged
rice, umami, rich
rice, clean, aged
rice, clean, aged
rice, smooth, crisp, aged
rice, rich, bright
rice, smooth, aged
rice, smooth, sweet
rice, floral, aged
This bottle's aroma is the reason to own it, and a roasted or smoky mixer covers exactly that.
rice, vanilla, smooth, fruity
rice, citrus, silky, light-bodied
rice, steamed rice, citrus, pineapple
rice, pear, jasmine, light-bodied
rice, smooth, light-bodied, sweet
rice, soft, umami, rich
rice, vanilla, smooth, cask
rice, vanilla, smooth, sweet
rice, smooth, full-bodied, cask
rice, banana, vanilla, chocolate
rice, smooth, aged, cask
rice, cask, aged
rice, vanilla, caramel, chocolate
rice, soft, smoky, creamy texture
Soba shochu
Roasted tea and buckwheat are one flavour from two plants. Hojicha and soba-yu are the same instinct.
The one mixer that puts the bottle's own raw material back into the glass
This bottle's aroma is the reason to own it, and a roasted or smoky mixer covers exactly that.
buckwheat, barley, rice
buckwheat, smooth, aged
buckwheat, smooth
Show the other 4 sobacha (roasted buckwheat tea) matches
buckwheat, sweet
buckwheat, cask, aged
Awamori
Oolong and jasmine both belong to the same Chinese-adjacent kitchen awamori grew up in.
The bottle carries the grain and the mixer carries it roasted, so it is one ingredient reaching the glass two ways.
Toasty and faintly sweet, with no tannin to fight
It flatters a toasty barley bottle that has nothing to do with soba
There is enough weight here to stand up to a bitter or a spice without disappearing under it.
rich, full-bodied, aged, umami
Show the other 94 sobacha (roasted buckwheat tea) matches
aged, caramel, smooth, spice
rice, clean, smooth, aged
rice, pear, caramel, rich
rice, whisky-like, cask, aged
rice, smooth, savory, aged
rice, cherry, vanilla, chocolate
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, caramel, chocolate, crisp
rice, sweet, smooth, rich
rice, smooth, soft, aged
rice, soft, clean, aged
rice, sweet, crisp, smooth
rice, smooth, sweet
rice, smooth, sweet
rice, smooth, maple, umami
rice, sherry-like, aged
rice, soft, smooth
rice, sweet, soft, smooth
rice, smooth, sweet, aged
rice, smooth, aged
rice, smooth, crisp, aged
rice, citrus, umami, soft
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
Roasted buckwheat, in any Japanese grocery, hot or cold. In a soba restaurant the same serve is made with soba-yu, the starchy water the noodles were boiled in, which is thicker and cannot be bought.
clean, off-dry, soft, light-bodied
rice, smooth, cereal, sweet
rice, umami, clean, light-bodied
rice, clean, sweet
rice, clean, smooth
rice, light-bodied, sweet
rice, earthy, mushroom, rich
rice, citrus
Imo shochu
Green tea and oolong are how shochu is drunk with dinner across Kyushu. Tea's tannin meets the earth without covering it.
There is enough weight here to stand up to a bitter or a spice without disappearing under it.
sweet potato, sweet, rich, full-bodied
This bottle's aroma is the reason to own it, and a roasted or smoky mixer covers exactly that.
sweet potato, vanilla, toast, spice
sweet potato, smooth, toast
Show the other 64 sobacha (roasted buckwheat tea) matches
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, rich, clean, sweet
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, 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, whisky-like, cask
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, 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, clean, aged
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied, sweet
sweet potato, smooth, soft, clean
sweet potato, full-bodied, sweet
sweet potato, soft, smooth, aged
sweet potato, sweet, soft, rich
sweet potato, lychee, chocolate, bright
sweet potato, soft, smooth, rich
sweet potato, chocolate, sherry-like, cask
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, aged
sweet potato, sweet, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, tropical fruit, pepper, 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.
Roasted buckwheat and roasted barley are one idea arrived at from two grains
Roasted buckwheat, in any Japanese grocery, hot or cold. In a soba restaurant the same serve is made with soba-yu, the starchy water the noodles were boiled in, which is thicker and cannot be bought.
rice, soft, crisp, clean
soft, light-bodied, clean, sweet
corn, savory, sweet, clean
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.
There is enough weight here to stand up to a bitter or a spice without disappearing under it.
kokuto, rich, long finish, aged
Roasted buckwheat, in any Japanese grocery, hot or cold. In a soba restaurant the same serve is made with soba-yu, the starchy water the noodles were boiled in, which is thicker and cannot be bought.
Show the other 15 sobacha (roasted buckwheat tea) matches
kokuto, vanilla, spice, cask
kokuto, light-bodied, clean, aged
kokuto, rum-like, chocolate
This bottle's aroma is the reason to own it, and a roasted or smoky mixer covers exactly that.