With this whisky, White Oak opted for a little twist in their aging process using ex Sake Casks to mature for three years. This provides a sweet and fruity profile. Full boded palate with deep sweetness, malt, and a very slight peat. Medium to long finish. Located in the city of Akashi in the Hyogo Prefecture, by the seaside of the Seto Island Sea is the White Oak Distillery. This distillery was founded in 1888 by Eigashima Shuzo and has been producing Sake and Shochu every since. In 1919, Eigashima Shuzo obtained a license to manufacture whisky and when the company moved to their current facilities in 1984, the White Oak Distillery was born.

Tsuru-Ume series are brewed and blended with the long experience and the rich skill and recipe in the liquor sprits brewing works of Heiwa Shuzou brewery. The most specific idea of living in this modern world stands on the understanding of “Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability.” In this idea, our Tsuru-Ume series are hand-crafted in the concept of LOHAS style. That is why this series is not for mass production and easy consumption. You will know it when you try! Among the products produced in Wakayama prefecture, Heiwa Shuzo Tsuru-ume - Lemon is produced mainly with lemons grown by farmers in the Kimino / Nagamine area. Aromas of strong sweet lemon, almost a candy lemon. Great balance of both sweet and sour palate, like a good refreshing but concentrated lemonade. Cool it and enjoy it straight or on the rocks. Lemon may settle or float so you may want to give the bottle a little shake before opening. Store in a cool and dark place away from sunlight to avoid spoiling the taste. After opening, store in a refrigerator and drink as soon as possible.

Kitajima Sake Brewery was established in 1805 and is one of Japan's oldest and most respected sake breweries, situated in the beautiful Shiga Prefecture near lake Biwa. Their highly crafted range is unique and distinctive with a palate that is much richer and fruitier than the average sake. Named after the great Biwa Lake in the Shiga prefecture, the largest lake in Japan, The Whale of Biwa Lake Sake is made from Koji Rice and is polished at 70%, pasteurised and non-filtered. This Junmai sake is rich, fruity and delicious. The distinctive richness of raw koji-rice lingers on the palate and gives way to notes of plum, banana and pear.

Tsuru-Ume series are brewed and blended with the long experience and the rich skill and recipe in the liquor sprits brewing works of Heiwa Shuzou brewery. The most specific idea of living in this modern world stands on the understanding of “Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability.” In this idea, the Tsuru-Ume series are hand-crafted in the concept of LOHAS style. That is why this series is not for mass production and easy consumption. You will know it when you try! Among the products produced in Wakayama prefecture, Heiwa Shuzo Tsuru-ume Suppai Umeshu is a new plum sake from Wakayama Prefecture, the plum heartland of Japan. The Heiwa Shuzō brewery has its own orchards and sticks to the principle of slow-brew. For this exquisite and full-taste umeshu, three times more plums have been used than usual in this recipe and the plums have been kept in the sake for 3 years, giving extra plum taste and aroma and making it extra sour or 'Suppai'. Cool it and enjoy it straight or on the rocks. After opening, store in a refrigerator and drink as soon as possible.

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.

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.

Product Information: Oka Kura Bermutto is a uniquely Japanese take on the category of vermouth made from aromatised, shochu-fortified sake. Technically it's not a vermouth because it is not wine-based, but it works in cocktails as a vermouth should—as a botanically-infusing, low ABV modifier— that bridges a gap between sake, shochu, and vermouth. Oka Kura Bermutto is essentially a dry vermouth. There are four botanicals used in the production of Oka Kura: Yuzu, Kabosu, Sansho peppercorn, and Yomogi. Yuzu is an acidic aromatic citrus as acidic as a lemon with a flavour that's reminiscent to lemon, grapefruit, and Mandarin orange. Kabosu is a very high-acid citrus profile and flavour similar to yuzu and lime. Sansho peppercorn is a peppery and slightly citrusy peppercorn that's relative Sichuan peppercorn only it produces are milder, numbing sensation on the palate. Lastly there's Yomogi – A Japanese wormwood, also known as Japanese mugwort. FYI: Bermutto is a Japanese phonetic spelling of vermouth. The Japanese language has no “v” sound, so the v's in foreign words are written and pronounced with “b” instead. Maker: Founded by Yuno Hayashi and named for her grandfather, OKA BRAND offers a growing range of distinctly Japanese spirits and liqueurs made from local rice spirits, Junmai sake, and hyper-regional botanicals. Each expression provides not only endless drinking possibilities, but a gateway to Japanese flavors and traditions. Distillery: OKA BRAND spirits and liqueurs are produced by the legendary Tsutsumi Distillery in the Kumamoto Prefecture in Kyushu, Japan. Tsutsumi has been producing shochu for nearly 150 years in the Hitoyoshi Basin just 5 km from the Kuma River, the longest river in Kyushu. It is one of only 28 distilleries certified by the World Trade Organization as a Kuma Shochu producer, a designation similar to the protected designations of origin of Scotch, tequila, and Cognac. The Kuma River is renowned for its reputation as the clearest stream in Japan, lending itself to crafting fine sake and shochu, all from rice grown within the Kuma River system. Influenced by the fortified, aromatized wine producers of Europe while drawing on Japanese tradition, OKA BRAND took the cocktail world by storm with the introduction of their flagship expression, Bermutto. A yuzu liqueur and sweet, ume-based formulation of Bermutto followed, and now with the introduction of rice-based vodkas and gin, OKA offers an even wider range of exceptional products for use in cocktails by the world’s most discerning bartenders and mixologists. Nose - Yeast, Tropical Fruits, Lavendar The nose is fruity and yeasty with notes of grapefruit, peach, guava, lavender, and plum. Palate - Rice, Faint Plum, Piquant Peppers On the palate, the sake base is immediately evident with base notes of rice, yeast, and faint plum. Yuzu and sansho peppercorn brighten things up. Finish - Yuzu, Grapefruit, Pleasant Bitters An undercurrent of yomogi provides earthy grapefruit from beginning to end.

