Hello, this is Sugikawa, YASO Distillers.
It is getting colder here in Joetsu with a hint of winter in the air.
The key botanical for this year’s last limited edition is “fir tree”.
Yes, that tree of the Christmas tree.
The fir tree has been considered sacred in Europe since ancient times because of its green leaves that grow straight up to the sky even in winter.
The limited edition “fir tree” we sold last December was so well received that we decided to use it again this year as a key botanical.
The scent of fir may be hard to imagine.
I feel that it is a fresh, green fragrance…but it is difficult to describe.
A fresh and calm aroma of coniferous trees, like when you take a deep breath in a snowy forest in winter, and it seems to leak from your breath…well, anyway, it is a very delicious gin.
This is a limited edition gin that Sugikawa highly recommends.
The firs with such a good aroma come from Yamanashi Prefecture.
The fir delivered from the foot of Mt. Fuji has a fresh aroma just by opening the box, and from this moment on, I can look forward to the gin being made.
In order to bring out the fir’s fresh aroma and serene green flavor, the aroma is extracted and blended in a decompression distiller and an atmospheric distiller.
This year, we have increased the amount of juniper berries in the base gin to go with these fir tree gin.
Juniper berries support the balance of the gin at the deepest level, like the bass part in an orchestra.
The fir aroma is like a cello or a horn that connects the lower notes of juniper berry and the higher notes of spice and citrus.
This time, the spotlight is on the middle register, and the treble part is only slightly added. The bass part echoes the bass gently and supports the thickness of the whole sound… This is how the balance is set in this gin.
When I was researching fir trees for distillation, I read a children’s story called “The Fir Tree” by Hans Christian Andersen.
It is a story about a fir tree that wants to grow up quickly and get out into the outside world, but it is a story that makes even adults think.
In general, the story reminded me that it is a very happy thing to be able to enjoy the present.
In the “Fir Tree” fairy tale, there is a scene where a young fir tree, curious about the outside world, sees a tree being cut down and wonders where it is going and asks a stork.
The stork says, “On my way from Egypt, I came across many new ships, and all of them had big beacons on their hulls. I am sure that these fir trees are the fir trees you are talking about. Because it smelled like a fir tree. He replied, “I think the fir tree is the fir tree you are talking about.
The fir tree, hearing this story, began to think of the sea.
I said, “I didn’t know that the trunk of a fir tree smelled that good. I wonder what kind of aroma it has…I want to smell it.
I would like to distill the trunks and branches someday…
The fir tree gin has a slightly sweet finish and is very tasty with a simple soda, making it a perfect match with meals.
Why not try our refreshing fir gin soda with your holiday season?
The December limited edition is “Fir Tree”.
It will be on sale from Thursday, December 15.
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