Etsu Japanese Gin (75cl, 43%)

A Japanese gin at 43% ABV in a 750ml bottle, distilled at the Asahikawa Distillery on Hokkaido using water from the Taisetsu Mountains. Botanicals are macerated for 22 hours and distilled in a swan-neck copper still. The official botanical bill is yuzu peel, green bitter orange peel, coriander seeds, juniper berries, liquorice root and angelica root, giving a bright, citrus-led character. On the nose it is floral and vegetal, with persistent citrus and yuzu. The palate is fresh and well-balanced, peppery, with green-tea and berry hints and a rounded, supple, silky texture. The finish runs to sansho-like pepper and closes on yuzu.