Shochu that goes with yuzu
Citrus
These are bottles to mix yuzu into. Some of them taste of it too, and where that is the reason a bottle is here, its line says so.
The Japanese citrus that tastes like grapefruit, mandarin and lemon at once, with a floral peel. A little zest or juice goes a long way.
Best bottles for yuzu
The strongest matches in the catalogue, across every style. Everything below is the same ranking opened out by what the shochu is made from.
Citrus acid cuts sweet potato's weight. That's why Kagoshima bars reach for grapefruit and yuzu before anything else.
sweet potato, smooth, sweet, vanilla
sweet potato, citrus, fruity, mint
sweet potato, light-bodied, clean, sweet
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, rich, clean
sweet potato, smooth, clean, aged
sweet potato, tropical fruit, floral, smooth
sweet potato, smooth, soft, clean
sweet potato, melon, banana, sweet
sweet potato, citrus, floral, sweet
sweet potato, citrus, floral, caramel
muscat, citrus, floral, sweet potato
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.
sweet potato, floral, fruity, clean
sweet potato, smooth, sweet, vanilla
sweet potato, citrus, fruity, mint
sweet potato, light-bodied, clean, sweet
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, rich, clean
sweet potato, smooth, clean, aged
Show the other 155 yuzu matches
sweet potato, tropical fruit, floral, smooth
sweet potato, smooth, soft, clean
sweet potato, melon, banana, sweet
sweet potato, citrus, floral, sweet
sweet potato, citrus, floral, caramel
muscat, citrus, floral, sweet potato
citrus, pear, sweet potato, clean
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, roasted grain
sweet potato, shiso, smooth, tea
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, rich, soft, aged
sweet potato, soft, sweet
sweet potato, crisp, sweet
sweet potato, full-bodied, sweet
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, sweet, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, pineapple, tropical fruit, fruity
sweet potato, lychee, white peach, tropical fruit
sweet potato, sweet, clean, soft
sweet potato, soft, crisp, clean
sweet potato, rich, clean, sweet
sweet potato, sweet, clean, rich
sweet potato, sweet, clean, fruity
sweet potato, floral, fruity, umami
sweet potato, pear, grassy, rich
sweet potato, tropical fruit, floral, caramel
sweet potato, floral, soft, maple
sweet potato, tropical fruit, floral, caramel
sweet potato, purple sweet potato, berry, yogurt
sweet potato, white peach, grape, berry
sweet potato, lychee, floral, fruity
vanilla, cask, rich, crisp
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, umami, silky
sweet potato, sweet, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, coffee, earthy, pepper
sweet potato, fruity, earthy, mineral
sweet potato, earthy, crisp, aged
sweet potato, smooth, rich, sweet
sweet potato, umami, rich, sweet
sweet potato, umami, rich, sweet
sweet potato, pineapple, maple, mineral
sweet potato, soft, sweet
sweet potato, rich, sweet
sweet potato, umami, sweet, rich
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, spice, sweet
sweet potato, smooth, rich, sweet
sweet potato, smooth, rich, sweet
sweet potato, rich, sweet
sweet potato, soft, light-bodied, sweet
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, chocolate, sherry-like, cask
sweet potato, tropical fruit, pepper, sweet
sweet potato, banana, vanilla, clean
sweet potato, floral, full-bodied
sweet potato, umami, soft, full-bodied
sweet potato, spice, clean, sharp
sweet potato, umami, soft, clean
sweet potato, clean, aged
sweet potato, light-bodied, clean, dry
lychee, grape, jasmine, rich
sweet potato, lychee, grape, muscat
sweet potato, soft, tea
sweet potato, light-bodied, long finish
sweet potato, tropical fruit, bright, aged
sweet potato, soft, dry, sweet
sweet potato, smooth, aged
sweet potato, fruity, soft
sweet potato, umami
sweet potato, soft, dry, sweet
sweet potato, tea, rich
sweet potato, milky, soft, aged
sweet potato, smooth, toast
sweet potato, rich, smooth, umami
sweet potato, smooth, umami, light-bodied
sweet potato, aged
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, whisky-like, cask
sweet potato, light-bodied, dry, aged
sweet potato, umami, rich
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, smooth, rich
sweet potato, umami, rich, aged
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, whisky-like, aged
sweet potato, crisp
sweet potato, umami, rich, aged
sweet potato, bright
sweet potato, bright
sweet potato, smooth
sweet potato, lychee, chocolate, bright
sweet potato, soft, smooth, rich
sweet potato, smoky, rich, long finish
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.
rice, earthy, mushroom, rich
rice, nutty, dry, aged
floral, clean, sharp, aged
rice, clean, smooth, aged
rice, umami, clean, light-bodied
rice, clean, bright, aged
Show the other 102 yuzu matches
rice, citrus, roasted grain, sweet
rice, citrus, vanilla, chocolate
rice, citrus, tropical fruit, vanilla
rich, full-bodied, aged, umami
umami, rich, full-bodied, cask
rich, smooth, clean, soft
clean, off-dry, soft, light-bodied
rice, pear, caramel, rich
rice, smooth, savory, aged
rice, cherry, vanilla, chocolate
rice, bright, aged
rice, smooth, rich, sweet
rice, smooth, rich, sweet
rice, soft, rich, sweet
rice, smooth, sweet
rice, smooth, rich, sweet
rice, light-bodied, sweet
rice, sweet, crisp, smooth
rice, roasted grain, aged
rice, sherry-like, aged
rice, aged
rice, soft, smooth
rice, steamed rice, soft, caramel
rice, sweet, soft, smooth
rice, smooth, sweet, aged
rice, smooth, crisp, aged
rice, sweet, rich, full-bodied
rice, vanilla, funky, creamy texture
aged, caramel, smooth, spice
caramel, smoky, rich, earthy
Kome shochu
Rice sweetness wants acid, and citrus is the most direct way to give it some.
