Jinzu Gin | 41.3% vol | 70cl | British Gin with Flavour of Cherry Blosom & Yuzu Citrus Fruit | Flavoured Gin Finished with Japanese Sake | Enjoy with Tonic in a Gin Glass

Product Information

The nineteen botanicals including pepper, anise, nutmeg and cinnamon, make for a pleasing spice that lingers on the nose as the flavour develops. Serve with fresh oysters, which are in abundance in the area surrounding the distillery. Dee suggests green apple as her perfect garnish in a G&T – both because the acid in the fruit interacts well with the sake and because it makes a polite tip of the hat to her Somerset roots. There is a hint of that apple crispness about the gin, so we’d definitely side with her on that suggestion. Otherwise, we’d go for something like candied cherry blossom which is beautiful in both looks and taste. Junmai is brewed using only rice, water, yeast, and koji — there are no other additives, such as sugar or alcohol. Distilled from a blend of Scottish gin, this zesty tipple also features Junmai sake, which is perhaps what provides the silky finish and subtle sweetness. We liked it vey much, and immediately compared it to another B&L discovery, Roku which also includes the tartness of Yuzu peel as one of its botanicals. Jinzu smells like a typical London dry – offering juniper and lime – but with floral notes from the cherry and addition of Angelica root. The Coriander provides the finishing warmth, while the sake introduces an earthy element, which is surprisingly pleasant. Fleshy citrus jumps to the fore on the nose, with the sake bringing an underlying sweetness. The cherry blossom carries a distinct floral note, but there’s a subtle juniper underpinning it all.

This tasty gin is exactly as quoted on the bottle and above – and is yet another find from our trusty Gin Scouts, Bill and Lesley. Jinzu Gin is distilled in Scotland yet is presented with a very Japanese style of painting on the bottle depicting cherry branches and blossom. Its name also giving a hint of the anomalous treasures within and apparently named after Japan’s Jinzu River, which is lined with thousands of cherry trees. Japan has been riding high in popularity (and influence) across the food and drinks industry for the past 18 months, with Matcha and Yuzu having already swept the globe,” Olivier Ward, Editor and Co-Founder of Gin Foundry told Good Housekeeping. “Cherry blossom, and other ingredients are now surfacing more often, especially in gin, as drinkers dig deeper into the country and cuisine’s rich heritage and diverse flavour pairings. Combine this with an unquenchable thirst for pink drinks in the UK and it’s easy to see what there's such a phenomenal interest around products with it in." Jinzu gin was created by British bartender, Dee Davies for Diageo’s Show Your Spirit competition in 2013. Named after a river in Japan, Jinzu is a British gin with a Japanese flavour. Cherry blossom and yuzu are used as botanical ingredients and then Junmai sake is blended with the finished gin. With its white ceramic bottle and art nouveau-inspired label, this Scottish gin from Dunnet Bay Distillery certainly stands out from the crowd. What's inside the bottle is just as good.Created by renowned French Distiller Alexandre Gabriel, this premium French gin is produced, even down to the growing of the juniper berries, on the grounds of Gabriel's family home of Châteaux de Bonbonnet in Cognac, where the family has been creating spirits for 10 generations. Jinzu Gin is a Scottish made, Japan inspired gin with an English woman at its heart. Designed by bartender Dee Davies for Diageo’s Show Your Spirit competition in 2013 (which it went on to win), the gin is a fantastic example of East meets West, with traditional gin botanicals joining cherry blossom, yuzu and sake to form a distinctive gin with a real sense of place. Jinzu was launched in 2014 and was the invention of Dee Davis, an English bartender who created it a year earlier as an entrant to Diageo’s Show Your Spirit competition – which he won. Recommended serves of this 41.3 % spirit are Indian tonic and green apple, but it is also enjoyable supped neat, with a very passing resemblance to those cherry menthol sweets for sore throats, but in a far, far more subtle and pleasing way. Bombay Sapphire isn't for everyone, but this iteration of the spirit is worth a try. It's essentially a supercharged, punchier version of the original, with a lot more heat, and a lingering finish. Created by a young bartender named Dee Davies, this is an unusual fusion of East And West: a British gin inspired by the flavours of Japan.

