In the bottle: Beautiful potato shochu, floral, with hints of lavender and vanilla, there are some earthy notes that come in mid-way through which I really enjoyed. Additionally, there is a subtle sweetness that hangs around until the end which binds everything together perfectly. Clocking in at 37% alcohol, you would expect a bigger hit but no matter how deep I went in, there was nothing to be found.  

On the rocks: It starts with a measured sweetness that soon fades into an amazingly floral potato shochu that is fresh and smooth on the palale. Shiro Genshu reminds me a little of shochu made with potato koji, it has a slightly prickly black pepper effect at the back of the throat that adds a little extra complexity. The finish is really nice, with those lavender notes sticking around giving you something to sip slowly and savor.  

水割り Diluted with water

4:1, 3:2 ratio: A little water takes everything down a notch while retaining a lot of what makes this something special, which should not really be a surprise as a genshu. Overall, I enjoyed this both on the rocks and with a little water, especially if I wanted to go back for a second glass.