Sweet potato shochu gives backbone to a riff on the classic Bamboo. It’s made with Tenshi no Yuwaku, a shochu aged in sherry barrels for more than seven years; the process gives it a character that some liken to a cross between a sherry and a brandy. (The name Tenshi no Yuwaku, which translates to “angel’s temptation,” is a reference to the “angel’s share”—the measure of wine or whiskey that evaporates during aging, which is said to be taken by angels.)
“It has a very oxidative sherry note that you typically get from an amontillado or oloroso, without the sweet raisin notes typically found in whiskeys that have been aged in sherry barrels,” Don Lee observes.