Saw this Ukiyo Japanese Blossom Gin in the local supermarket, thought I’d give it a shot as I enjoy Suntory’s Roku which also has Sakura Blossom as one of the botanicals:
Certainly unusual but probably not one I’d buy again.
Extremely floral with an unusual citrus background, which all made for a rather sickly overpowering taste which somehow, to me at least tasted of rather artificial flavours.
Well diluted with tonic I’ll probably use it, but one glass was quite enough last night. Perhaps it’d work better with chilled soda water or neat with ice, but my instincts were probably correct pre-purchase but I fancied trying something different.
Suspect their Yuzu Gin or Rice Vodka would be more to my taste.
I’d be interested ot know if anyone else has tried this.
Well, I think you may be on to something here, crispy. I tried to move my wife on, or up to, the standard Tanqueray, but she went right back to Beefeaters. It’s always been her favourite (for some 45 years now), ever since my father used to make her a healthy G&T whenever we came round for a visit.
I’ve bought her Bombay Sapphire, Tanqueray, and a few others just to try them, but she says none of them have that special, desirable, bite that Beefeaters has. Since it’s, as you say, one of the cheaper ones … I’m not complaining.
And we aren’t enamoured with the flavoured gins or vodkas either. I guess we’re purists at heart. Like raspberry or grapefruit beer, gimme a break …
If not I wonder if it was a temporary labelling change before launching several alongside it.
I got this one a week or so ago - I was surprised to find cactus gives a strawberry/melon taste I’d have imagined it would have been more like a cucumber taste or similar, very enjoyable:
She found it undrinkable, so offered it to me. It is a bit odd, but with Schweppes and plenty of lemon it’s fairly palatable. I won’t be replacing it when it runs dry, though.
Mason’s Tea is a gin I find utterly undrinkable: I was given a bottle as a gift but every time I took a sip I just gagged, several attempts over a week.
The kitchen sink didn’t reject it, so there is that.
“The unique “forced rhubarb” cultivation method, where the rhubarb is shielded from sunlight to enhance its sweetness and vibrant color, has been a cherished tradition in Yorkshire since the 19th Century.”
“Our Yorkshire rhubarb gin boasts a delightful 42% ABV, blending our traditional coastal ingredients with Yorkshire’s finest rhubarb.”
And tha dun’t get mooch more Yorkshire than that, sithee.
With the price of premium gins remaining stubbornly high at Xmas levels we have gone on a search.
So off to ASDA to help them with their new range.
Quite a brave and unique profile. The main botanic seems to be crabapple with a drying slightly fusty feel in the mouth.
Plus the usual culprits. Not overly junipered.
Different but I am sure it will win me over, I disliked Lone Wolf at first taste.
About £15.00 a 40 proof bottle. So you can afford to experiment.
That must be old, and very under strength! (70 proof as was the required strength and unit decades ago is approx 40% alcohol by volume, today’s required unit.)