Product Information: Building upon a rebalancing of the four base botanicals of the drier, flagship Bermutto, Oka Kuru's taken on dry vermouth. OKA Sweet Bermutto incorporates a powerful fifth ingredient: a bitter Japanese plum called ume. Ume’s tart astringency is right at home in this bitter botanical blend and is perfectly complemented and balanced by raw cane sugar from Okinawa. The wine base is Junmai Sake (fermented rice alcohol, not wine). There are five botanicals: Yomogi, yuzu, Kabosu, ume and cane sugar. Yomogi is Japanese wormwood. Yuzu is an acidic aromatic citrus as acidic as a lemon with a flavour that's reminiscent to lemon, grapefruit, and mandarin orange. Kabosu is a very high-acid citrus profile and flavour similar to yuzu and lime. Ume is a tart Japanese green plum. Lastly it's all sweetened with kokuto (Okinawan cane sugar). Oka Kura Bermutto is a uniquely Japanese take on the category of vermouth made from aromatized, shochu-fortified sake. While not technically a vermouth because it is not wine-based, it functions in cocktails as a vermouth should—a botanically-infused, low ABV modifier—and generally bridges a gap between sake, shochu, and vermouth. Maker: Founded by Yuno Hayashi and named for her grandfather, OKA BRAND offers a growing range of distinctly Japanese spirits and liqueurs made from local rice spirits, Junmai sake, and hyper-regional botanicals. Each expression provides not only endless drinking possibilities, but a gateway to Japanese flavours and traditions. Distillery: OKA BRAND spirits and liqueurs are produced by the legendary Tsutsumi Distillery in the Kumamoto Prefecture in Kyushu, Japan. Tsutsumi has been producing shochu for nearly 150 years in the Hitoyoshi Basin just 5 km from the Kuma River, the longest river in Kyushu. It is one of only 28 distilleries certified by the World Trade Organization as a Kuma Shochu producer, a designation similar to the protected designations of origin of Scotch, tequila, and Cognac. The Kuma River is renowned for its reputation as the clearest stream in Japan, lending itself to crafting fine sake and shochu, all from rice grown within the Kuma River system. Influenced by the fortified, aromatized wine producers of Europe while drawing on Japanese tradition, OKA BRAND took the cocktail world by storm with the introduction of their flagship expression, Bermutto. A yuzu liqueur and sweet, ume-based formulation of Bermutto followed, and now with the introduction of rice-based vodkas and gin, OKA offers an even wider range of exceptional products for use in cocktails by the world’s most discerning bartenders and mixologists. Nose - Yeast, Tropical Fruits, Lavendar Unmistakably plummy, evocative of of umeshu and sloe gin with sour cherry, orange peel, and brown sugar. Palate - Rice, Faint Plum, Piquant Peppers On the palate, oolong tea, tart cherry, grapefruit zest, plum. Finish - Yuzu, Grapefruit, Pleasant Bitters Caramel, plum, marzipan, faint sake, lemon, orange

The Ine Mankai from Mukai Shuzō is produced using an ancient strain of red rice, along with a with a white rice, creating a rose petal coloured sake. In provincial villages and towns within Japan red rice has been cultivated and used in traditional celebrations for centuries, but it is extremely rare to see it used commercially. While studying at Tōkyō University, Kuniko met Professor Takeda, and was encouraged to create a sake with the red rice he knew grew locally in Kuniko's hometown area of Ine. In May 2000, Kuniko released her red rice sake calling it 'Ine Mankai' or ‘Ine in Full Bloom’. It’s well balanced levels of acidity and sweetness make it perfect for drinking with a wide variety of food. Complex cherry & vanilla aroma with unique sweet/tart cherry & pomegranate flavours with a savoury, umami rich palate works equally well with savoury dishes or sweet.

Kenbishi Mizuho Yamahai Junmai Sake is produced using the classic style involing amahai method and wild yeast. King of Sake rice ‘Yamadanishiki’ 100% used. ‘Mizuho’ means ‘ear of rice’, but in this case, Kenbishi meant it is ‘Junmai’. Blends of 2 YO to 8 YO tank aged Sake. The resulting sake is has a distinctive golden colour with aromas of nut, honey, and malt. A smooth and mouth coating warm with medium-to-full bodied textures.