In the bottle: Dark, rich, and mature are the first things that come to mind; with a balanced sharpness and a sweetness that is followed some very interesting floral notes, like lavender and honeysuckle. Some of the typical Awamori notes like caramel, cocoa, custard and vanilla are a bit hard to find, kind of like the alcohol, at 43% I was expecting a bit much puchyness.    

On the rocks: Smooth and dry, there are some really nice aged earthy notes that hit the palate first which are followed by some slightly sweeter notes that remind me a bit of raw brown sugar. The finish fades back into a range of earthy flavors that are bit more mellowed and soft; overall this long-aged blend is a well matured Awamori that really gives you the chance to enjoy the results of its long sleep.  

Straight: Really dry and earthy off the bat; however, once this sits on the tongue for a few seconds, there is a burst of sweeter notes that really make their presence known, these are mostly in the form of custard, vanilla, caramel and a bit of toasted rice to round things out. It is a bit interesting since I did not really find these more typical flavors on the rocks, an absolutely great way to enjoy this well aged Awamori. 

水割り Diluted with water

4:1 ratio, if you add a little water this opens up quite well, but, for me personally, I really enjoy this on-the-rocks or neat.