Kiyoko Yozo Aperitif Japan 70 cl 10%

Yuzu grows in the mountainous south of Japan, where the Pacific cools the nights and the sun does the daytime work. The fruit is picked by hand, as it has been for centuries, and pressed the same day. The rest is rice, water and a brewmaster's patience.

The expert's description

Kiyoko Yuzu Aperitif Japan 70 cl 10% is a Japanese Yuzu Aperitif made from hand-picked yuzu juice blended with Junmai Sake and bottled at 10%.

Behind the bottle sits a sake brewery in Kansai on the island of Honshū that has been brewing for more than a hundred years. The brewery's toji, its master brewer, is the one who balances the pure yuzu juice against the sake so the citrus acidity does not run away with everything. The Junmai Sake is brewed on Gohyakumangoku rice and Miyamizu water from Rokkō, the hard spring water the breweries of the Nada district are known for, and the source of the sake's crisp, lively aroma.

Yuzu is a Japanese citrus fruit somewhere between mandarin and lime, with a thick, knobbly skin and an aroma sharper and more floral than lemon. The juice in Kiyoko is pure, with no additives and no artificial flavourings. At 10% the bottle sits below ordinary sake and closer to a glass of wine, and it is built to be drunk cold before a meal rather than as a heavy liqueur after one.

Tasting notes

Nose

Freshly grated yuzu peel lands first, floral and sharp at once. Behind it comes a soft, faintly sweet note of steamed rice, and a trace of white flowers.

Palate

Tart and juicy, with the bitterness of the peel working against a mild sweetness. The sake sits underneath with a grainy, almost savoury weight that stops the fruit from turning syrupy.

Finish

Short to medium and very clean. The citrus peel dries the mouth slightly, and what stays behind is a fresh, lightly bitter note that asks for another sip.

Specifications

Name: Kiyoko Yuzu Aperitif Japan 70 cl 10%
Producer: Kiyoko
Region/Country: Kansai, Japan
Type: Japanese Yuzu Aperitif with Junmai Sake
ABV: 10%
Size: 70 CL
Serving suggestion: Cold as a Yuzu Spritz with 8 cl Kiyoko and 6 cl Prosecco, or as Yuzu and Tonic with 6 cl Kiyoko and 10 cl Tonic Water

Flavour profile

Citrus · Tart · Fresh · Floral · Light

Did you know?

Japan has a saying about how long fruit trees take to bear: three years for the peach and the chestnut, eight for the persimmon, while yuzu is the great fool that takes eighteen. The trees are slow, which is why the fruit has never been an everyday item outside Japan.

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Frequently asked questions about Kiyoko Yuzu Aperitif Japan 70 cl 10%

What is yuzu and what does it taste like?

Yuzu is a Japanese citrus fruit that tastes like a cross between mandarin, lime and grapefruit. The aroma sits mostly in the skin and is floral and sharp, while the juice is very tart with a clear bitter edge. In Kiyoko that freshness is what carries the bottle.

Is Kiyoko a sake?

Not quite. Kiyoko is an aperitif in which pure yuzu juice is blended with Junmai Sake, so the sake is the base rather than the finished drink. The result is lighter and far more fruit-driven than sake on its own, and a long way from the concentrated style you meet in a Japanese Whisky.

Should Kiyoko be served cold?

Yes, serve it properly chilled. Cold tightens the citrus acidity and keeps the sweetness in check, and the bottle can simply live in the fridge. Ice is not required, though a couple of cubes do no harm in a tall glass.

Which cocktails work with Kiyoko?

The simplest is a Yuzu Spritz with 8 cl Kiyoko, 6 cl Prosecco and a sprig of mint. For something drier, mix 6 cl Kiyoko with 10 cl Tonic Water and a piece of dried citrus. The low strength makes it an obvious base for light summer drinks where you want citrus without a heavy pour of spirit.

What food goes with Kiyoko?

Sushi, sashimi and anything raw and fatty. The acidity cuts through salmon and tuna the way a wedge of lemon would, and it also holds its own beside fresh cheeses and light starters.

Is it sweet?

Only lightly. The sweetness is there to keep the tartness and bitterness of the yuzu in balance, not to turn the bottle into a dessert. At 10% it is noticeably drier than most fruit liqueurs.

How long does the bottle keep once opened?

Keep it in the fridge and finish it within a few weeks. Like other sake-based drinks of low strength it loses freshness faster than high-strength spirits, and freshness is the whole point here.