Komasa Gin Hojicha

Komasa Jyozo distil in Kagoshima at Japan's southern tip, a house that builds its gins around a single, intensely flavoured local ingredient. Here it is hojicha, green tea roasted over high heat until the grassiness gives way to toast, nuts and caramel. That roasting is the whole point: it pushes the gin into warm, earthy territory most botanicals never reach, with the juniper providing structure rather than the lead.

The nose carries roasted tea, a suggestion of nuts and caramel and a faint herbal lift. The palate is smooth and layered, mild sweetness over deep tea flavour and a gentle smoky spice that sits easily alongside the juniper, finishing long, warm and softly nutty. Try it in a Negroni, where the roasted depth meets the bitter vermouth beautifully.