Yuzugin Japanese Gin

Sweet potato shochu as a base spirit is a decision that changes everything downstream of it. It gives this Japanese gin a soft texture and a natural depth that a neutral grain alcoholNeutral spiritAgricultural spirit rectified to at least 96% ABV, almost tasteless. It is the base later flavoured with botanicals.Glossary cannot, and the citrus sitting on top of it benefits accordingly. Yuzu leads a trio that also takes in hyuganatsu and hebesu, two varieties rarely seen outside Japan, while juniper, ginger, cucumber and sansho pepper complete the recipe at 47% ABV. Vacuum distillationVacuum distillationLowering the pressure makes alcohol boil at around 30 to 50 °C instead of 78 °C, so delicate aromas are not cooked and stay fresher.Glossary keeps the delicate aromas intact.

Citrus · Spicy · Earthy

The three citrus fruits refuse to merge into one another. Yuzu is the most perfumed and slightly bitter, hyuganatsu rounder and gentler with a mild sweetness, and hebesu sharper and more acidic, so the opening spans a real breadth of citrus instead of stating a single note three times. Cucumber runs beneath them as a cool watery freshness, felt more than tasted, and ginger arrives mid-palate with a warm snap. Sansho closes with its dry tingling prickle, an effect quite unlike ordinary pepper heat. The shochu base is audible throughout in the roundness of the whole thing, and there is an earthy undertone that a grain spirit would not have produced. At 47% each element projects clearly.

Vacuum distillation and a 47% bottling pull in the same direction: this one rewards careful serving. Plain tonic and a glass packed to the top with ice keep the three citrus fruits distinguishable, and telling them apart is most of the pleasure on offer here. Peel of yuzu is the natural choice, with ordinary lemon standing in where yuzu cannot be found; cucumber cut into a ribbon is the alternative, following the base spirit instead of the citrus. It also holds up neat, which is unusual for a gin with this much citrus in it. It ends citric, earthy and gently spiced.