In the bottle: At first Hachiman starts off with a deep sweet potato nose that is both smooth and rich while somehow not coming across as overly sweet. As this opens up a bit with a little oxygen, you get more of a fresh sweet potato vibe that is backed by some mature honey, vanilla and dried fruit notes which add a nice balance against the more earthy, wet hay elements that start to come forward as you swirl this around a bit. Overall, Hachiman feels fresh, bright and ready to drink.   

On the rocks: The sweetness here really takes center stage, not sticky sweet but balanced and smooth, a bit like roasted sweet potato. The first wave hits with hints of vanilla, dried fruit and subtle bit of earthiness, not as pronounced as on the nose but still there and adds a nice bit of complexity. As the ice melts Hachiman mellows out nicely and all of the flavors meld together with the sweet potato leading the way which carries over through to the finish which works well to bring you back for the next sip.

Straight: Smooth and rich with the perfect level of sweetness to make this something you would feel comfortable enjoying neat in the class on a regular basis. With Hachiman straight you get everything on the nose and on-the-rocks with just a bit more intensity and clarity. The sweet potato notes have a deep, almost roasted flavor to them which really shows up on the finish as you get wave after wave of potato along with some grain, vanilla and a bit of dried fruits.

Paired with Chocolate: Kaldi 70% cocoa, beautifully rich, Hachiman really brings out the deep cocoa notes and expands on them with hints of vanilla and a slightly earthy backdrop that really ties everything together. As with other shochu pairings I have done with this chocolate, there is definitely a dark chocolate cherry that comes through, especially on the finish; highly enjoyable.