SUNTORY, a Japanese brand known for a whole range of spirits – such as its whiskies – recently brought its newest gin, Sui, to Malaysia. Sui itself is a company combining Western spirits with a Japanese palate.
Sui is named after the Kingfisher, a small bird that has been imbued with significance by some cultures. On the bottle, a little green Kingfisher can be found perched on the Kanji character for Sui.
With the use of the traditional eight gin botanicals – juniper berry, coriander seed, angelica seed, angelica root, cardamom, cinnamon, bitter orange peel and lemon peel – in addition to more uniquely Japanese ingredients such as yuzu, green tea, and ginger, Sui has a clear and refreshing taste.
The three Japanese botanicals are chosen because of how common they are in Japanese cuisine. Yuzu, a traditional Japanese citrus used to spruce up a variety of dishes. Green tea is used in the gin for its umami, or savoury, flavour notes. Ginger, a common spice for Japanese and other Asian cuisines, gives Sui gin a clean aftertaste.
They come together to hit you in waves as you imbibe the gin, with yuzu and traditional botanicals at the onset, then the bitterness of the green tea rolls over your palate, followed by the spice of the ginger and other botanicals leaving a refreshing mouthfeel.
To show off Sui’s flexibility, during the tasting event it was paired with soda, tonic, yuzu, ginger, and pandan calamansi. You can’t get any more basic than gin and soda, but the simplicity lets the Sui stand out. It really is smooth and gentle, something to be sipped on a laid-back afternoon.
It doesn’t have the kick of a gin like Roku – also by Suntory – but that’s a point in its favour. It doesn’t overpower the palate and can go with just about every meal. In fact, during a tasting event at a yakitori restaurant, it paired well with fried foods, ramen, sushi, and edamame.
The Sui gin with soda and yuzu was probably the most complex – though maybe that’s just the fizz talking. It’s more yuzu forward, which allows Sui to do its thing in the background.
This is really where this gin stands out, it doesn’t take over but is reliable and refreshing. It’s also malleable, a canvas for all sorts of experimental cocktails percolating in your head. – The Vibes, November 30, 2022
