In the bottle: A beautiful range of barley notes flow from the crack of the bottle, followed by an earthy sweetness that is really quite enjoyable. For some reason I decided long ago that I did not like Mugi Shochu, but after trying is again by accident and actually enjoying it, I thought it would be good to pick up a couple of bottles. Kyōya Jidaizō Mugibue does not disappoint in the slightest, as this is well balanced, fresh and backed with a rich sweetness that reminds me of honeydew melon that is a bit overripe and banana candies.  

On the rocks: The barley really hits really well on the first sip, washing over the palate with a pleasant sweetness that comes across as fresh and easy to drink. On the rocks, Kyōya Jidaizō Mugibue opens up quite quickly and treats you to a range of grain, vanilla, some syrupy fruits and of course barely, which is really the star of the show and sticks around and weaves through all of these flavor notes. As the ice melts a bit, some of the sweetness fades to the back and you get some sharper edges but nothing that is off putting; overall, this has been a great reintroduction to barley shochu. 

Straight: Surprisingly good, the barley comes across front and center which is really quite enjoyable, it does have a cereal vibe to it as the sweetness does well to stay through to the finish. There is a bit of alcohol on the back end but nothing that is too offputting, overall, Kyōya Jidaizō Mugibue has been a nice entry into barley shochu.

Paired with Chocolate: Paired with Tonny's 70% dark chocolate, first time to pair with barley shochu, surprisingly, not much happens here and the chocolate disappears into the background. It is certainly not bad but a much different reaction then when paired with potato or rice shochu.