If you’re looking to toast the arrival of the warmer weather, this twist on a classic could be the drink for you. The Roku Gin bottle is designed to reflect the aesthetics of Japan, with the six natural Japanese botanicals embossed on the hexagonal bottle symbolizing Roku – which means ‘six’ in Japanese. Scottish made Jinzu is just one example of the blooming tipple. Designed by bartender Dee Davies for Diageo’s Show Your Spirit competition in 2013, this gin includes cherry blossom, yuzu and sake to create a twist on the classic juniper flavour.

It was brilliant in the saketini, with the addition of more junmai sake in place of vermouth, Jinzu really shone. The only drink where it fell a little flat for me was a Negroni. I think the ratios would have to be changed a little, as the usual 30ml of each ingredient nuked the delicate flavour of the Jinzu gin. Jinzu Negroni The O.G. is great in a G&T, with a slice of orange instead of lemon or lime, but Whitley Neill's flavoured gins are also some of the most diverse and delicious on the market. Particularly Blood Orange and Parma Violet. Jinzu has a distinctive bouquet with fruity and floral notes, complemented by the intoxicating scent of sake. This special mixture is conversation-starter required to break the ice at that dull party you?ve been dragged to by your significant other. A clear, dry gin, Jinzu feels soft in your mouth and is quite an experience. The combination of English juniper berries and Japanese cheery blossom is an inspiration; more gins should have this combination!

The LIVE virtual tastings are carried out in the last week of the month. Please keep an eye on our socials for confirmed dates! First launched in July 2013, this raspberry-steeped gin is so prettily pink you almost expect it to taste like candy floss. Juniper, although subtle, underpins the whole profile of this gin with floral notes and hints of sweetness adding intrigue and balance.Gin and tonics on the whole are reasonably low in calories when pitted against other alcoholic drinks. There is a mix of familiar and unfamiliar with Jinzu. On the one hand, juniper is still present (thank goodness) so we know it’s gin, but on the other, the unfamiliar (to me) earthiness of the Junmai sake gives a different finish. On the nose citrus from the yuzu together with juniper are evident. On the palate a good juniper and citrus flavour gives way to some floral notes from the cherry blossom. There is some warmth towards the end and it’s here that the sake comes through to create a smooth finish. How to drink Feel free to adjust or even invert the vermouth/Old Tom ratios if you want something with a bit more punch. Starts with fresh botanicals; soft crisp juniper, with a subtle citrus character from coriander seeds.

One of the first gins to be distilled in Kent since the 1800s, Anno was launched at the end of 2013 by three scientists. Jinzu is the marriage of British gin with the delicate flavours of cherry blossom and yuzu citrus fruit, finished by smooth Japanese sake. To make the gin, juniper, coriander and angelica are added to a neutral grain spirit in a traditional copper pot still. They are allowed to macerate for a short while before the cherry blossom and yuzu are added. There is no set amount of time for each run, rather the distillers will decide when to cut based on their knowledge of distillates, but it can take anywhere between two to two and a half hours.What is Jinzu? Jinzu draws on almost 250 years of distilling expertise to craft a classically British gin with a delightful Japanese twist. Jinzu is the marriage of British gin with the delicate flavour of cherry blossom and yuzu citrus fruit, finished with a smooth Japanese sake. The drink is distilled in traditional copper pot stills, with a touch of distilled sake for a smooth, creamy finish. Jinzu is inspired by Dee’s journey to Japan and a lifelong passion for experimenting with flavour. Jinzu is the marriage of British gin with the delicate flavour of cherry blossom and yuzu citrus fruit, finished with smooth Japanese sake. The liquid draws on almost 250 years of distilling heritage and expertise to craft a classically British gin with a delightful Japanese twist taking consumers on a flavour journey from west to east. Beer and cider contain around 215 calories a pint, wine is around 126 calories per glass and a 5% alcopop has around 237 calories, according to NHS figures. The bottle has a cork stopper with a wooden top (this also featuring the bird), taking the bottle to premium product territory - it’d make a great gift, especially for those interested in gin, Japan or both. The next milestone for the brand now is to launch worldwide. An Australian launch is planned for later this year and we could see the gin going down well in luxury Asian markets, as it fuses both cultures with relative ease.