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Japanese Umeshu, or plum wine, has a rich history dating back to the Heian period (794–1185). It has a diverse flavour profile, balancing the acidity and sweetness of plums with sugar and alcohol.
Drinks that are flavourful, light, refreshing, and guaranteed to calm you down in a few sips are ideal for the holiday season. Umeshu, a traditional plum wine prepared in Japanese homes, can be your go-to sundowner in the evenings or a spicy aperitif to pique your appetite during afternoon lunches. The energising quality of Umeshu lies in its exquisite combination of tanginess and sweetness. Give these brands a try.
Suntory Umeshu Smoky 2023
Suntory's Umeshu Blend, available in October 2023, has a unique smokey touch. After being aged in Yamazaki Distillery barrels previously used for smoked whisky, it has a stronger flavour and distinct woody undertones. It has the ideal amount of alcohol (16 degrees), making it ideal for sipping straight, combining with soda, or pouring over ice.
Kumo wo Tsukamu Youna Umeshu
The Kumo wo Tsukamu Youna Umeshu, an official gift of Tokyo Tower, debuted in the latter part of 2021. Its small bottle is embellished with adorable pictures of Tokyo's cityscape by Japanese illustrator Chaykov. The two tastes and packaging variations in the series are the cyan "Sora ni Kakeru Aoume," which features sweet and sensitive young plums, and the golden "Tasogare ni Tokeru Kajitsu," which is created with mature plums.
Mume Pink
The refined rose-pink hue and translucent texture of the Mume Pink umeshu define it. The plum juice of the tsuyu-akane kind, which gives the product a gorgeous baby pink hue and increases its freshness and sweetness, is what gives it its wonderful colour. Desserts go well with it.
Kokutou Umeshu Yamanishi
Made from three different species of plums supplied from Minabe in Wakayama Prefecture—a small village known as the nation's leading plum-producing area—Kokutou Umeshu Yamanishi is a premium umeshu. It is made by neighbourhood plum growers instead of a traditional brewery and has no artificial flavours or additives. It is full of real plum acidity and rich fragrances heightened by adding black sugar.
Oyama Sakuya Konohana
Noshiume Honpo Satoya, a well-known confectionery founded in 1821, and the Kato Kahachiro Brewing Company, founded in 1872, have partnered to create Oyama Sakuya Konohana. Both businesses are located in Yamagata Prefecture. The Umeshu's flavour is delicately balanced and refreshing, combining aromatic plums and the gently sweet Ohyama Tokubetsu Junmai sake.
Suntory Umeshu Taru Shiage
Umeshu Taru Shiage from Suntory is renowned for its creative production method, which involves maturing whisky in barrels from the Yamazaki Distillery. This method gives the Umeshu a distinct flavour profile in addition to woodsy smells.
Moreover, this umeshu blend has a high alcohol level of 20% because it is made from various unique spirits and enhanced with brandy. Its rich and pleasant flavour is retained even when combined with sparkling water.
Choya Kokuto Umeshu
Well-known in Japan, Choya makes its Kokuto Umeshu exclusively from Nanko plums, black sugar syrup, booze, and black rum. It is adaptable and can be enjoyed over ice, with sparkling water, or even poured over vanilla ice cream as a post-dinner treat. It contains no artificial acidity regulators or flavourings.
Dassai Umeshu
Asahi Shuzo, a well-known sake producer in Japan and beyond, worked with the national Umeshu Study Group to create an umeshu. Limited to Asahi Shuzo's directly managed stores and the annual National Plum Wine Festival, this limited-edition plum wine is made using premium Nanko plums from Wakayama Prefecture, with the brand's legendary Dassai sake "Junmai Daiginjo Migaki Niwari Sanbun" serving as the base.
Kaldi Torori Umeshu
The Torori Umeshu, prepared from Wakayama Prefecture's Nanko plums, is available at Kaldi stores, which are well-known for their wide selection of wines. It is unique because every taste has plum pulp, giving it a fuller texture than other plum wines. Its mere 8% alcohol concentration also contributes to its easy-to-drink nature.
Kanjuku Nanaore Koume Umeshu
Originating in the tiny town of Tobe in Ehime Prefecture, the Nanaore Koume plum type is highly valued for its rich aroma, gentle acidity, plumpness, and pale yellow colour. A pleasurable and healthful drink is guaranteed by the Kanjuku Nanaore Koume Umeshu, which is made by soaking plums in rice shochu without artificial colouring, flavourings, or acidity regulators.
Shuwa Shuwa Kiuchi Umeshu
Shuwa shuwa, which means "the fizzing sound of tiny bubbles" in Japanese, is the source of this drink's name. This mildly carbonated plum wine is sweetened by mixing natural fruit sugars with Hitachino Nest Beer's bubbly brew. With each sip, the combination of floral scents and the tart sweetness of plums creates a delightfully novel and pleasant experience.
Uji Matcha × Aodani Umeshu
Aodani Plum Grove in Kyoto is the source of Joshuhaku plums used in this green tea plum wine by Itoh Kyuemon. Its rich flavour and aromatic aroma make it perfect for sipping over ice, blending with hot or sparkling water, or freezing for a cool summer treat with ice cream or additional fruits.