rice, floral, ginjo-like, clean
rice, citrus, dried fruit, floral
rice, citrus, apple, pineapple
rice, vanilla, caramel, chocolate
rice, ginjo-like, floral, aged
Show the other 64 yuzu matches
rice, rich, clean, bright
rice, citrus, silky, light-bodied
rice, floral, fruity, smooth
rice, steamed rice, citrus, pineapple
rice, light-bodied, clean
rice, aged, cask, smooth
rice, umami, crisp, sweet
rice, vanilla, smooth, cask
rice, vanilla, smooth, sweet
rice, rich, aged
rice, soft, rich, aged
rice, soft, light-bodied, aged
rice, light-bodied, cask
rice, light-bodied, dry, aged
rice, vanilla, smooth, fruity
rice, banana, vanilla, chocolate
rice, vanilla, cask, aged
rice, melon, vanilla, toast
rice, smooth, aged, cask
rice, smooth, crisp, aged
rice, pear, jasmine, light-bodied
rice, cask, aged
rice, smooth, light-bodied, sweet
rice, soft, smoky, creamy texture
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, clean, off-dry, smooth
barley, bright, clean, light-bodied
barley, crisp, clean, aged
Show the other 92 yuzu matches
barley, soft, light-bodied, clean
barley, soft, clean
barley, smooth, light-bodied, clean
barley, apple, pineapple, creamy texture
barley, melon, banana, floral
barley, earthy, mineral, pepper
barley, sesame, caramel, chocolate
barley, chocolate, umami, smooth
barley, smooth, crisp, aged
barley, chocolate, earthy, smooth
barley, tropical fruit, light-bodied
barley, smooth, rich, light-bodied
barley, smooth, long finish, aged
barley, rich, crisp
barley, umami, rich, aged
barley, smooth, rich, whisky-like
barley, umami, rich, sharp
barley, rich, full-bodied, cask
barley, vanilla, spice, cask
barley, honey, chocolate, spice
barley, roasted grain
barley, sesame, grassy, chocolate
barley, smooth, mint, caramel
barley, vanilla, chocolate, nutty
barley, toast, savory, rich
barley, toast, rich, light-bodied
barley, toast, spice, rich
barley, banana, white peach, tea
barley, chocolate, coffee, rich
barley, smooth, dry
barley, white peach, cherry, soft
barley, banana, toast
barley, pear, banana, bread
barley, cask, aged
barley, jasmine, honey, vanilla
barley, toast, light-bodied, sweet
barley, soft, silky, smooth
barley, crisp, light-bodied, fruity
barley, toast, cereal, rich
barley, fruity, light-bodied
barley, vanilla, nutty, toast
barley, cask, aged
barley, banana, berry, bread
barley, dry, cask, aged
Kokuto shochu
Kokuto shochu is a cane spirit at two thirds the proof, and citrus acid is what keeps its sugar moving.
kokuto, sweet, clean, rich
kokuto, light-bodied, clean, aged
dried fruit, chocolate, honey, kokuto
kokuto, tropical fruit, vanilla, sweet
kokuto, chocolate, nutty, sweet
Show the other 20 yuzu matches
kokuto, soft, light-bodied, sweet
kokuto, molasses, roasted grain, dry
kokuto, molasses, vanilla, spice
kokuto, vanilla, spice, cask
kokuto, rich, long finish, aged
kokuto, rum-like, chocolate
kokuto, smooth, cask, aged
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.
A clean bottle gives yuzu a blank page
soft, light-bodied, clean, sweet
barley, soft, crisp, clean
The Japanese citrus that tastes like grapefruit, mandarin and lemon at once, with a floral peel. A little zest or juice goes a long way.
Shiso, sesame, yuzu and other flavoured shochu
Acid frames a single strong flavour and keeps it from turning syrupy.
Citrus is in this bottle, not just on its nose, so this doubles it rather than introducing it.
rice, citrus, crisp
There is real sugar in this bottle already, and acid is what keeps it from reading as syrup.
A clean bottle gives yuzu a blank page
Yuzu's perfume sits beside floral notes instead of covering them
Show the other 4 yuzu matches
Soba shochu
Buckwheat is nutty and low in acid, so citrus is doing structural work rather than adding a flavour.
The classic pair: rice sweetness under yuzu zest
An earthy, heavy spirit flattens out without acid. This is the ingredient doing structural work, not decoration.
buckwheat, smooth, aged
Show the other 4 yuzu matches
buckwheat, cask, aged
buckwheat, nutty, earthy, vanilla
Kasutori, chestnut and other bases
Doubles the citrus already in the glass
Yuzu's perfume sits beside floral notes instead of covering them
floral, fruity, sweet, plum
citrus, plum, sweet, yuzu
Kagoshima bartenders reach for yuzu with imo shochu first
chestnut, floral, roasted grain, sweet
Show the other 2 yuzu matches
A clean bottle gives yuzu a blank page
Citrus is in this bottle, not just on its nose, so this doubles it rather than introducing it.