Choya Classic Umeshu

Choya Classic is a Japanese umeshu, a liqueur made by steeping ume fruit in spirit. It is a style families in Japan have made for centuries, traditionally as a reviving tonic that kept well over long periods. The producer has made umeshu for more than half a century. Over time the steeping spirit has moved from koshu, an aged sake, to single-distilled shochu and then multiple-distilled shochu, a change made to bring out the natural character of the fruit. In the glass it is balanced between sweet and tart, with the flavour of the ume itself and a note of almond that comes from the ume pit.