Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1061132
{ SOMMjournal.com } 107 A tall, ginger-bearded resident of Hermosa Beach, California, whose brogue reveals his Scottish ancestry, Mundell em - bodies this international perspective as he debunks any discordance between these Japanese spirits. He explains that while he thinks of whisky as the Japanese spirit industry's "present"—"although [that] present is almost 100 years old"—he sees gin "as a critical player in the future . . . because of the balance of craft, nature, and accessibility." The vodka, meanwhile, is more representative of the past, as it makes use of classic Japanese ingredients. Reflecting the ambition of the Japanese spirits industry, the Roku Gin showcases a bar culture keen to redefine the category while furthering the vision of Suntory's founder. "[The blenders] chose to do a modern take on what gin is," Mundell says. "Roku is fundamentally built on the traditional London Dry style, then we're taking distillates of six Japanese botanicals and that same blender's mindset that comes from the whisky family." Roku Gin employs the practice of shun, a Japanese tradition in which each ingredi - ent is harvested at its peak to ensure optimal flavor, in sourcing its six botanicals: sakura (cherry blossom) flower, sakura leaf, yuzu peel, sencha tea, Gyokuro tea, and sansho pepper. These ingredients, along with eight traditional gin botanicals also present in the spirit, are all featured proudly on Roku Gin's hexagonal bottle. Subtlety and Balance The other new addition to Suntory's portfolio, Haku Vodka, marries two of Ja- pan's most well-known natural resources: white rice and bamboo. In Kagoshima in the southern Kyushu prefecture, the fermentation process for Haku Vodka is stimulated using pure white rice and the extraction of sugars with a koji starter. The rice then undergoes two distillations in column and pot stills before the liquid is filtered through bamboo charcoal—a proprietary process at Suntory. Known for its incredible density, the charcoal yields a final product with subtle yet precise flavors. "The vodka's much more about the history of what was available in Japan from the very begin - ning," Mundell explains. "Using a vacuum distillation is much softer than regular pot distillation; you can achieve boiling point at a lower temperature." The goal of these processes is to meld subtlety and depth of flavor, a combination that's always been the modus operandi of Torii's legacy. According to Mundell, this vision is often at odds with the ingrained preferences of the Western palate. "If you think about the Westernized version of Japanese food, we tend to like big, bold flavors," he explains. "The Japanese palate likes subtlety. They like the balance of na - ture and craftsmanship to reflect the space and the environment they're in." That sense of subtlety and balance is also apparent in the masterful blending of the company's whisky: Suntory Whisky Toki. The spirit has evolved from Torii's original creation, which was serendipi - tously forced to mature differently than expected. "They made a whisky that was the young, smoky-style Scotch and it was not popular," Mundell explains. "So, [Torii] pivoted and used his skill in blend - ing to make a whisky that was specifi- cally designed for Japanese people. The translation for the U.S. audience today is that Japanese whisky is subtle, therefore it is approachable for somebody new to whisky, yet it's complex with depth of flavor and character for somebody who is really, really passionate about whisky." The company blends a selection of whiskies from three distilleries— Hakushu, Chita, and Yamazaki—to pro - duce the Suntory Whisky Toki expression, ensuring that each component offers distinctive traits and flavors rendered greater than the sum of their parts in the final spirit. Together, Suntory's Whisky Toki, Roku Gin, and Haku Vodka reflect the Japanese aspiration to channel nature's gifts at the height of their prime, ultimate - ly creating a sensory experience that's equally satisfying. PHOTO: DEVIN BERKO Johnnie Mundell, Brand Ambassador of Japanese Spirits for Beam Suntory (right), works behind the bar at the launch party for Roku Gin and Haku Vodka at HNYPT in Los Angeles. "The Japanese palate likes subtlety. They like the balance of nature and craftsmanship to reflect the space and the environment they're in. " —Johnnie Mundell, Brand Ambassador of Japanese Spirits for Beam Suntory