CU9-Yii / Gin Base
Tree-ripened Nanko ume from Minabe meets Wakayama craft gin, bringing ripe plum together with juniper, Japanese citrus and spice.
Gin-based umeshu
Tree-ripened Nanko ume in Wakayama craft gin
Kishu Nanko ume are allowed to ripen on the tree and picked by hand from the family farm, then macerated for about six months in SAKAKI, a craft gin made in Wakayama. Beet sugar is used with restraint so the plum and botanicals remain clearly defined.
Tree-ripened ume, picked by hand
Kishu Nanko ume are selected from the family farm in Minabe after ripening on the tree.
Macerated in SAKAKI craft gin
The fruit spends about six months in a Wakayama gin made with more than 15 local botanicals.
Ripe plum carried by the structure of gin
Juicy Nanko ume acidity is layered with juniper, Japanese citrus and spice rather than shaped as a conventionally sweet plum liqueur.
Woody, citrus-led and spiced, with a dry finish
Fresh juniper and wood lead into bright notes of yuzu and mikan. Ripe Nanko ume brings vivid acidity and fruit through the middle, followed by Japanese spice. The finish is clear and dry, leaving plum and herbal aromatics behind.
Four directions guided by juniper, citrus and plum acidity
CU9-Yii opens with the woody aroma of juniper and bright citrus reminiscent of yuzu and mikan, moves through the acidity and fruit of ripe Nanko ume with Japanese spice, and closes with a clean, dry finish. The combinations below are not official pairings presented by the producer, but readings drawn from the recorded taste characteristics.
Citrus aroma is said to align readily with the aroma derived from the fat oxidation of seafood, while juniper’s woody aroma is noted to align with the green character of leafy vegetables. The citrus, juniper and plum acidity of CU9-Yii draw on that alignment, giving it a base that meets leafy vegetables, seafood, fatty meat and spiced dishes alike.
CU9, created in the ume-growing town of Minabe
CU9 was founded in Minabe in 2021, drawing on a family background in ume farming. Fruit from the family farm is paired with gin made at Plum Foods’ Kishu Kumano Distillery, with final production handled by Kishu Honjo Umeyoshi. The bottle brings together Minabe fruit and Wakayama distilling craft.
First in four categories; fourth in the final
At ICC SAKE AWARD KYOTO 2024, Yii placed first overall in the preliminary round and first in Taste, Craftsmanship, Branding and Creator’s Story, before finishing fourth in the final. Its Pentawards 2022 recognition was a packaging-design shortlist selection, not a medal.
From the same producer
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CU9-Fuu & CU9-Yii — two expressions, one conversation
This podcast compares both CU9-Fuu / Mirin Base and CU9-Yii / Gin Base, exploring their different bases, alcohol strengths and flavour profiles. The same comparison episode is available on both product pages.
English · 7:35
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