Have you witnessed or read about the Hanami festival in Japan? This festival is a traditional Japanese celebration where Japanese people admire the cherry blossoms (sakura) during the spring season. They gaze at the flowers and parties, and picnics mark the celebration. Now, this fleeting beauty of the cherry blossom season has arrived in India, as the House of Suntory has launched Roku Gin - Sakura Bloom Edition in the country. Here’s everything you must know about it.
Roku Gin Sakura Bloom Edition is a limited-edition Japanese gin that celebrates the fleeting beauty of cherry blossom season. It has recently made its debut in India and is captivating the lovers of fine spirits with its refined character.
The Sakura Bloom Edition sticks to the shun principle of Japan, which means using ingredients at their seasonal peak. The key botanicals in this gin include sakura flower and leaf, sencha tea, sanshō pepper, yuzu peel, and gyokuro tea.
The artisans at Suntory distill all the mentioned botanicals separately to make sure that the drink gets the truest expression of each flavor. This blending process harmonises each element to capture spring’s fleeting beauty that is inspired by the ‘flower viewing’ ritual of Hanami. The result is a spirit that feels like a work of liquid art.
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This gin is known for its soft, smooth, and silky texture. It glides gently on the palate, delivering a subtly sweet mouthfeel. Roku gin’s delicate complexity of its botanicals shines without harshness, because it has very little alcohol.
The combination of cherry blossom petals and leaves, distilled separately and then brought together, results in a gin that feels light yet expressive. This gin is clearly an embodiment of the gentle and lasting nature of the cherry blossom.
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Roku Gin Sakura Bloom Edition, which is inspired by the Japanese spring, is a floral-forward gin offering a sensory experience. The spirit has a soft aroma, reminding one of the cherry blossom and the Japanese garden in spring. It also has subtle notes of citrus and green tea that add elegance.
The taste of this floral-forward gin has floral sweetness followed gentle salinity of Sakura-mochi, a traditional Japanese treat. Yuzu peel’s underlying flavor brings in a citrusy flavor, while the tea offers refined vegetal and bittersweet undertones.
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The Roku Gin - Sakura Bloom Edition is now expanding its presence in select Indian markets, following a successful debut in global travel retail, particularly in Mumbai and Delhi duty-free stores earlier this year.
In India, Roku Gin Sakura Bloom Edition is available in both 700 ml (70 cl) and 1 liter (100 cl) bottle sizes. The 1-liter size is typically found at duty-free shops such as Delhi Duty Free, while the 700 ml bottle is common in premium retail outlets and select online stores.
Roku Gin Sakura Bloom Edition 1 litre | Price |
Delhi duty-free | INR 4090 |
Mumbai duty-free | INR 4590 |
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Summing Up
Check out this lovely and most celebrated Japanese festival, Hanami, in a bottle, and enjoy Hanami without having to actually leave your country.