Who knew an apple liqueur could have such a lovely honeyed flavor? According to the official info, this liqueur is made with a sake base, combined with 50% apple juice from Hida, Gifu Prefecture, and has an ABV of 6%. Remarkably, no actual honey is added—so where does that honey aroma come from? The secret lies within the apples themselves...

About 90% of Gifu’s apples come from the northern Hida region. This area is known for large temperature swings between day and night, sometimes as much as 10°C. During the warm days, apple trees produce lots of sugar, and as the temperature drops rapidly at night, energy consumption decreases and the sugars accumulate in the fruit. Thanks to this, apples from Hida are especially sweet, with a natural flavor that’s reminiscent of honey!

Let’s try it straight. The aroma is a sweet, elegant blend of ripe apple and honey. On the palate, it’s smooth and rounded, bursting with the rich sweetness of perfectly ripe apples and a delicate honey note—none of the sharpness you’d get from unripe apples. It’s an apple liqueur that’s truly full of gentle, natural sweetness.

Besides enjoying it neat, it’s also great in cocktails—simply mix with black tea, give it a gentle stir, add some ice, and you have a boozy apple iced tea! Officially recommended!

The maker, Okuhida, is one of Gifu’s top sake breweries. Their yuzu and umeshu have won praise in recent years, and this new apple liqueur showcases their superb brewing skills.