Roku Japanese Craft Gin. House of Suntory, Osaka, Japan a perfectly balanced gin built on six uniquely Japanese botanicals harvested at the peak of their individual seasons, blended with eight traditional gin botanicals using four distinct distillation methods in Suntory’s dedicated craft liqueur atelier.

Roku means six in Japanese, and the six is everywhere: six sides on the hexagonal bottle, six emblems on each face, six Japanese botanicals at the heart of the recipe. Produced at Suntory’s dedicated Liqueur Atelier at their Osaka plant a specialized craft facility with four different types of pot stills Roku embodies the Japanese concept of shun, the practice of savoring ingredients at their peak seasonal moment. Each of the six Japanese botanicals is harvested at exactly the right time: sakura flowers and leaves in spring, sencha and gyokuro tea in summer, sansho pepper in autumn, and yuzu in winter.

What distinguishes Roku from other Japanese gins is the distillation approach. Because each botanical has different optimal extraction characteristics, Suntory distills each separately using the most suitable method. The delicate sakura blossom aroma is extracted through vacuum distillation in stainless pot stills to avoid heat damage. Yuzu, with its deeper oils, is distilled in copper pot stills. The six Japanese distillates are then blended with eight traditional gin botanicals (juniper, coriander, angelica root and seed, cardamom, cinnamon, bitter orange peel, lemon peel) to create the final gin. The six-sided bottle is printed on traditional Japanese washi paper.

Tasting Notes

• Nose: Cherry blossom and green tea provide a delicate floral and sweet aroma. Yuzu citrus adds brightness. The initial profile is often described as ethereal and umami-tinged savory and distinctive.
• Palate: Complex, multi-layered, and harmonious. Traditional gin structure in the base with juniper and citrus, then the Japanese botanical notes emerge: yuzu citrus as the top note, sakura floral undertones, and leafy green tea mid-palate with Earl Grey-like bergamot hints.
• Finish: Crisp Japanese sansho pepper brings a distinctive spiciness tingling rather than burning, more like Sichuan pepper than chili creating a warm, dry, long finish.

Specs

• Distillery: House of Suntory, Liqueur Atelier, Osaka, Japan
• Style: Japanese Craft Gin
• Japanese Botanicals: Sakura (cherry blossom) flower, sakura leaf, yuzu peel, sencha tea, gyokuro tea, sansho pepper
• Traditional Botanicals: Juniper, coriander seed, angelica root, angelica seed, cardamom, cinnamon, bitter orange peel, lemon peel
• Distillation: Four distinct methods, each botanical distilled individually
• ABV: 43% (86 Proof)
• Size: 750ml

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Frequently Asked Questions

• What does Roku Gin taste like? Delicate cherry blossom and green tea on the nose with yuzu citrus brightness. The palate is complex and layered with traditional gin structure beneath Japanese botanicals yuzu, sakura, and green tea notes finishing with the distinctive tingle of sansho pepper.
• What does Roku mean? Roku means six in Japanese referring to the six uniquely Japanese botanicals at the heart of the gin. The hexagonal bottle has six sides, each face featuring one of the six botanicals.
• What is sansho pepper? Sansho is a Japanese pepper closely related to Sichuan pepper. It creates a distinctive tingling numbness on the palate rather than chili-like heat, and delivers a bright, citrusy spice that is unlike any Western pepper botanical. It gives Roku its signature finish.
• What cocktails is Roku best in? Excellent in a dry Martini where its delicate complexity can lead. Also outstanding in a G&T garnished with fresh ginger rather than lemon or lime ginger brings out the sansho pepper character beautifully. Try the Roku Gin Fizz with lime juice and soda.
• How is Roku different from Ki No Bi? Both are Japanese gins but very different in character. Roku is produced by Suntory at scale with a more classical gin structure and lighter Japanese accent. Ki No Bi is from Japan’s first dedicated gin distillery and uses a rice spirit base with more intensely Japanese botanicals and a more assertive yuzu character.

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