Suntory Roku Japanese Gin
Suntory Roku Japanese Gin is a 750mL craft gin bottled at 43% ABV (86 proof) at Suntory's Liquor Atelier in Osaka, Japan. Fourteen botanicals — six Japanese, each harvested at the peak of its season, and eight traditional — are distilled separately in four types of pot still and blended into one harmonious gin. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- ABV: 43% (86 proof)
- Size: 750mL
- Japanese botanicals: Sakura flower, sakura leaf, yuzu peel, sencha tea, gyokuro tea, sansho pepper
- Traditional botanicals: Juniper, coriander seed, angelica root and seed, cardamom, cinnamon, bitter orange peel, lemon peel
- Distillery: Liquor Atelier, Osaka Plant, Japan
- Award: Best Distilled Gin, International Spirits Challenge 2025
Six Botanicals, Four Seasons
Roku means "six" — the six Japanese botanicals at the gin's heart, each picked at shun, the peak of its season: sakura flower and leaf in spring, sencha and gyokuro teas in summer, sansho pepper in autumn and yuzu peel in winter. At the Liquor Atelier, the botanicals are distilled separately by the method that suits each — delicate sakura under vacuum in stainless pot stills, yuzu in copper pot stills for depth — then blended. The hexagonal bottle carries the six botanicals embossed in the glass under a washi-paper label. Suntory has made gin since its Hermes Gin of 1936; Roku launched internationally in 2017. See the full range on the Suntory vendor page.
Tasting Notes
Per the House of Suntory's notes: a floral, sweet nose of cherry blossom and green tea; a complex yet harmonious palate over a traditional gin base, with yuzu as the top note and a smooth, silky texture; and a crisp finish of sansho pepper spice.
How to Enjoy
The brand's signature serve is a gin and tonic garnished with fresh ginger slices, which lift the yuzu and sansho. It also makes a precise, citrus-led martini. Pair it with its stablemate Haku Japanese Vodka for a Japanese spirits shelf, and browse more in our gin collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the six Japanese botanicals in Roku?
Sakura flower, sakura leaf, yuzu peel, sencha tea, gyokuro tea and sansho pepper — harvested respectively across spring, summer, autumn and winter at their seasonal peak.
How strong is Roku gin?
The US bottling is 43% ABV (86 proof) in 750mL. A 47% version exists only as a travel-retail edition.
Where is Roku gin made?
At Suntory's Liquor Atelier, its craft distillery at the Osaka Plant in Japan, using four distinct types of pot still.
Fourteen botanicals, one harmonious gin — order Suntory Roku online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.
