Roku Gin

To quote the great Bill Murray in Lost in Translation - for relaxing times, make it Suntory time.

The predecessor of Suntory, the Torii Shoten Store opened it’s doors in 1899 as a result of the ambition of Shinjiro Torii to create original Japanese Spirits. Shinjiro created wine, whisky and brandy, and launched the first Suntory gin Hermes in 1936.

​Their latest offering Roku gin (which means six in Japanese) is the product of a century of expertise.

The six signifies the number of Japanese botanicals used to create the gin - Sakura flower, Sakura leaf, Yuzu peel, Sencha green tea, Gyokuro tea (refined green tea) and Sanshō pepper. These are combined with eight traditional botanicals of juniper berries, coriander, angelica seed and root, cinnamon, cardamom, bitter orange and lemon peel.

Each botanical has been harvested at the optimum point in its season to capture the best flavour.

Roku is made using distinct types of pot stills, the botanicals are distilled separately to extract the best flavour. The delicate scent of cherry blossom is drawn out through vacuum distillation in stainless pot stills, and the deep flavour of yuzu is achieved by distillation in copper pot stills. Once distilled the gin is bottled at 43% for the European market.

A bottle design that reflects the aesthetics of Japan, the Japanese botanicals are embossed on the hexagonal bottle, again emphasising the “six” element. The label is printed on washi paper and shows traditional calligraphy.

Fox's tasting Notes
Taking a stroll under the Sakuras on a cool spring morning. The rain from last night leaves an earthy scent in the air, which is slowly chased away by the warming sun.

Roku Tasting Notes
Nose: ​Earthy and vegetal
Palette: Earthy with a light whisper of fruity sweetness
Finish: Peppery notes
  
Price: £29.49
Fox's Rating: 7/10