This is The Choya Flight #Kiki Umeshu, an umeshu-tasting set with three different ages. They used minamitaka ume produced in Kishu in Wakayama Prefecture, as well as sugar and sake.
The packaging explained the balance of body, aging, aroma, sweetness and tartness in each variant.
Single Year. This liqueur was a translucent golden hue with a vibrant ume aroma and had a medium syrupy mouthfeel. Upon tasting, the ume flavour immediately took center stage, delivering a lively tartness at the beginning of each sip, which then evolved into a crisp, fruity aroma as a delightful sweetness emerged in the body and lingered into the finish with little to no bitterness. This refreshing fruit liqueur effectively captured the fruit’s vibrancy and is well-suited for sipping neat or over ice.
Aged 3 Years. With an aging period of 3 years, this liqueur presented a slightly deeper hue compared to the single-year version. It had a richer aroma and a thicker, syrupy mouthfeel. Upon tasting, the ume flavour transioned towards a darker, muskier sweetness, reminiscent of dried plums, as opposed to the vibrant flavour of fresh plums found in the touch of tartness in the single-year liqueur. The increased syrupy texture of this liqueur made it particularly well-suited for serving over ice.
Japanese Ume Fruit Liqueur. This version, incorporating a whole ume fruit, presented a liqueur with heightened strength and viscosity compared to the Single Year, yet lacked the musky sweetness reminiscent of dried plums found in the Aged 3 Years. Biting into the ume, it imparted a robust flavor—sour, very sweet, and pleasantly bitter, with an almost effervescent mouthfeel.
While each variant was appreciated for its minimal bitterness, rich sweetness and vibrant ume flavour, we prefered the Single Year, with its fresh body, balanced sweetness and tartness, and a bright aroma.
This The Choya Flight #Kiki Umeshu 180 mL (1 x 60 mL Single Year, 1 x 60 mL Aged 3 Years, 1 x 60 mL Ume Fruit Liqueur). It was produced in Japan and purchased in Tōkyō, Japan in 2023.