Roku Gin The Japanese Craft Gin

Roku comes from Suntory, the house behind Yamazaki and Hibiki, and it carries a century of Japanese craft into gin form. Six homegrown botanicals define it: yuzu peel, sakura flower and leaf, sencha and gyokuro green teas, and sansho pepper, each gathered under the shun principle, harvested at the precise moment of ripeness to keep the flavours clean. These join classics like juniper, cinnamon, coriander and bitter orange. Even the hexagonal bottle and washi-paper label nod to those six ingredients.

The nose is floral and sweet, cherry blossom rising with green tea. The palate is complex and multi-layered yet soft, a velvety body lit by yuzu citrus. The finish runs long, sansho pepper leaving a gentle tingle behind. Serve it in a G&T with plenty of ice and a grapefruit slice the Suntory way, or sip it where its delicate florals can be heard.