How it is made

Building matcha depth on barley shochu

Its character comes from the way the main ingredient meets the base spirit. Two choices are central to the result.

A honkaku-shochu foundation

Single-distilled barley shochu leaves a roasted-grain frame beneath the sweetness.

Bringing the matcha back into suspension

Natural matcha sediment is part of the bottle; shake well before serving for an even flavour and texture.

The result

Matcha umami with roasted barley depth

Even at a lower strength, the finish is held by the grain character of the shochu rather than sweetness alone.

Taste profile

Matcha, grain and measured sweetness

Fresh matcha aroma and umami open into a smooth sweetness, followed by roasted barley and a light tea-like grip.

Food affinities

Dishes that layer onto matcha’s umami

MATCHA CAT layers matcha’s umami and green aroma onto a base of authentic barley shochu, at a low 8% strength. The pairings below are not an official recommendation from the producer, but a reading based on the flavor characteristics recorded on this page.

Matcha’s green aroma and umamiTempura with matcha salt, geng jued tofu and greens (Thai clear soup), green pea potage. Matcha’s green aroma and umami echo dishes built on greens or bean-derived savor.

Barley shochu’s roasted grainGrated yam over barley rice (mugitoro), khao khluk kapi (Thai shrimp paste fried rice), bread pudding with caramel sauce. The roasted grain character from the barley shochu echoes dishes with their own toasted, grain-forward notes.

Smooth sweetnessShiratama dumplings in sweet red bean soup, look chup (Thai fruit-shaped mung bean sweets), panna cotta. The smooth sweetness echoes desserts with a delicate, silky texture.

Light astringencyMatcha warabi mochi, khao niew dam (Thai black sticky rice sweet), espresso affogato. The light astringency from the matcha echoes desserts carrying their own gentle bitterness.

Following the umami-resonance idea in The Grand Compendium of Food Pairing, this reading pairs matcha’s green aroma and umami with dishes built on greens or beans. The way the barley shochu’s roasted character echoes grain-forward dishes follows the shared-aroma-compound idea in The Science of Food Pairing (summary).

Pairing guide — Umeshu

The producer

Hamada Shuzo in Ichikikushikino, Kagoshima

Hamada Shuzo is based in Ichikikushikino, Kagoshima. For this liqueur, it brings ingredient selection and established production craft together in a distinctly Japanese expression.

Official producer website

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