Spirit of Japan Gift Set – 4 x 5cl

For those wanting to try the full Spirit of Japan range to decide which you like the best or if you're looking for a great gift, then this gift box with a mini bottle of each of these amazing new craft spirits is perfect!

Wasabi Vodka - 5cl

The elusive flavour of fresh wasabi captured like never before by carefully distilling English-grown wasabi in copper pot stills with an artisanal small batch vodka.  Single distilled and unfiltered, the spirit retains a natural creamy smoothness. Buttery at the start, brassica flavours of sweet mustard and radish give way to high notes of star anise and pepper, followed by a complex lingering warmth.

Fresh wasabi paste straight from our Dorset and Hampshire farms, is used for maximum flavour and to get the distinctive pungency of real wasabi.  Under the expert hand of award-winning master distiller Dr John Walters, the complexity of fresh wasabi is captured through an innovative distillation technique, allowing the enigmatic heat and flavour to shine like never before.

The wasabi paste is vacuum distilled to carefully extract and retain the wasabi flavour: principally by not exposing the wasabi to excessive heat. This prevents the volatile compound, allyl isothiocyanate, from breaking down preserving pungency and accompanying brassica flavour notes. The usual method of distilling a vodka, or even a gin, would destroy these flavours. 

It is extremely rare to find single distilled vodka as the technique is very difficult to accomplish. By carefully distilling the vodka in one shot, to avoid impurities in the first place, a harsh filtration process is avoided and the unique quality and texture is retained. 

For true wasabi lovers we recommend enjoying neat or over ice, however the flavour profile is perfectly suited to a Bloody Mary. It can also be enjoyed in a classic vodka martini recipe for a fiery adaptation, over ice, with soda water or your choice of mixer.

Ingredients: Our own English wasabi

Yuzucello - 5cl

A zesty explosion of fresh mandarin, grapefruit, lemon and lime, with a citrus zing that is balanced with light sugar sweetness. Mouth-watering citrus juice on the nose, with gentle citrus acidity and tingling charisma, followed by a final hit of sweetness and lasting zestiness.   This is an innovative approach to citrus. Far more refined than a limoncello, it is zesty and juicy but with all the subtlety of the fruit preserved. Every part of the yuzu is used to capture as wide a range of the complex flavour as possible. 

Known as the 'Queen of Citrus’ in Japan, yuzu is a cross between a wild citrus and a sour mandarin. It originated, and grows wild, in central China and Tibet. Yuzu delivers a famously aromatic and complex blend of citrus with notes of mandarin, grapefruit and lemon; every part of the fruit is used to capture as wide a range of complex yuzu flavours as possible. 

The liqueur starts life as a typically smooth, copper pot distilled potato vodka. This base spirit is distilled separately, then expertly combined with whole yuzu puree. The yuzu is supplemented with fresh lemons to ensure a balanced range of citrus flavour and acidity. Sugar is added, as is customary with liqueurs: this boosts the natural sweetness and highlights the fresh fruit flavours. 

Yuzucello is distinct from limoncello, traditionally limoncello is made exclusively with lemon zest (no juice or pith), macerated in high strength alcohol for 4-5 days, then filtered, diluted and sugar added. By contrast, our aim here is to preserve the complex flavour of the whole yuzu fruit, while still producing a highly flavourful product that speaks for itself. It has the two typical hallmarks of a liqueur: it has more sugar and less alcohol than the spirit it started as. 

Perfect as an aperitif or digestif, particularly on a balmy summer evening. For a longer drink, simply add soda water and ice; for a sophisticated spritz it can be combined with prosecco. 

Ingredients: Fresh Yuzu, Fresh Lemon 

Sansho Spiced Rum - 5cl

A combination of unique Japanese flavours presented like never before on the base of a superb quality, refined English rum made with 100% sugar cane molasses. Sansho is delicious in its own right, but also enhances the accompanying flavours of ume plum, soy and black sugar.  The smoky soy and sesame provide light oak & tobacco flavours typically found in an aged rum, whilst the sansho berries offer a mouth-watering peppery citrus which is complemented by the rich Christmas-cake sweetness from the base rum and Okinawan sugar. The rum is rich with treacly layers of sour citrus, rich umami and tingling spice which linger on the palate for a sublime finish. 

Distilled from scratch in England, this is a rarity among English rums and a sure sign of quality. English Spirit were the first to make rum in Britain, back in 2012 - they are undoubtedly the leaders in the field in Britain 

Sansho Berries have been used in Japan to season food for thousands of years. They have a citrus flavour with a warm pepper finish and an incredible tongue tingling sensation. A natural flavour enhancer, they stimulate the taste receptors in the brain, increasing the flavour and aromas of foods in general. Okinawan Sugar has intense, complex flavours of molasses, smoke and spice with a bitterness that balances the sweetness. Togarashi Shichimi is a traditional blend of seven Japanese spices, noted for its depth of flavour and a warm, slow-burning heat. Umeboshi are pickled Japanese apricots (often referred to as plums) with an overall sour flavour that increases as they ripen. Our Smoked Soy Sauce is infused with the smoke of cherry wood, it has a powerful smoky umami flavour. White Sesame paste adds rich roasted nutty notes. 

Sip over ice for an indulgent nightcap. The deep flavours are delicious when paired with a sweet ginger beer or quality cola. It will work in any spiced rum cocktail, adding bold complex flavour. 

Ingredients: Sansho Berries, Okinawan Sugar, Togarashi Shichimi, Umeboshi, Smoked Soy Sauce, White Sesame 

Shiso Gin - 5cl

Made with our own Dorset-grown purple shiso, this is a delicate yet flavoursome London dry gin. A balance of traditional Japanese flavours of shiso, yuzu and sudachi with English botanicals of juniper, coriander and bay.  

The subtle shiso flavours of basil, mint and caraway are enhanced by the sublime citrus and herbaceous notes for a gin that is smooth, refreshing and perfectly balanced - the delicate flavours of the 6 botanicals, perfectly preserved by an expertly crafted distillation method, leaving an incredibly satisfying texture.

Shiso is a member of the mint family with a savoury herb-like quality that is likened to basil or caraway with a hint of citrus. We grow the purple Shiso leaves on the farm in Dorset. Yuzu is a cross between a wild citrus and a sour mandarin, with complex notes of lemon, grapefruit and mandarin while Sudachi is a citrus with a lime flavour and peppery, herbal undertones. The other botanicals, Juniper, Coriander and Bay, are a simple, more traditional collection of gin botanicals to balance with the Asian-inspired flavours. 

Paired with a good quality tonic water, this creates a divine G&T, make a Japanese Tom Collins with yuzu juice in place of lemon for a herbaceous, citrusy long drink.

Ingredients: Dorset grown Shiso, Fresh Yuzu and Sudachi, Juniper, Coriander and Bay