Suntory Roku Gin – 70 cl

• Spring: Sakura flower (cherry blossom) and Sakura leaf
• Summer: Sencha tea and Gyokuro tea
• Autumn: Sansho pepper
• Winter: Yuzu peel

• Fill a highball glass to the brim with ice cubes.
• Pour in 1 part Roku Gin and 3 parts premium tonic water.
• Garnish with 6 thinly sliced matchsticks of fresh ginger to complement the spicy Sansho pepper notes.

Color: golden yellow
Aroma: fine fruity and floral notes accompanied by a delicate lime and grapefruit note
Taste: soft and supple body with notes of white peaches, grapes, coconut, limes and spices.
Finish: long and complex

The Ichidai Ai-misen Daiginjo sake from the Chugoku-Jozo brewery, founded in 1918, has a degree of polish of over 60 percent. It has been manufactured in the city of Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima Prefecture since 1963.
Sake is a Japanese rice wine made from polished rice, water and yeast, but is more similar to beer in production. Unlike beer, however, the fermentation of sugar to alcohol sometimes takes place at the same time as the fermentation of starch to sugar. Sake contains 15 to 20 percent alcohol.

Find this and more exceptional selections at Kaasak.

• The Blend: A meticulous combination of more than 100 malt and grain whisky batches. It combines heavy malt from the Yoichi Distillery, softer malt from the Miyagikyo Distillery, and corn-based grain whiskies distilled in traditional Coffey stills. 
• The "Marriage" Process: After blending, the liquid is returned to used casks (including ex-bourbon and sherry butts) for several months. This allows the diverse components to stabilize and harmonize before being bottled undiluted.
• The Design: Features the famous short, square "small block of whisky" bottle designed by Takeshi Sato to visualize the concentrated and intense flavor inside. For the 90th anniversary, it comes housed in a limited-edition presentation box.

• Aroma: Rich oak, dried fruits, winter spices, orange peel, and underlying hints of vanilla and caramel.
• Palate: Full-bodied, oily, and complex. It features layers of dark chocolate, toasted oak, baking spices, and a light honeyed sweetness that balances the alcohol heat.
• Finish: Long, warming, and slightly woody with lingering oak spices and soft fruit notes. 

Find this and more exceptional selections at Kaasak.

A vibrant addition to the Nikka range, Nikka Days is a bright and vivacious blend of malt and grain whiskies from both Nikka's Yoichi and Miyagikyo distilleries. Its medium body hosts an array of floral and zesty flavours which mingle effortlessly with an underlying vanilla-toffee depth and a light, distant touch of breezy peat smoke.

A fresh and delicate whisky, Days makes a delicious sipping dram or sits beautifully in a refreshing highball.

NOSE: Apples, pears and strawberry liquorice. Perfumed notes of daiginjo sake and white melon. Grainy flavours develop, with freshly crushed barley and malting floor sweetness floating out of the glass. White chocolate and a sprinkling of lemon zest sit at the back.

PALATE: Creamy and soft, with grapes and apples on top of toffee and candied lemon. Delicate white chocolate notes are joined by darker liquorice hints and a tiny touch of barrel char smokiness. Right at the back is a bowl of apples, freshly peeled and sliced.

FINISH: Lemon zest and buttery biscuits. Barley sugar sweetness to leave grain and spice.

COMMENT: Delicate and fragrant at first, with more weight hiding behind. A great all-rounder with enough complexity to sip and enough oomph to shine in a mixed drink.

Find this and more exceptional selections at Kaasak.

Find this and more exceptional selections at Kaasak.