Distillery: 尾鈴山蒸留所 Osuzuyama
Address: 656-17, Kuratani, Ishikawauchi, Kijo-cho, Koyu-gun, Miyazaki
Website: https://osuzuyama.co.jp/en/
Additional Content: Nothing at this time
Name: 山ねこ Yama Neko
Type: 芋焼酎 Potato shōchū
Potato: 甘藷（ジョイホワイト）Joy White Sweet Potato
Ingredients:
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甘藷（ジョイホワイト）Joy White Sweet Potator
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米麹（山田錦）Rice Koji
Alcohol: 25%
Enjoy on the rocks
In the bottle: Bright and slightly sweet with hints of lychee and syrupy fruits, initially Yamaneko is not overly complex but as you get a little oxygen in there, a really nice fresh sweet potato starts to open up. Overall, there is a slight hint of alcohol and sourness on the nose, not overpowering but certainly adds a bit to the sweeter notes.
On the rocks: Right from the start, Yama Neko is spicy and tingly in the mouth and in the back of the throat (a bit like black pepper), there is also a subtle sweetness on the finish like slightly overripe fruit along with a little sourness that reminds me of dark chocolate. As the ice melts a bit the sharper flavors fade a bit which gives the sweet potato a bit more time to shine, highly enjoyable. The finish really stays with you and weaves in and out of the sweet and sharp notes.
水割り Diluted with water
4:1, 3:2 ratio: The sharpness really mellows out as would be expected, but there is a nice little sweetness that comes forward that was hidden on the initial tasting, on the back end the ripe fruit and chocolate notes are not washed out completely, but enough that they don't really add any complexity.
Reflections on this shōchū
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I tried the two other versions of Yama Neko before this and each one is unique in what it offers, the original version at least to me is less sweet than the two special offerings.
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Osuzuyama hits again, everything I have had from them is good quality and has great drinkability, making it a good go-to if its on the menu.
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The price point for all of the bottles from Osuzuyama are in the range of 1800 JPY, which puts them in a slightly higher price point than the typical under 1500 JPY for the majority of most bottles, but still not prohibitably expensive.
Bottle label and Information
Front Label
Back Label
Name: 山ねこ銅釜蒸留 Copper Still
Type: 芋焼酎 Potato shōchū
Potato: 甘藷（ジョイホワイト）Joy White Sweet Potato
Ingredients:
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甘藷（ジョイホワイト）Joy White
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米麹（山田錦）Rice Koji
Alcohol: 25%
Enjoy on the rocks
Notes: There is subtle sweetness at the start that when combined with toasted rice and typical potato shōchū notes brings out a really nice fragrant shochu. With a little oxygen the sweetness becomes a bit stronger but overall nothing that screams dessert shochu. At least for me the scent of alcohol was almost non-existent resulting in a clear and enjoyable drinking experience.
On the rocks: Amazing, at the start there is a clear toasted rice and caramel flavors that dominate in this wonderfully smooth and rich potato shōchū. There is a sweetness that binds to the caramel notes but never feels too heavy or alcohol forward. As the ice melts, Yama Nako mellows out nicely with a softer sweetness that gives the potato a bigger chance to shine which adds to the drinkability. Similar to the other special edition Yamaneko, this is a nice drink to sip after dinner
水割り Diluted with water
4:1, 3:2 ratio: In these ratios, the sweetness really stands out, and on the first glass the sweetness is not too heavy handed; however, I felt that while enjoying a second glass that it started to feel a bit too rich.
2:3 ratio: Similar to the above, just less pronounced sweetness, maybe the better choice if you are planning to have more than one glass
Reflections on this shōchū
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I really enjoy trying and finding these non-standard offerings, and this version of Yamaneko was a completely different experience than the one made with Yamada Nishiki rice.
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I have some mixed opinions on this shōchū, and this is mainly due to drinkability, which I feel comes from the sweetness, the first glass is fine but for me it starts to feel too sweet and rich when going for that second glass.
