Browsing Botanicals : Senjyo Sakura Gin

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 …

Rum’sploration : Berry Bros. & Rudd Guyanan 15

There is a theme in my rum drinking sometimes. Currently, that theme is “I bought this bottle of rum a long time ago and then never drank it because it got lost in the shuffle.” This post is definitely on theme. I bought this when I was really just learning about Guyanese rum and what …

Rum’sploration : Barceló Blanco

I added this bottle to a recent Ron Barceló bottle splurge because it’s hard to have enough white rums. It strikes me as your basic white rum that is just as easy to forget and it is to drink. Not much else to say so let’s get drinking! Ron Barceló Gran Añejo Distillery: Ron Barceló …

Rum’sploration : Santa Maria Crystal

I picked up this bottle a few years back on a trip to Okinawa and I’m finally getting a chance to really open it up and have a go with it. The rum comes from lejima island, which is one of the islands of Okinawa. Okinawa is well known for its sugar cane so makes …

Rum’sploration : Plantation 3 Star

A good white mixing rum is an essential bar bottle. They don’t have to be pricey to be worthwhile, as most of the time the rum is there mainly to provide strength and maybe a little flavor. Now, for those of us that are rum geeks, we may see things differently (I know I do) …

Whiskeylust : The Chita

The Chita was my reintroduction to Japanese whisky a couple years before I moved back to Japan. A buzzed stop at a conbini ended with a small bottle of Chita in my bag for my nightcap. I was duly impressed and had been wanting to pick this up again to properly sip on it for …

Browsing Botanicals : Osuzu Kumquat Gin

I was browsing a sake and shochu shop in Yokohama a while back when I came across this gin from Osuzuyama that uses their shochu as the base spirit. Having never had a shochu base gin, I instantly added this to my basket before even realizing that it was a kumquat infused version. I don’t …

Rum’sploration : Nine Leaves Clear

Back in Japan means we are getting back to Japanese Rum and sipping on some Nine Leaves.

Browsing Botanicals : Tanqueray Sevilla Orange

Sometimes, we booze hunters, who don’t live in areas blessed with great selection and nearby stores, may get a little overly excited when an unexpected bottle shows up at the local joint. This happens to me more than I care to admit and is how this bottle of orange gin found its way to my …

Browsing Botanicals : Sakurao Classic

Sakurao makes a pretty big deal that all their botanicals come from Hiroshima, which is cool. Except if you keep reading that isn’t true. Of the 14* botanicals in the bottle, 9 come from Hiroshima, the other five (including the juniper) are imported. That’s fine, honestly. It doesn’t bother me. But I wish they messaged …