Roku Suntory | Japanese | Craft | Gin | Crisp | Cherry Blossom, Yuzu and Sansho Pepper | Crafted With Six Distinctive Japanese Botanicals | 43 Percent ABV | 70 cl

Product Information

By combining new flavours that enhance and complement each other, Kimio Yonezawa has created a new innovative and unconventional type of gin: the “Hyogo Dry Gin”. Yuzu Gin, created by Kyoya Distillery in Miyazaki, uses a base of shochu potatoes with ginger, sansho and a heavy dose of yuzu .

Suntory’s mastery of this process is the result of extensive experience gained over decades making gin. The flavour has noticeable hints of yuzu which is a lovely addition and offers a nice tang that is slightly different from traditional lemon or lime infusions. Refreshing yuzu peel, aromatic Shiso leaf, toasted white sesame and sansho pepper spice are carefully selected to create a dry, crisp gin with green notes that perfectly capture the aromatic subtlety of the Japanese palate. roku in japense means six, referring to the beautiful and premium botanicals used within this gin: yuzu peel, sakura flower, sakura leaf, sencha tea, gyokure tea and sansho pepper.I'm a gin lover and was lucky enough to sample this for free, as part of a product sampling programme. Six Japanese botanicals cultivated over four seasons, carefully selected to create Roku, Japan’s authentic craft gin. Yuzu, sansho pepper, sakura (cherry blossom), green tea, and shiso leaf are just a few of the ingredients that give Japanese gin its distinctive character. Crafted with meticulous attention to detail, Roku is the prestigious gin that offers the best of every season.

The selection of botanicals is often a closely guarded secret, with each distillery having its own proprietary blend that delivers a complex, harmonious flavour profile. Gin as a spirit is a blank canvas that Japanese distilleries are making their mark upon and they show no signs of slowing down.

In the Nikka Coffey Gin, for example, Japanese citrus is the dominant flavour thanks to four of the Japanese botanicals used, and it is recommended that these citrus-forward styles of Japanese gin be matched with seafood dishes or those dishes possessing a similar citrus-dominated character. Suntory developed its own multiple distillation process as a result each botanical contributes to Roku Gin’s perfectly balanced mix. Nikka, a giant in the Japanese whisky industry, also offers a gin that features apples from Hokkaido and sansho pepper. Gin in Japan is enjoyed in a variety of ways, from neat sips that allow the connoisseur to appreciate the spirit's nuances to being mixed in highballs or complex cocktails.

Roku translates from Japanese as the number six and in every bottle of Roku Gin are six special botanicals that are sourced from the best growing areas in Japan (Sakura flower, Sakura leaf, Yuzu peel, Sencha tea, Gyokuro tea and Sanshō pepper). The spirits world has recognised that Japanese distillers are not just replicating the classic London Dry style but are redefining what gin can be. These include sakura flower for spring, sencha and gyokuro tea for summer, sansho pepper for autumn and yuzu peel for winter. Craft gin distilleries in Hiroshima , long famous for its shellfish, have produced gins infused with oyster shells, an entirely new style of gin to pair with seafood. Reflecting a broader societal emphasis on harmony with nature, many Japanese gin producers emphasise sustainable practices.

Traditional gin taste in the base, plus characteristic Japanese botanical notes with yuzu as the top note.

Aside from juniper berries, common botanicals found in gin are lemon peels, coriander seed and angelica root, which adds a piney flavor. I sipped this to try it and even my untrained palette could get those flavours through, but Mrs Pugh, Gin Queen, holds it in even higher esteem.With a growing number of distilleries entering the market and the established ones continuously innovating, the diversity and complexity of Japanese gin are set to increase.