Top Picks and Reviews for Asian Spirits

Bright dark amber color. Bright, interesting, fruity umami aromas of spicy baked goji berries, dried mushrooms, soy roasted nuts, and peppery spices with a satiny, racy, sourish medium-full body and a tingling, elegant, medium-long fresh cut wheatgrass, honeyed dried cherries, dusty beets, and peppered kale finish. A very interesting earthy, fruity, vegetal spirit; try as a vermouth in cocktails.

Date Tasted: 10/21/2015 in our Chicago tasting lab

Brilliant clear color. Attractive, fruity aromas and flavors of kirschwasser, dried apricot, and spiced honeydew with a satiny, bright, dry-yet-fruity medium body and a seamless, layered, long powdered sugar, pistachio oil, lilac and orange blossom water, and pink pepper and radish finish. A delicious and remarkably fruity shochu that drinks a bit like a fine eau-de-vie.

Date Tasted: 1/23/2017 in our Chicago tasting lab

Clear color. Roasted, complex, spicy aromas and flavors of vanilla caramel bonbon, dark toasted nut bread, toasted whole grain, and dill pickled tomato with a silky, soft, dry light body and a seamless, interesting, medium-long almond oil, chestnut honey on fennel, light caramel pudding, and peppery spices finish. An elegant and nuanced shochu with fine flavor and balance; try mixing like a rye whisky.

Date Tasted: 1/19/2017 in our Chicago tasting lab

Clear with a platinum blue cast. Exotic, tropical aromas and flavors of Asian pear, overripe pineapple, banana-papaya custard, and white chocolate mint with a satiny, bright, dryish light-to-medium body and a tingling, elegant, medium-long starfruit and radish, rice pudding, and hint of fennel finish. An exotically flavorful shochu with lots of Daiginjo sake-like qualities.

Date Tasted: 1/19/2017 in our Chicago tasting lab

Bright clear color. Aromas and flavors of papaya-pineapple yogurt, yeasty fruit cake, and overripe banana with a lightly tannic, vibrant, dry-yet-fruity medium-to-full body and a tingling, appealing, pickled bamboo shoots, birch beer and ginseng gum, sugared fruit pits, and sandy grassy beach soil finish. An intriguing and enigmatic white-whisky-like spirit with a nice mix of fruity and spicy flavors.

Date Tasted: 1/23/2017 in our Chicago tasting lab

Clear color. Grainy, roasted, umami aromas and flavors of salty dark roasted nuts, soy rice cakes, and roasted barley soup in a clay pot with a satiny, vibrant, dry-yet-fruity light-to-medium body and a tingling, nuanced, medium-long chestnut skin, vanilla milk, plantain, and radish finish. A very interesting and savory shochu with tons of roasted umami aromas and flavors; this will be fun to mix with like a whisky.

Date Tasted: 1/19/2017 in our Chicago tasting lab

Clear color. Tropical, toasty aromas and flavors of Asian pear, roasted pineapple and rice, toasty nut brittle, and hint of beeswax and clay with a silky, soft, dryish light-to-medium body and a seamless, amusing, medium-length anise seed, powdered milk, and limestone finish. An elegant, fruity, and toasty shochu that has a pleasing combination of sake and white whisky tones.

Date Tasted: 1/19/2017 in our Chicago tasting lab

Clear color. Interesting aromas and flavors of conditioned saddle leather, caramelized nuts and dried tropical citrus, black and smoked tea, and pickling spices with a lightly tannic, crisp, dryish medium body and a seamless, interesting, medium-length polished wood, spiced nuts and water chestnuts, white chocolate maple fudge, and earth finish. A very interesting Asian spirit with lots of cocktail possibilities.

Date Tasted: 1/19/2017 in our Chicago tasting lab

Clear color. Aromas and flavors of nougat and cream of wheat with maple with a silky, bright, dry-yet-fruity light-to-medium body and a silky, compelling, breezy vanilla ice milk, hint of mocha flan, and powdered sugar finish. A lovely, flavorful soju that is sure to please.

Date Tasted: 1/19/2017 in our Chicago tasting lab

Bright clear color. Yeasty aromas of overripe tropical fruits, yeasty banana bread dough, roasted nuts, and strawberry milk with a silky, bright, dry-yet-fruity light-to-medium body and a warming, interesting, medium-long vanilla rice pudding and milk, honeyed cucumber and sweet potato, and hint of pepper finish. A powerful and layered shochu.

Date Tasted: 1/23/2017 in our Chicago tasting lab