Choya Shiso Umeshu Sake
Choya Shiso Umeshu is a 15% ABV, 750mL Japanese umeshu — an ume fruit liqueur — from CHOYA of Osaka, Japan. Per CHOYA's own US product sheet, it is made from ume fruit, sugar and cane spirit, flavoured with shiso (perilla) extract, which gives it its distinctive red colour and refreshing aroma over the classic sweet-tart ume base. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- ABV: 15%
- Size: 750mL
- Style: Umeshu (ume fruit liqueur)
- Ingredients: Ume fruit, sugar, cane spirit, perilla extract, red cabbage colouring (CHOYA product sheet)
- Origin: CHOYA, Osaka, Japan
- Producer: CHOYA — grape grower from 1914, making umeshu since 1959
Umeshu with a Shiso Twist
Umeshu is Japan's beloved plum liqueur: ume fruit steeped in spirit and sugar until the liquid turns golden, sweet and tart. CHOYA, which began as an Osaka grape grower in 1914 and started making umeshu in 1959, is the world's best-known umeshu house. The Shiso bottling adds perilla — "Japanese basil" in CHOYA USA's words — for a ruby-red pour and a fresher, more aromatic profile than the classic version, and CHOYA notes it is smoother than the previous Shiso release. Browse more Japanese bottles on our wine shelf, see the rest of our liqueurs, or visit the Choya Umeshu vendor page.
Tasting Notes
Nose: Refreshing shiso aroma over sweet ume fruit, per CHOYA. Palate: Balanced sweet-and-tart ume, flavoured with shiso herb. Finish: Smooth and fruity.
How to Enjoy
CHOYA USA recommends it on the rocks, straight, with soda, or in cocktails. The rocks serve is the classic: one large cube, a slow melt, and the shiso aroma opening as it dilutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is umeshu a sake? No. Despite this listing's title, CHOYA classifies Shiso as a fruit liqueur: ume fruit macerated in cane spirit with sugar. It is not brewed from rice like sake.
What is shiso? Shiso is perilla, an herb in the mint family — CHOYA calls it "Japanese basil." Here it provides the red colour and the refreshing aroma that set this bottling apart from classic golden umeshu.
How strong is it? 15% ABV — liqueur strength, noticeably softer than a spirit, and designed to drink over ice.
Ruby-red umeshu with a herbal lift — order Choya Shiso online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.