Established in 1548, Yoshinogawa is located in the Niigata Prefecture in the small city of Nagaoka City and, is now in the hands of the 20th generation of the Kawakami Family. It is 5th oldest existing Sake brewery in Japan. Yoshinogawa is one of the largest sake producers in the Niigata prefecture which is a well known major premium rice producing area. Yoshinogawa is also the oldest sake producer in Niigata. The region is a known for its crisp, clean sake with a dry finish. Refreshing sparkling Sake with the addition of Japanese Yuzu juice. It shows the citrus aromas of Yuzu and grapefruit and the palate is elegant. The gentle bubbles, burst with Citrus fruits and just a hint of bitterness to balance the clean finish.

This Dokan Daiginjo sake is a very fine and balanced version of Junmai Daiginjo - Daiginjo grades of sake are considered the ultimate test of a brewer’s skill. Expect floral and fruit driven styles of sake that can be elegant and delicate or complex and intriguing. This is super premium sake at it’s best without the super premium price tag. A bold fragrant nose leads to ripe melon & fennel aromas. The palate has a light touch of sweetness and a robust round mouthfeel. Great as an aperitif or with lighter styled dishes. Serve chilled. Once opened the Ota Shuzo 'Dokan Daiginjo' will last well for at least 3 - 4 weeks, ideally in a refrigerator.

Ota Shuzo Dokan's Umeshu (plum wine) is a joyous drinking experience. Made with one year-old sake instead of soju, and then elevated with the maceration of ume plums and korizuta sugar, this wine manages to be highly drinkable and complex all at once.. Produced by a 5th generation samurai family, it's evident that the decades of precision and dedication have given Ota Shuzo Dokan the skillset to make the finest umeshu available in Australia. Not as sweet as other umeshu, this wine is perfect in cocktails or as a simple, solo treat, served cold over ice. Once opened the Ota 'Umeshu' will last well for at least 10 - 12 weeks, ideally in a refrigerator.

The ‘Furu-Tsuru-Ume’ is made with Nankō Ume fruit from Wakayama. The fruit is steeped in Sake for 4 months, then aged in a tank for 2 years. It is then placed in used oak barrels for further ageing of at least 8 years. This is one of the oldest wood-aged Umeshu in the market. A rich and complex example of Umeshu with a spicy oak character on the finish, this is best served slightly chilled in a wine glass to appreciate the intense and complex aromas and flavours on display here. Once opened the Heiwa 'Furu-tsuru-ume Umeshu 10YO' will last well for at least 12 - 15 weeks, ideally in a refrigerator.

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.

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

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.

Founded in 1823, Tengumai Shuzo is located facing the Japan Sea in the Ishikawa prefecture of central Japan. They produce traditional Yamahai sake using Gohyakumangoku rice. Tasting note: Shows a bright, medium lemon colour in the glass. Not an overly aromatic nose, but what's there works well, showing ripe green fruit of nashi pear and custard apple, yellow melon, and notes of yoghurt and rich rice. On the palate this sake has great texture and umami feel, while showing flavours of green melon, honey, meringue and yoghurt. The richness and weight on the palate work well here. Serve cold or warm. Alc 15.9% SMV: +4 Rice Polishing: 60%

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.

Maruishi Jozo Miwaku No Mango is a blend of Junmai sake and mango. Distilled with Daichi No Kaze rice, this sake liqueur has a powerful palate of sweet mango. Best enjoyed chilled, on the rocks, with soda.