Choya Yuzu is an umeshu – a traditional Japanese liqueur made from the ume fruit. Here, however, it has been given a slightly unconventional twist of yuzu! The liqueur is made on Nanko-ume from Kishu, and has added yuzu from Shikoku. The fresh and perfumed taste of the iconic (and rather trendy) Japanese citrus fruit goes extremely well with the fruity sweetness of the umeshu.
Colour: Deep sunny yellow.
Smell: Big, concentrated aroma of citrus peel, almost a mixture of lime, grapefruit, lemon and orange.
Tasting notes: Fresh and intense taste which is not overly perfumed but offers a good balance of sweetness, acidity and citrus and floral notes.
Serving suggestion: Enjoy it chilled, neat or with a mixer such as a good tonic or sparkling water.
Located in Habikino, Osaka, Choya is the world’s largest (and, in the opinion of many, the best) producer of umeshu. And what is that? Yes, umeshu is a Japanese liqueur made from the ume fruit, which belongs to the same family as plums and apricots, but has a significantly higher acid content. Choya makes many different kinds of umeshu, some completely traditional and others more innovative – but what they all have in common is that no artificial additives are ever used – neither coloring nor flavouring.
The flavor of a good umeshu comes not only from the fruit’s flesh and skin, but also from the core. Out of the hundreds of ume varieties that exist in Japan, Choya has chosen to work with only four, of which Nanko-ume from Wakayama in particular is particularly sought after, among other things, because of its high acidity.
