Kozue | Japanese Gin

A Contemporary (Modern) gin in the Japanese style, Kozue Gin is a new brand created by the team at Nakano Biochemical Creations in Wakayama Japan. Botanicals include European juniper, koyamaki (Japanese Umbrella pine), sansho pepper, juniper, orange, lemon and mandarin. It’s the first gin to use native Japanese koyomaki needles as a botanical.
This small batch gin is distilled at the Wakayama-owned Fujishiro Distillery. Kozue Gin is very different to other, citrus-forward Japanese gins on the market. Although Kozue is bottled at 47%, it's quite smooth on the palette and isn’t overly forward with the native pine needles, so it's not overbearing at all.
This isn't a dry gin -- the juniper hides behind a veil of citrus and piny notes. The nose brings green notes of grass and pine, followed by pepper and earth. On the long finish, the pine needles reign supreme, joined by subtle hints of earth, mint, and citrus.