In the bottle: At first Kamegorō is a bit sweet with some very subtle floral and grain notes; once this opens up you can catch some fresh potato shochu and a bit of candied vanilla on the finish. Overall, this is a bit on the neutral, and that is not a bad thing as it leads to a nice surprise in the glass.  

On the rocks: Right off the bat, there is a soft sweetness that balances really well against the vanilla, toasted rice, and sweet potato notes which are typically on the sweeter side; however, here they are a bit less intense in that regard. Also I could find some toasted grain which reminds me a bit of Oh's cereal with a bit of caramel. Overall, Kamegorō excels at being mellow, which in this case really makes this something you can go back for a second (or third) glass.    

Straight: Now this is where Kamegorō really starts to shine, there is a bit more floral character to it at the start before fading into more typical potato shochu flavors as well as some earthyness. Like when enjoyed on-the-rocks, you get some toasted grain/rice, a bit of vanilla just a bit more intense this time around. 

水割り Diluted with water

4:1 ratio: While Kamegorō holds up well with a bit of water, you unfortunately lose a lot of the higher impact flavors you get neat in the glass or on-the-rocks, which is fine you are planning on drinking more than a few glasses or looking to stretch the bottle. Best neat or on-the-rocks.