Chokyu, 15 Year-Aged Umeshu, 720ml

Fifteen years in the making. An undiluted, aged umeshu from Wakayama, amber and whisky-like, at 20%.

Chokyu is umeshu for people who think they know umeshu. Nanko plums, grown using special farming methods, are matured for fifteen years until the liqueur turns a rich, chocolaty amber and picks up subtle smoky and astringent notes more often found in a fine whisky. It is bottled as genshu, undiluted, at 20%. Pour it neat into a wine glass or a small glass to take in its complexity, or over ice to open the aroma and soften the sweetness. Made by Nakano BC in Wakayama. 720ml.

Explore umeshu: Hakutsuru Umeshu Genshu and the Umeshu Starter Hamper.

Why Chefs Choose This

• Fifteen years' maturation: long ageing builds an amber colour and a layered, complex flavour
• Whisky-like character: subtle smoky and astringent notes give it the depth of a fine dram
• Undiluted: bottled as genshu at 20%, so the flavour arrives concentrated
• A pairing all-rounder: works with savoury dishes as well as desserts, cheese and chocolate

How to Serve

• Neat: pour into a wine glass or small glass to appreciate the whisky-like character
• On the rocks: over ice to open up the aroma and soften the sweetness
• After dinner: an elegant pour alongside cheese or chocolate desserts
• Temperature: serve at 5 to 15°C

長久 15年熟成梅酒: Chokyu 15-nen jukusei umeshu

The label reads 長久 15年熟成梅酒, Chokyu 15-nen jukusei umeshu: Chokyu umeshu, matured for fifteen years. Umeshu (梅酒) is a Japanese liqueur of ume plums steeped in alcohol. This one is a genshu (原酒), meaning undiluted, and a koshu (古酒), an aged style. Nakano BC, established in 1958 in Wakayama, brews sake, umeshu and other liqueurs.

Learn more: What Is Umeshu?

What does 15-year aged umeshu taste like?

Complex rather than simply sweet. Long maturation turns the colour a chocolaty amber and adds subtle smoky and astringent notes reminiscent of fine whisky, layered over the plum. Neat, the complexity shows; over ice, the aroma opens and the sweetness softens. It is a sipping liqueur rather than a mixer.

Product Details

• Type: Aged, undiluted umeshu (genshu koshu umeshu), plum liqueur
• Producer: Nakano BC, established 1958
• Origin: Wakayama, Japan
• Plums: Nanko ume
• Maturation: 15 years
• Alcohol: 20%
• Volume: 720ml
• Serving Temperature: 5 to 15°C
• Storage: Upright, in a cool place away from direct sunlight

Q: How should I serve Chokyu 15 year umeshu?

Neat in a wine glass or small glass to appreciate its complex, whisky-like character, or over ice to open up the aroma and soften the sweetness. It makes an elegant after-dinner pour with cheese or chocolate desserts, and pairs with savoury dishes too.

Q: What does genshu mean?

Genshu (原酒) means undiluted. Chokyu is bottled at full strength, 20%, rather than being cut down after maturation, so the flavour of fifteen years' ageing arrives concentrated.

Q: How do I store an opened bottle?

Keep it upright in a cool place away from direct sunlight. Thanks to its sugar and alcohol content it keeps well at room temperature for a good while once opened, though refrigerating after opening helps preserve its delicate aroma for longer.

Contains alcohol. Sold to over-18s only.

SKU : X0076