Hello, it is nice to meet you. My name is Yamada, and I am in charge of this diary.
Spring is gradually approaching, but there are still cold days ahead.
How is everyone doing?
In March, when the weather is still cold, we have prepared botanicals that will warm your body while you feel the mildness of spring.
The key botanical for the March Limited Zine is Spring Turmeric.
A perennial herb of the curcuma genus of the ginger family, it is also known as "kyohuang".
The plant produces pretty peach-colored flowers in spring, and its roots were used in the gin this time.
Many people think of curry when they think of turmeric.
In fact, I had a strong image of curry and imagined it to be spicy.
But in fact, the one that is well known as a curry spice and nutritional drink is autumn turmeric (turmeric), which flowers in autumn, while spring turmeric is called wild turmeric, which is rich in minerals and essential oil components and has a fresh aroma when cut.
...I will write more about it later, but I was surprised that the aroma was different from what I had imagined during the preparation stage.
The spring turmeric we used this time was half produced by Mr. Seiichi Yamazaki, son of Kazuichi Yamazaki, and half by "Godo Kaisha Ichiichi" run by a disciple of Mr. Ichiichi.
I have never been to a turmeric field, so I would like to visit one someday to see how it is actually grown and hear about it.
The spring turmeric arrived around late November.
I had assumed that since it is called spring turmeric, it would be cultivated in the spring.
...I really don't know a lot of things and I'm learning all the time.
When they arrived, instead of leaving them as they were, I cleaned off the soil, cut them with a knife, and preserved them.
The cut spring turmeric was very beautiful and true yellow. And the aroma was very pleasant and surprising.
I had imagined that it would have a unique aroma, or a spicy aroma like curry, but I found it to be more of a familiar ginger-like aroma.
It was as if my body was warming up just by cutting.
Finally, in late January, the distillation of spring turmeric on its own began.
We distilled turmeric by itself, cut only the best parts, and blended them later to bring out the best of spring turmeric.
I was surprised here because we put so much spring turmeric in one distillation! I was surprised here, too. It is a lot of spring turmeric.
After the distillation process is finished, the distillation machine is set up and the distillation process begins.
After a few hours, the liquid gradually begins to flow out. (It's a really long process up to this point...)
Switch to taste.
At this point, it seemed as if the area was beginning to smell a little like spring turmeric.
So, ladies and gentlemen...what do you think distilled spring turmeric tastes like?
I had imagined something ginger-like from the aroma. But, however, I was again disappointed.
What a nostalgic flavor, just like a custard cream, as if it were a pastry made with lots of eggs.
It has the soothing flavor of old-fashioned baked goods.
It has a ginger-like rootiness and a bit of earthiness, but it is also very custardy.
I was really surprised by this.
It will probably be the most memorable part of this distillation.
Then, as the gingeriness gradually becomes more strongly added to it, and when the alcohol feeling becomes stronger, it is time to switch to the other side of the bottle.
This time, we use a portion of the spring turmeric distillate that is not used in the blend in the distillate, so the flavor deepens with each distillation, which I feel is another point of ingenuity and the fun of distillation that is constantly changing.
The distillation is finished and the cleanup begins.
The aroma of spring turmeric was present even before the machine was put back together, but when the mouth of the distiller was opened, a considerable aroma of spring turmeric filled the air along with steam.
It really made me feel poka-poka just from the scent.
The distillate also had a yellowish color.
This distillation was repeated and blended to produce the Limited Edition 03 Spring Turmeric.
The release date is Tuesday, March 15.
We hope you can feel the warm freshness of spring turmeric and wait for warm spring with this gin.
This is the end of this DIARY.
I know this has been a long and difficult read, but thank you for taking the time to read this far.
I am not sure who will write the next diary, but I hope you will look forward to it.
I'll see you sometime.
