Real Lemon Sour 2023 Autumn & Grass

Now, we would like to introduce the Real Lemon Sour and the Herb Lemon Sour - Autumn 2023 edition, both crafted in November 2023.

 

Autumn means green lemons. This year, the harvest came a little later than usual, so some of the lemons had already started turning slightly yellow. We all gathered and patiently peeled the lemons together.

Then, we soaked the lemon peels in alcohol just like this. Simple..

As I mentioned in the product overview, I found this year’s batch especially delicious.

I believe the base alcohol this time was distilled either last year or a little earlier, so it might be from a batch of Ryugu that Tomita-san fermented with minimal use of yeast. Though I haven’t confirmed that for sure.

Shochu that’s naturally fermented tends to have a softer, more gentle sweetness compared to others—it gives off a mellow impression. You can really sense that kind of sweetness here as well. This lemon sour has a mild barley-like note and a subtle toasty aroma, bringing out the gentle character of the base shochu.

Personally, I prefer the autumn version when enjoying it with meals.

Compared to spring, the autumn batch tends to feel a bit milder in flavor and less sweet-and-sour, which can sometimes leave a lighter impression. But by giving it a distinct character like this, I hope people can enjoy it in a different context—with a different mood and drinking scene in mind.

At the same time, we also craft the Herb version. For this one, we soak guava, shell ginger (kumatake-ran), and lemongrass. In the photo, the floating pieces are shell ginger.

 

 

Kumatake orchid—also known as gettō (shell ginger)—is a slightly different variety from the one found in Okinawa, which is why it's called by this name here. Traditionally, it has been used not so much as a medicine, but more for its purifying qualities, such as in charms or for warding off evil spirits.

We recommend enjoying this Herb Lemon Sour with tonic water.

We’ll be properly introducing the producer, Amaja Herb, in more detail somewhere soon!

You can purchase the Real Lemon Sour 2023 Autumn and Herb Lemon Sour featured in this article from the link below:

[Click here to buy]

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