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Much like everything Osuzuyama makes, this is a high-quality shōchū at a mid-range price point which makes this a worthwhile purchase, especially as a non-standard product.
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While I am not sure I will reorder this one, my experience with what Osuzuyama has been excellent and I will continue to try what ever they come out with.
Bottle label and Information
Front Label
Back Label
Name: 山ねこ 麹米山田錦 Yama Neko Koji Kome Yamada
Type: 芋焼酎 Potato shōchū
Potato: 甘藷（ジョイホワイト）Joy White
Ingredients:
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甘藷（ジョイホワイト）Joy White
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米麹（山田錦）Rice Koji
Alcohol: 25%
In the bottle: Beautifully sweet and floral to start, with notes of lychee and candied fruits being the dominant initial flavors before giving some space to the sweet potato. Speaking of the sweet potato, the aroma spreads nicely as you take it in and the alcohol is not in your face which only adds to the anticipation for what is in the bottle.
On the rocks: The floral and lychee flavors dominate as it spreads on the palate, with the sweet potato blending in, albeit a bit hard to find at first but after a few sips you can certainly find it. The finish is perfectly balanced and there is a nice potato shōchū flavor lingers but never feels unwelcome. Overall, this is an incredibly enjoyable shōchū to sip and this bottle emptied a bit faster than I would have liked.
水割り Diluted with water
4:1, 3:2 ratio: While I prefer, on the rocks, diluted with a little water and this really opens up and the sweet fruit notes smooth, making this a nice after dinner drink.
2:3 ratio: This holds up reasonably well with some of the sweetness remaining; however at this ratio you lose too much of what makes this shōchū so nice.
Enjoy on the rocks
Reflections on this shōchū
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I really enjoy trying and finding these non-standard offerings, and this was an absolute win from the beautiful amora to the perfectly balanced sweetness.
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This is a definite reorder and one I can highly recommend for those that want to go outside of the standard offering range.
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A high-quality shōchū at a mid-range price point makes this a worthwhile purchase, especially as a non-standard product.
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Based on my experience with both of the non-standard Yamaneko varieties, I will definitely add the standard version to my target list.
Bottle label and Information
Front Label
Back Label
Name: 山翡翠 Yama Semi
Type: 米焼酎 Rice shōchū
Ingredients:
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米 Rice
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Rice Koji (Hanakagura)米麹（はなかぐら）
Alcohol: 25%
In the bottle: Surprisingly soft and neutral to start, overall there is just a hint of the rice and some subtle sweetness. After swirling this around to get some oxygen in there, you get a bit more of what Yamahisui has to offer with some really nice rice shochu flavors that start to come to the surface. Overall, there a slight tinge of alcohol but nothing that takes away from the experience.
On the rocks: Excellent is the easiest way to describe this, from the first sip you are treated to an intense wash of beautiful toasted rice and vanilla / caramel flavors that are full and rich. As the ice melts a bit, the sweetness from the rice spreads nicely out nicely to give a bit more depth and character. The alcohol on the finish is not overpowering and does a great job of carrying the softer flavors through to the end.
水割り Diluted with water
4:1, 3:2 ratio: In these ratios the toasted rice flavor really opens ups and a slight vanilla flavor lingers on the palate is nice and smooth
2:3 ratio: The toasted rice is mellowed and it loses the overall sweetness of the vanilla caramel, not bad but not preferred.
Enjoy on the rocks
Reflections on this shōchū
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A wonderfully rich rice shōchū with some beautiful toasted rice and vanilla caramel notes that mellows nicely as the ice melts.
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A high-quality shōchū at a mid-range price point makes this a value buy.
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I like the labeling on this bottle, the kanji has a nice style and matches nicely with the other Osuzuyama potato and wheat shōchū
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This is my first experience with shōchū from Osuzuyama and I can't wait to try the other two bottles of potato shōchū that I have waiting in the wings.
Bottle label and Information
Front Label
Back Label
