Tsuji Honten, Gozenshu Yuzushu Liqueur (9.5%)

Tsuji Honten, Gozenshu Yuzushu Liqueur (9.5%)

Product: 10008305767
 
Tsuji Honten, Gozenshu Yuzushu Liqueur (9.5%)

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Description

A real masterclass in achieving potent intensity without sacrificing precision, balance or refreshment, this is a great example of how deceptively complex a liqueur can be. Having produced a rich Junmai sake using the ancient Bodaimoto fermentation method, this seventh-generation brewer then macerates fresh, locally grown yuzu to add a vibrant sweetness which, before even coating the mouth, somehow bounces out of the glass.

Oranges, lemons, peaches and flowers flourish as soon as one's nose comes anywhere near this liqueur, but painstaking inspection will reveal the almost imperceptible network of creamy sake holding everything in tension. Outstanding.

James Beresford, Berry Bros. & Rudd (November 2024)

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About this SPIRIT

Tsuji Honten

Tsuji Honten

Tsuji Honten was founded in Okayama in 1804 by the Tsuji family. Today’s brother & sister team, Soichiro & Maiko Tsuji, are the seventh-generation brewers. Maiko is one of the very few female Toji (master brewers) in Japan.

Tsuji Honten works with the heirloom sake rice Omachi. Alongside this rice strain, they are also pioneers of an ancient brewing technique, bodaimoto. This ancient method was first developed by monks during the Kamakura Period (1185-1333), and was adapted by Tsuji Honten in the 1980s.

The Omachi rice brings rustic and herbaceous notes, whilst soft water from the Asahi River lends a clean and sweet note to the sake. The result is a balanced and rich sake, with an added lactic zing from the bodaimoto technique.

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Rice

Rice

Alcoholic beverages made from rice, are based on the fermentation of rice starch which converts to natural sugars and alcohol. Unlike the production of beer which utilises mashing to convert starch to sugars, the rice beverage making relies on action of acids or enzymes like amylase.

Rice-based beverages typically have a higher alcohol content, 18%–25% abv, than still wine (9%–15%), and a higher alcohol content than the standard beers (usually 4%–6%).

Sake (a Japanese rice-based brewed alcohol) is misleadingly referred to as Rice Wine, although unlike wine, in which alcohol is produced by fermenting sugar that is naturally present in grapes, sake is produced by means of a brewing process more akin to beer.

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When is a wine ready to drink?

We provide drinking windows for all our wines. Alongside the drinking windows there is a bottle icon and a maturity stage. Bear in mind that the best time to drink a wine does also depend on your taste.

Not ready

These wines are very young. Whilst they're likely to have lots of intense flavours, their acidity or tannins may make them feel austere. Although it isn't "wrong" to drink these wines now, you are likely to miss out on a lot of complexity by not waiting for them to mature.

Ready - youthful

These wines are likely to have plenty of fruit flavours still and, for red wines, the tannins may well be quite noticeable. For those who prefer younger, fruitier wines, or if serving alongside a robust meal, these will be very enjoyable. If you choose to hold onto these wines, the fruit flavours will evolve into more savoury complexity.

Ready - at best

These wines are likely to have a beautiful balance of fruit, spice and savoury flavours. The acidity and tannins will have softened somewhat, and the wines will show plenty of complexity. For many, this is seen as the ideal time to drink and enjoy these wines. If you choose to hold onto these wines, they will become more savoury but not necessarily more complex.

Ready - mature

These wines are likely to have plenty of complexity, but the fruit flavours will have been almost completely replaced by savoury and spice notes. These wines may have a beautiful texture at this stage of maturity. There is lots to enjoy when drinking wines at this stage. Most of these wines will hold in this window for a few years, though at the very end of this drinking window, wines start to lose complexity and decline.