In the bottle: Right from the start you get these big rice/toasted rice notes which are followed by caramel, custard and vanilla; overall, these feel a bit dry, and not sticky sweet. If you really give it a good sniff you can catch some really nice fresh citrus that really ties everything together; the alcohol plays a little on the finish and rounds everything off nicely.

On the rocks: Just like in the bottle, what first hits the tongue is a beautiful wash of rice/toasted rice, caramel, custard and vanilla, which are typically sweeter notes; however, instead heavy sweet and rich, you get crisp and fresh, which makes Hitsuki incredibly drinkable. Drinking this on the rocks really gives a summer vibe and it feels like Hitsuki would make a great go-to on a hot summer night. 

Straight: Highly enjoyable neat in the glass, the sweeter notes comes though a bit stronger than on-the-rocks, but nothing that feels too heavy, additionally, the finish remains nice and fresh which makes this a shochu you can easily have more than one glass.

水割り Diluted with Water:

4:1, Certainly not bad, but not my favorite way to enjoy Hitsuki.