It is said that the very first seedlings of green tea in Japan were planted by the Zen Buddhist monk Myoan Eisai on a mountain in Saga Prefecture more than 800 years ago. This heritage is a great source of pride for the local farmers in the nearby town of Ureshino, which is well known for producing some of the most sought after sencha in all Japan. The legacy also serves as our inspiration for this wonderfully rich and fragrant Green Tea shochu. Hand crafted in the traditional way, the shochu is single distilled from a mash of local harvests; two-rowed barley, black koji rice, and freshly picked, then steamed, Ureshino green tea leaves. At 70 proof it is more concentrated like shochus of old to enhance the aroma, complexities, body and finish. Rich, bold, fragrant and delicious. GREEN TEA DETAIL: origin: Ureshino, Saga variety: yabukita harvest: nibancha (2nd flush/picking) 原料: 嬉野茶・麦・米麹(黒) / 度数:35度 TASTING NOTES: Rich and fragrant with notes of matcha, passion fruit, nori (dried seaweed) and cacao. Buttery texture with a long, delicious, lingering finish. Green tea ice cream, chocolate, banana and hints of white peach. DRINKING SUGGESTIONS: To savor the beautiful flavors of this Green Tea shochu, we suggest the traditional methods of shochu enjoyment; neat in a small snifter; 'mizuwari' (with a splash of cold water); 'oyuwari' (with hot water), first added to a ceramic cup, followed by the shochu in a 1:1 ratio; or 'sodawari' (with soda water) in a highball glass over ice.