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The history and evolution of the Japanese Whisky scene can be traced back to one man, Masataka Taketsuru; a man known as the 'father of Japanese whisky'. Taketsuru not only left Japan to learn the craft from the experts in Scotland, he also crafted Japan's first whisky at the Yamazaki distillery before establishing the premium whisky house of Nikka in 1934. This unique bottling of 'From the Barrel' is a breathtaking blend of malt and grain whiskies that are hand selected, blended together and then reintroduced to cask upon their marriage. The result is a blend that possesses a distinctive personality characterised by solidity, depth of taste and a richly expanding aroma. With immediate aromas of cedar and maple, it has an exploding mouth-feel showcasing cinnamon, dark chocolate, pepper and toffee. Serve with a little water to reveal cacao and tingling spices.

One of the finest luxury sakes around,this medium-bodied hand-made artisan sake is produced using fine highly-prized Yamadanishiki rice grown in a district of Hyogo. Polished to the highest leve until only 38% of the grain remains, it is fermented in small batches for two months. The complex nose exhibits nuances of melon, lemon, bitter orange and green grass. The palate is superbly balanced with crystallised notes of tropical fruit and citrus with a thread of subtle umami on a long-lasting finish.

This Heiwa Shuzo Tsuru-ume Yuzushu is made with a one-year-old Junmai Sake and Yuzu juice, at a 1 : 1 ratio. This is higher than most Yuzushu produced elsewhere. The yuzu fruit is grown in Wakayama and is juiced with its peel, giving all the qualities of the fruit, sweet, sour & bitter. This example has a marvelous full aroma of fresh yuzu, with a zesty, citrus tart character and a fruit sweet and fresh finish. Store Yuzushu in a cool dark place, trying to avoid direct sunlight. Once opened the Heiwa 'Tsuru-ume Yuzushu' will last well for at least 8 - 10 weeks, ideally in a refrigerator.

"Kagaboshi" is a dialect unique to the Shonai region of Yamagata Prefecture, where the brewery is located, and means "dazzling" and "I can't keep my eyes open because it shines." Junmai Daiginjo made with 100% Dewa Sansan, named after the shining rice. The junmai daiginjo brewed this winter has a deep and mellow taste after being squeezed and aged quietly in the brewery. The fragrance is not too gorgeous and has a well-balanced volume as Junmai Daiginjo. Of course, this sake is also kimoto-zukuri, which can be said to be the symbol of the Hatsumago. When raw, it may be heavy, but it is a sake that goes well with food without any dullness. If you drink it chilled, be careful not to let it cool too much, as it will have a slightly bitter taste. The refreshing scent of ginjo and the swelled taste are in perfect harmony. It's perfect for delicious autumn dishes.

In this Nigori (cloudy) Umeshu made with Nanko Ume fruit from Wakayama, the pulp from the macerated Ume fruit is added to the Umeshu liqueur to give the liquid added texture from the fruit itself. This has a wonderful aroma of Ume, a sweet yet tart character on the palate, full body and a refreshing acidic finish. Great chilled on its own, or in a cocktail like a Spritz.

In theory it is impossible to ferment whole brown rice unless it is sprouted [which is what used to be done in ancient times] however Genmai-zake [literally - brown rice sake] means that the husk of the rice has not been polished off. Rather, the rice husk is crushed to expose the inner part of the grain to allow fermentation, while leaving the rice completely unpolished. Genmai-zake needs twice as much rice than would usually be required to make the same quantity of sake made from polished rice. This style also requires extra attention with longer soaking and steaming times. Soaking for Genmai-zake takes around 14 hours, whereas soaking for white rice ranges from 1 minute for highly polished rice to around 1 hour for less polished. This long soak time is followed by a double steaming process. During the fermentation of the Genmaishu, Shiuchi-san has to implement complicated additions of kōji rice, steamed rice and water at very specific intervals of the ferment period to to achieve the exact result he wants in the finished sake. Kameman also needs to age the sake before it is at its optimum drinking condition. It is incredibly rare to see a sake made from brown rice, with only one other brewery in Japan making a genmai-zake. The Genmaishu displays a beautiful brown sugar and roasted cocoa bean nose with a lovely balanced sweetness on the palate with tastes of ‘Christmas cake’ dried fruit and spices. Kameman have achieved the perfect balance of sweet/savoury/dry to make this a well balanced sake with great palate weight. As this sake ages it develops into even richer, more complex flavours. This is an interesting sake to match with food as it can be paired with sweet dishes with pastry, nuts and honey or can be used to match with rich ingredients like foie gras.

Roku is Japanese for "Six" which refers to the six Japanese botanicals used. Cherry blossoms, cherry leaves, green tea (sencha), refined green tea (gyokuro), sansh pepper, and yuzu are utilized along with eight other traditional gin botanicals. Smooth and oily, the gin has a rich character as it coats the tongue. Theres a fleeting glimpse of cherry blossom and traditional notes before the tea and tannic notes take over.

Yukinobosha Junmai Ginjo is a premium sake, winning the Gold Medal at the International Wine Challedge 2011 London. It has beautiful fruity Ginjo fragrance. As soon as you sip it, a fruit basket of apple, pear and melon spreads slowly in the mouth. Very clean & subtle on the palate with semi dry finish. Must try this chilled.

Etsu, which translates to Pleasure in Japanese, is distilled on the Northern Island of Hokkaido in Japan.100% hand crafted with orange and fresh Yuzu on the nose. The palate is full bodied, with orange peel characters. The finish is fresh and well balanced.