Roku gin has launched a new range and it’s everything your collection needs

The House of Suntory (yes, the legendary whisky distiller) has launched a craft gin called ‘Roku’, meaning six in Japanese. The ‘six’ refers to the number of unique, local Japanese botanicals (yuzu, sencha tea, sakura leaf, sakura flower, sansho pepper and gyokuro tea) used to create this perfectly balanced gin which complement the eight traditional botanicals used in traditional gin (juniper berry, coriander seed, angelica root, cardamom seed, angelica seed, cinnamon, bitter orange peel and lemon peel). The gyokuro tea introduces the element of ‘umami’, or ‘deliciousness’ generally found in savoury foods. Distilled at Suntory’s distillery in Osaka, this gin is not your traditional gin as there is less emphasis on the juniper. Considered more of a ‘contemporary’ gin, hints of sakura (cherry blossom) and yuzu unfold when taking your first sip. You’d be forgiven for not knowing that Suntory has actually been creating gin since 1936, but with the latest gin-craze taking over the nation’s bars and liquor supermarkets, the launch of Suntory’s latest craft gin is well-timed. Priced at approximately $55 for a 700ml bottle, the bottle is labelled with traditional Japanese washi paper with beautiful bold calligraphy – very clean, simple and minimalist packaging. Roku was first released for the Japanese market in July 2017, and has progressively been released worldwide over the last year. It will be interesting to watch how the Australian market takes to this new style of craft gin. Those who prefer a tipple with floral and citrus tones will find Roku deliciously refreshing, especially in the warmer… Read More