Sakura season is maybe the most beautiful time of year … anywhere. The Northeastern U.S. may argue that point for their autumn season, but the delicate beauty of the sakura is hard to beat. It’s no surprise that a gin distillery in Japan used the sakura blossoms in their gin and it should be even less of a surprise that a bottle ended up on my bar. The surprise, for me at least, is that I know I don’t like floral gins and there is no way this isn’t a floral gin. Will the sakura notes win me over or should I have enjoyed this sakura season with a bottle of London dry, instead?
Senjyo Craft Gin Sakura
- Distiller: Senjyo (Japan)
- 45% abv / 90 proof
- Botanicals: Juniper, Cherry Blossom petals
Neat
Clear pour with very thin lacing. I pick up juniper and floral notes … which makes sense since there is juniper and Sakura petals in here exclusively. There is more to the story though- berries, light cream and a hefty alcohol burn greet the nose, too. Thin bodied. Flavor is very floral up front that gives way to juniper by mid sip. It’s rather hot throughout. The finish is lightly sweet and floral. It’s no secret that this is a two-trick pony of a gin and because of that I was expecting this to be a floral mess, but it truely isn’t the floral notes are present and important but not in a messy, flabby way. Soft and restrained while still a player. Very well balanced off the juniper. Still, not something I’m going to sip neat routinely but I see its worth in cocktails.
Gin & Tonic
Again, a gin with only two botanicals … one of which is a flower … doesn’t necessarily make the best G&T. Overly floral gins (and Japan loves making overly floral gins) often need a lot of citrus juice and other spices to even out the drink. Here, the restrained floral note, while noticeable in the G&T, isn’t off-putting and actually makes a solid drink. Of course, a good tonic goes a long way in making this drink as good as it is- so choose your tonic wisely.
Rip Current
Source: The Optimist, Nashville; via @Nikki.Sips on Instagram
- 1.5 oz Gin
- 1 oz Strawberry Syrup
- 0.5 oz Lime Juice
- 0.25 oz Lillet Blanc (I subbed Noilly Prat)
- Tonic
Add all minus the tonic to a shaker. Shake with ice. Strain over fresh ice and top with tonic.
I was searching for a good gin drink with strawberries since we recently closed out strawberry season in Japan (so good) and figured the two would go together nicely. Came across this on the ‘gram and it seemed perfect. I wasn’t wrong. The sweetness of the strawberry syrup and the tart lime really do a good job of assimilating the gin and moving the floral notes aside to make a tasty beverage. The botanicals add a bit of intrigue while the vermouth gives it a touch of depth. I like how the tonic lengthens this drink and dries it out some- it could be too sweet otherwise. A highly enjoyable sip.
The Last Sip
While this may seem a bit harsh since I really didn’t have anything bad to say about the gin, I just don’t find a real reason to have it on the bar outside of the novelty of the botanical … singular. It’s better than I expected and works well in a cocktail where it’s covered up by other ingredients or in a G&T (a splash of citrus juice does well here). However, it just isn’t that interesting.
Tuesday Pints 