ZEN Umeshu
Estate-grown Nanko ume is left to ripen on the tree, then steeped in brandy, bringing ripe-plum depth and the rounded warmth of distilled spirit into a long finish.
Brandy-based umeshu
Steeping ripe Nanko ume in brandy
Yellow-ripe Nanko ume from the estate orchard is steeped with brandy and rock sugar.
Steeping the fruit on harvest day
The ume is allowed to ripen fully on the tree, then enters the spirit the day it is picked to retain its generous perfume.
Using brandy to create roundness
The distilled spirit wraps the plum’s sweetness and acidity in body, giving the palate a slow, supple release.
Ripe fruit depth with a spirit-led finish
Nanko aroma remains central while brandy adds roundness, warmth and length.
Ripe ume, mellow sweetness and lasting warmth
Generous ripe-plum aroma leads into concentrated fruit. Silky sweetness is held by firm acidity, with brandy warmth extending the finish.
Four directions guided by ripe plum and brandy’s warmth
Food affinities for Zen Umeshu are not a pairing the producer has presented officially, but a reading drawn from the characteristics recorded on this page. The dense fruit character of ripe Nanko ume, steeped on the day of harvest, met by the warmth and roundness brandy brings, runs through the four directions below.
The pairing of a drink and a dish is generally guided by structure — sweetness, acidity and texture — more than by aroma. The dense fruit character of ripe plum, the warmth brandy brings, and a firm, defining acidity set the structural direction for the four pairings above.
Kishu Honjo Umeyoshi, from ume growers to liqueur makers
Based in Minabe, Wakayama, Kishu Honjo Umeyoshi grows ume on its own farm and carries the fruit from harvest through liqueur production.
Kura Master 2023 Gold
Awarded Gold in the 2023 Kura Master Liqueur Competition.
From the same producer
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