This may be Japan’s most paradoxical umeshu. No flashy packaging, no fancy name — just a bottle priced at more than double the usual market rate. Yet in Japan, it is highly coveted, available only through select retailers. The reason for its popularity is simple: the taste.

This is the only umeshu produced under the famous Niigata sake brand Koshino Kanbai. Positioned as a premium release, it carries the straightforward name Koshino Kanbai Umeshu — a sign of confidence and pride.

On tasting: the aroma reveals green plums and yellow peach, elegant and soothing. The palate is rich yet never heavy, beginning with mellow sweetness, followed by a bright, refreshing acidity that grows with each sip. Honey and citrus peel nuances linger into a long, layered finish that leaves you craving another glass.

This liqueur is the result of 10 years of research and 2 years of market trials — 12 years of refinement before release. Three plum varieties were carefully selected: sweet Wakayama Nankō plums, refreshing Gunma Jōshū Shirakaga plums, and tart Niigata Tōgorō plums. Infused with rock sugar and Koshino Kanbai’s own shochu, the result is a complex, full-bodied, and deeply satisfying umeshu.