Lotte has released the 7th edition of “YOIYO,” [Japanese craft sake chocolate] sold by Lotte. After Mars Shinshu Distillery, Akkeshi Distillery, Gaiaflow Shizuoka Distillery, and Mars Tsunuki Distillery, the next one is “Sakurao Distillery.”
This is YOIYO’s first chocolate made with gin. “SAKURAO GIN LIMITED” from the Sakurao Distillery in Hatsukaichi City, Hiroshima Prefecture, is used. All 17 ingredients, including juniper berries, are produced in Hiroshima Prefecture. This gin and chocolate marriage is an impressive marriage with a lingering citrus aroma that is typical of Hiroshima, which is rich in produce from the mountains and the sea.
The seventh YOIYO present campaign is a chance to win a “set of two Sakurao Distillery products + 10 YOIYO Sakurao Distillery products.”
1. What is “YOIYO?”
Get drunk on Japan, Chocolate.
There is a Japan you have not yet discovered.
It is the taste of pure water, local ingredients, and traditional techniques.
We have packed carefully crafted sake into a single piece.
Enjoy it at dusk or after dinner as if you were going on a trip.
This is a chocolate for adults.
Have a good night, feeling a little tipsy.
“YOIYO” is a “Japanese craft sake chocolate” or so-called “whisky bonbon” sold by Lotte Co. The wonderful taste of Japanese whisky and the passion of the whisky maker and the chocolate maker are packed into a single piece of chocolate.
The package design of each product is fashionable, printed with the regional scenery of each distillery and its distillation equipment.
The first stage, “YOIYO <Marus Shinshu Distillery> Komagatake,” has been a hot topic among whisky fans since its release.
This time we will introduce the 7th stage, “YOIYO <Sakurao Distillery> GIN LIMITED.”
2. YOIYO <Sakurao Distillery> GIN LIMITED
| Product name |
YOIYO <Sakurao Distillery> GIN LIMITED |
| Release date | October 18, 2022 |
| Retail price |
Set of 10 (in a box): 5,940 yen including tax and shipping Set of 4 (in a box): 2,700 yen (tax included), shipping included |
| Purchase site |
3. ～Good night with YOIYO～ “Sakurao Distillery Gin Bottle & Original Glass + YOIYO Chocolate” Present Campaign
Image Exhibit: YOIYO/Japanese craft sake chocolate｜Mouth Lovers Lotte
10 winners of Sakurao Distillery Gin (Sakurao Gin Limited) & original glass + YOIYO chocolate!
[Entry period] Tuesday, October 18, 2022 00:00 – Sunday, November 30, 2022 23:59:59
(Prizes will be shipped in mid-December 2022)
The following three conditions must be met in order to enter.
(1) Purchase the following eligible products at the Lotte Online Shop.
Not applicable for purchases made outside of Lotte Online Shop.
1.YOIYO <Sakurao Distillery> Gin Limited 10-pack set
2.YOIYO <Sakurao Distillery> Gin Limited 4-pack set
[Click here to purchase]
(2)Register as a member of LOTTE Membership
500yen coupon is being offered for new member registration.
(3) Lotte Online Shop Mail Magazine Registration
You can apply for 2 units for a set of 10 or 1 unit for a set of 4. One person can apply for as many units as he/she wants.
For more information, please visit the official website here.
4. Review of Target Products
4-1. YOIYO <Sakurao Distillery> GIN LIMITED
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- Reference: YOIYO/Japanese craft sake chocolate
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- Reference: YOIYO/Japanese craft sake chocolate
Compared to whisky.
the combination of gin and chocolate is rare.
To tell the truth, at first I couldn’t fully imagine how it would turn out.
But I was impressed with the finished product.
In the mouth, the tartness and gorgeousness that is typical of Sakurao spreads out.
In the end, the richness of the chocolate is superimposed on the citrus aftertaste.
It is expressed in an exquisite balance.
This is probably due to the fact that it is a center liquor type.
Please feel the fresh and spicy aroma with chocolate.
Taihei Yamamoto, Distillation Manager, Sakurao Distillery
Hiroshima is very rich in seafood from the sea and mountains, making it possible to have a variety of raw materials.
Sakurao Gin Limited sources all of its botanicals from Hiroshima Prefecture, and a forest where juniper berries, an essential ingredient in gin, grow wild is also local.
After two years of trial and error, “Sakurao GIN LIMITED” was born. 17 different ingredients give the gin its aroma, with juniper berries from Japan being the rarest and most delicate. The most distinctive feature of the product is the oyster shell from Hiroshima. This is mixed with botanicals such as cherry petals, which symbolize Sakurao, kuromoji, hinoki cypress, and citrus.
It has a fresh, citrusy aroma that is different from that of whisky.
5. Sakurao Distillery Products
For more information about Sakurao Distillery’s products, please click ↓here↓.
Lastly: Recommended Books on Japanese Whisky
If you want to learn more about Japanese whisky, which is a global trend, we highly recommend these books.
(1).Whisky Galore Vol.29 December 2021 issue
In the December 2021 issue of Whisky Galore, published by the Whisky Culture Research Institute, we report on 11 Japanese craft distilleries, including some that are open to the public for the first time, under the title of “Japanese Whisky Craft Frontline,” the first of three consecutive issues. Why did the popularity of Japanese whisky and the craft boom occur? We will examine with interviews. Chichibu Distillery / Chichibu No.2 Distillery / Mars Shinshu Distillery / Mars Tsunuki Distillery / Kanosuke Distillery / Hioki Distillery / Ontake Distillery / Osuzuyama Distillery / Kaikyo Distillery / Hanyu Distillery / Konosu Distillery
(2). Japanese Whisky as an Education for Business
This is a book written by Mamoru Tsuchiya, a world-famous whisky critic and representative of the Whisky Culture Research Institute, titled “Japanese Whisky as a Culture that Works for Business” .
The book covers the basics of whisky, the introduction of whisky to Japan, the birth of Japanese whisky, advertising strategies and the rise of Japanese whisky, and the current rise of craft distilleries. This is a book that summarizes Japanese whisky in a very easy to understand way.
(3). Whisky and I (Masataka Taketsuru)
Masataka Taketsuru, the founder of Nikka Whisky, devoted his life to brewing whisky in Japan. This is a revised and reprinted version of the autobiography of a man who simply loved whisky and talked about himself. The book vividly depicts the days when he went to Scotland alone to study as a young man and overcame many hardships to complete Japanese whisky, as well as his companion, Rita.
(4). A Letter of Challenge from a New Generation Distillery
Launching in 2019. With the world experiencing an unprecedented whisky boom, what were the managers of craft distilleries thinking and what were their thoughts as they took on the challenge of making whisky? This book tells the stories of 13 craft distillery owners, including Ichiro Hido of Venture Whisky, famous for his Ichirose Malt, who inspired the birth of craft distilleries in Japan.
(5). Whiskey Rising
This is the Japanese version of Whisky Risng, published in the US in 2016, with much updated content. Not only does it describe the history of Japanese whisky in detail, but it also includes data on all the distilleries in Japan, including the craft distilleries that have been founded in recent years. The book also includes descriptions of the legendary bottles that have been released, as well as information on bars where Japanese whisky can be found.
