Roku Gin

Roku Gin is an incredible buy from the beautiful bottle to quality product. The aroma is strongly citrusy, no doubt the yuzu influencing the immediate smell. But look harder and the botanicals almost remind you of a tea shop. Not surprising then to find out two of its six Japanese ingredients are tea. Despite being 47% this gin is quite unassuming on the tongue opening with a slight citrus before other, almost tea like botanicals emerge, giving way to the yuzu peel & juniper and finishing on a spicy note. The flavors are understated and don't bombard your palette. Quite good!

Rather tasteful, but I didn't catch it as special as it was presented to me or as I wanted it to be. This is the first Japanese Gin I've ever tasted and I would put it in the "slightly above average" category. The Japanese herbs, which are highlight of this gin didn't sound to me as that categorical. Still, I totally recommend it. Maybe you guys fall in love with it and find something I couldn't see in it.

Well it's been almost a year since my covid-19, as I was one of the first, and a lot of self prescribed gin and tonic is under the bridge since then. I have to say it's been an interesting almost 'silver lining' bringing gin back for me, but unfortunately too many didn't survive. It's an undeniable fact the British would have never founded an empire without the concoction so to the doubters I say regards from Churchill Square. On we go. It comes as no surprise that Suntori puts the same effort into their gin as their other products, and that effort is immediately notable in the quality of Roku, a gin that can hold it's own with the likes of Hendrix and other upper shelf gin bottles. The juniper remains subdued and balanced, the tea bitters and other leaf and root dryness form a nice harmony with the sweet fruit and peppermint. Again no real surprise coming from the distillers that bring us Hibiki. Getting it right just seems to be their mo. Not only is Roku an unassuming quality product, unlike certian blue label offerings from another island nation, you don't have to pay through the nose for this one. Roku may not be the best, but what it is, is very good gin at a very modest price point. Given the beautiful packaging it would be hard to go wrong with Roku, for your own bar or as a gift. Can recommend. Cheers!