In the bottle: Fragrant, floral and slightly sweet, Summer Shōro certainly gives you the feeling of summer by escaping the heat with a nice cold glass to sip. The initial sweet potato notes give way to a mellow dried hay (normally, I think of damp hay, so that is something new) and hints of vanilla, with maybe a little fruit syrup on the side. Overall, really light and fresh which is just what the doctor ordered on a hot night.

On the rocks: The sweetness is front and center with hints of toasted vanilla and syrup; its sweet, but not in a sickly sweet sense and has a nice and light mouthfeel which really adds to the drinkability factor. The initial burst of flavors are counterbalanced by some sweet potato and earthy/hay notes which blends quite nicely and adds a fair bit of complexity. For a summer shochu, it is nice, light, a little sweet and low in alcohol, which lets you enjoy a few glasses on a hot summer night.

水割り Diluted with water

4:1, 3:2 ratio: A lot of what makes this a nice drink to sip fade out too quickly when diluted with water, so I recommend just enjoying it on the rocks. Unfortunately, I was not really trying shochu neat in the glass at this time.