Now established as a whisky industry world leader, Japan is set to emulate the success of Japanese whisky with its innovative gin products, which are infused with Japanese botanicals, such as cherry blossom, yuzu fruit and green tea, to evoke the spirit of Japan. Japanese gin from spirits industry heavyweights Suntory Spirits and Asahi Breweries, alongside products from Japan’s first ever craft gin distillery, mark Japan’s entry into the global gin scene. dekantā’s first gin collection will include five products from Japan’s leading distillers, all of which are either only available in Japan or will not be released in other countries until much later in the year.

The inaugural gin collection is Nikka Coffey Gin (47% abv, 700ml, 12,000 bottles produced – available now), released by Asahi Breweries Ltd in Japan on June 27, and Suntory ROKU Gin (47% abv, 700ml – available for pre-order), released in Japan in July. The ROKU gin is so named because of the six uniquely Japanese botanicals used in the distillation process: cherry blossom, cherry leaves, green tea (sencha), refined green tea (gyokuro), ‘sansho’ Japanese pepper and yuzu citrus fruit. The gin will be presented in a hexagonal bottle featuring engravings of the six Japanese botanicals.

Three bottlings from Kyoto distillery, which claims to be Japan’s first artisanal gin distillery, are featured in dekantā’s collection. Opened in Kyoto in 2016, the distillery makes use of a rare and meticulous technique, in which six different groups of botanicals are distilled separately and then blended. With a rice spirit base and water from the famous sake-brewing district Fushimi, these are thought to be the first products of their kind made in Japan. Kyoto’s flagship Ki No Bi Gin (45.7% abv, 700ml) offers the recognisable flavour of dry gin with a distinct Japanese accent.

Also available on dekantā is the Limited Edition Ki-No-Bi Dry Gin Navy Strength for Tokyo International BarShow 2017 (54.5% abv, 700ml), and Limited Edition Kyoto Ki No Tea Gin (45.7% abv, 700ml), which is developed in partnership with tea grower and blender Horii Shichimeien. The leaves used are harvested from the centuries old Okunoyama tea yard. Kyoto distillery claims the aromas of the gin ‘gives the impression of walking into a silent Japanese tea house.’

If Japanese gin achieves similar success to that of Japanese whisky, then 2017 will be a historic year in the spirits industry. “Japanese gins are produced with the meticulous attention to quality and innovation that has become a trademark of Japanese spirits production,” says dekantā founder Makiyo Masa. “The rise of Japanese gin so far has been very similar to what we saw happening to Japanese whisky just a few years ago. As Japan is already known for its immense talent in creating spirits, be it sake, whisky, or wine, we anticipate that Japanese gin will take far less time to gain the recognition experienced by its predecessors. We’re very proud to be among the first to offer these gins to our customers worldwide and to be advocates of emerging Japanese gin.”

Notes to Editors:

dekantā Founder Makiyo Masa is available for interview. Please RSVP to arrange, Miriam Rune: miriam@dekanta.com / 07740 339 628.

About dekantā

dekantā offers the world’s largest online selection of authentic Japanese spirits and since the opening of its online store in 2015, has delivered to 127 countries across every continent in the world. A family owned and run business, dekantā’s founders have been selling collectibles since 1985 and specialize in rare, collectible, and new release single malt Japanese whisky. dekantā offers worldwide delivery on an extensive range of Japanese single malt whisky, Japanese grain whisky and Japanese blended whisky, in addition to Scottish whisky released for the Japanese market only.

Consumers who would like to learn more about Japanese whisky should visit the dekantā website, which boasts the most extensive repository of information dedicated to Japanese whisky, including distillery history and tasting notes for each bottle. Bilingual concierge service is available 24 hours a day, providing expert recommendations in both English and Japanese. An authentic Japanese gift wrapping service is available.

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