Etsu Gin Double Orange Limited Edition

Etsu means pleasure in Japanese, and this Double Orange Limited Edition makes good on the name. Produced at the Akita Distillery on Honshu, it begins with a seven-day maceration of traditional botanicals, among them Japanese bitter orange, juniper, liquorice root, angelica and coriander. After distillation the spirit is cut with fresh water drawn from the surrounding mountains, which keeps it bright.

The nose is all oranges, yuzu and lemon. On the palate fresh orange leads, with that hint of yuzu adding a tart, perfumed edge over a faintly woody, spiced base, the finish long and rounded. Serve it with a light tonic and a wide ribbon of orange peel to push the citrus to the foreground.