In the bottle: Warm and sweet barley pours out of the bottle and lets you know exactly what will be taking center stage—a very fragrant, earthy, and rich barley shōchū. After a bit of swirling to get some oxygen in, there is an intensely sweet, nutty, and slightly savory note that dominates everything in its path. These impact notes come across a lot like Christmas candied nuts mixed with dried fruits—very interesting. Overall, Noto Nomushi brings a lot on the nose, which creates great anticipation for what will be in the glass.

On the rocks: The first sip is incredibly smooth with a beautiful nutty sweetness that reminds me of candied almonds mixed with a bit of honey granola bar—absolutely delicious. A few more sips in and after a little dilution from the melted ice, the nuttiness gives way to a strong barley and cereal finish which really ties everything together perfectly. Going back to the nuttiness, while not as intense as what was on the nose, this is clearly the standout here. Along with the heady barley, this might be one of the best bottles I have opened in a while. To close, with Noto Nomushi, you get a truly great mugi shōchū drinking experience that is worth enjoying sip by sip. 

Straight: Wow, this is one of those bottles that right after the first sip, you think, “how could this get any better.” Everything that was present on the rocks is here, just much more intense, especially the nuttiness which comes across so smooth and warm. The finish here is also something to savor, as the sweet, nutty notes flow in and out between the earthy barley which is completely a match made in heaven.

Paired with Chocolate: Tonny's Chocoloney, 70% dark chocolate. Prior to pairing I felt this would be a clear winner; however, either the chocolate is just too dark or the barley here is just not a good match.