Based in Dorset, The Wasabi Company has developed a range of exciting new spirits inspired by the flavours of Japan.
Both The Wasabi Company and English Spirit are leaders in their field and have collaborated to create The Spirit of Japan range – a showcase in the art of distillation, blending captivating flavours rarely found outside Japan, in spirits that are smooth and sumptuous.
The result is the extraordinary Sansho Spiced Rum, Shiso Gin, Wasabi Vodka and Yuzucello.
The Wasabi Company is the only grower of fresh wasabi in the UK and a recognised authority and supplier of fine Japanese products and flavours. English Spirit is one of England’s original artisan distilleries founded by biochemist, Dr John Walters. They make a range of award-winning spirits using innovative techniques, including the first British rum.
All four Japanese inspired spirits can be enjoyed neat, with a mixer or in a variety of cocktails, each revealing their vibrant flavours in a different way.
Sansho Spiced Rum 42% ABC 50cl
This unique spirit is a combination of Japanese flavours on a base of the very best English rum. Top notes of smoky soy and sesame provide the light oak & tobacco flavours usually found in an aged rum; these mingle with mouth-watering peppery citrus from the sansho berries, and a rich Christmas cake sweetness from the base rum and Okinawan sugar.
The rum is packed with treacly layers of zesty citrus, rich umami and tingling spice which linger on the palate for a sublime finish.
Sansho Spiced Rum is made with 100% sugar cane molasses and Okinawan sugar, fermented in England. Most rums use cheaper sugar cane juice, but fermented molasses wash (twice distilled) provides a smoother, richer rum which concentrates the desirable flavours while removing the unwanted elements. All the ‘spices’ (except Sansho) are added to the pot in the second distillation and in this way distilled with the rum. The sansho berries are distilled separately and then combined with the rum at the end. This preserves the bright flavour of the sansho and prevents the bitter tannins leaching out and affecting the flavour of the rum.
Serve Sansho Spiced Rum with a light ginger beer or enjoy it straight over ice.
Shiso Gin 40% ABC 50cl
This is an elegant gin with a balance of traditional Japanese flavours and classic English botanicals. The purple Shiso leaves are grown by The Wasabi Company on their farm in Dorset and it is this which provides the delicate Shiso flavours of basil, mint, and caraway, enhanced by sublime citrus and herbaceous notes. This is a gin that is smooth, refreshing and perfectly balanced.
While Shiso is the key ingredient other Japanese citrus fruits and classic botanicals lend to the unique flavour.
Shiso – a member of the mint family with a savoury herb-like quality that is likened to basil or caraway with a hint of citrus.
The flavour can be likened to mint with an earthy depth and hints of basil, cumin, cinnamon, and anise.
Yuzu – a cross between a wild citrus and a sour mandarin, with complex notes of lemon, grapefruit, and mandarin. Sudachi is a citrus with a lime flavour and peppery, herbal undertones. Juniper, Coriander and Bay – a simple, more traditional collection of gin botanicals to balance with the Asian-inspired flavours
Shiso Gin takes the approach of ‘less is more’ with only six botanicals rather than the 10 or more usually used in gin. This means that every ingredient is on show and can be enjoyed rather than fading into the background.
Like all gin, the spirit starts as vodka; in this case, an artisan small batch vodka distilled specifically to improve the flavour of the gin. The botanicals are then added to the pot still along with the vodka and carefully distilled. The gin comes off the still at the top end of the London Dry Gin range (approximately 78% ABV). Many of the botanical components have a high oil content, so taking the gin off at this high an ABV is best for flavour extraction as well as giving a satisfying texture.
Serve Shiso Gin with a light tonic and garnish with fresh mint, or a slice of yuzu or lemon.
Wasabi Vodka 40% ABV 50cl
Although Wasabi Vodka from The Wasabi Company has been available for a number of years, this new, improved version made in collaboration with English Spirit is very different, with a far more intense flavour from the wasabi. In addition to the obvious heat imbued by the wasabi, there are delicate notes of earthy brassica with a hint of cumin and orris.
Overall, it is buttery at the start, followed by heat, then earthy notes to close, and a mild bitterness on the finish. There is also a blend of sweet mustard and radish, ascending to high notes of star anise and pepper, and a complex lingering warmth to be savoured and enjoyed.
The vodka is remarkably smooth, and the only heat or fieriness comes from the wasabi, not the spirit, as should be the case in good quality vodka.
This vodka is single distilled, which is extremely rare, and, unlike most vodkas it is not subjected to a filtration process to remove impurities which tends to strip quality and character. English Spirit avoids the need for filtration by carefully distilling in one shot to avoid impurities in the first place, in this way the unique quality is retained.
Wasabi is literally the only ingredient used to flavour this premium vodka.
It is grown in flowing spring water on the Dorset and Hampshire farms of The Wasabi Company and is a time consuming and difficult crop to cultivate. Used in Japan for over 1,000 years to accompany many dishes, it is increasingly used in Western cuisine, however, the green paste that most people will recognise in shop bought pre-packaged sushi is generally horseradish, dyed green.
This is due to the complex chemical structure of fresh wasabi. When grated the resulting wasabi paste needs to be used immediately as it loses its heat and intensity very quickly; this makes it difficult to use in commercial applications. This problem has been overcome in Wasabi Vodka by freezing the fresh wasabi paste and vacuum distilling it in a small portion of vodka, to carefully extract the wasabi flavour.
The small volume of wasabi infused vacuum distilled vodka is then blended back in with the rest of the vodka and bottled.
Serve Wasabi Vodka over ice with soda water, or your choice of mixer.
Yuzucello 22% ABV 50cl
Yuzucello is much more refined than Limoncello. On the mouth it produces an immediate zesty explosion of fresh mandarin, grapefruit, lemon citrus acidity and gland-tingling sherbet, and a final hit of sweetness and lasting zestiness.
On the nose there is a sharp, almost mouth-watering citrus aroma.
Despite the range of citrus flavours described, they are all sourced from one ingredient – Yuzu. Known as the ‘Queen of Citrus’ in Japan, yuzu is a cross between a wild citrus and a sour mandarin but delivers a famously aromatic and complex blend of citrus with notes of mandarin, grapefruit, and lemon.
The Wasabi Company sells Yuzu fruits, and Yuzu trees for growing your own.
The liqueur starts life as a typically smooth English Spirit Vodka. The base spirit is distilled separately, then expertly combined with the yuzu in a way that captures as much flavour as possible.
Key to this is that every part of the fruit is used – not just the zest but the juice and the pith.
In fact, pith is important because it adds a bitter element which is useful to balance nicely with the sharpness and sweetness (interestingly, limoncello uses only lemon zest and no juice or pith).
The yuzu is supplemented with fresh lemons to ensure a balanced range of citrus flavour and acidity. Finally, sugar is added which helps to highlight the fresh fruit flavours.
Serve Yuzucello as a liqueur with soda water or your choice of mixer.
The Spirit of Japan range brings real Japanese flavours to English palates like never before in a stunning selection of four artisan spirits. Ideal for savouring alone, for enjoying with mixers, or in a sophisticated cocktail, they take the best of both cultures and blend in perfect harmony.
Shop the Spirit of Japan range HERE.
