Overview
Brand: Tokyo Nights
Origin: Undisclosed Distillery, Okinawa, Japan
Still: Pot
Age: NAS
Finish: n/a
ABV: 40%
Not a ton of information is known about Tokyo Nights– the Japanese rum that appeared on store shelves within the past few years.
The information I found tells me that Tokyo Nights rum is molasses-based, which is created using locally-cultivated sugarcane in Okinwawa prefecture. It is distilled using a pot still, without disclosing any specific distillery. Tokyo Nights is bottled at 40% ABV with no age statement.
Thanks to Sammy, a fellow club member, for providing me with this sample!
Appearance
Clear, medium-high viscosity
Nose
Fennel, celery salt, Red Vines licorice, Play-Doh, half sour pickle brine, dental filling compound
Palate
Cooked fennel, sugarcane, celery salt, underripe honeydew
Finish
Medium length, salty, vegetal; manzanilla olive brine, sea salt, fennel, sugarcane
Rating: 5/10
Summary
This is another interesting Japanese rum, and frankly really reminds me of Kiyomi, another Okinawa-distilled molasses rum. The similarities are very apparent.
Tokyo Nights offers a much more expressive nose: pickled umami notes of fennel, celery salt, and half sour pickle brine reference the sea, while a faint dental filling compound brings a more chemical/medicinal aroma. The palate is much more reserved, offering cooked fennel, sugarcane, celery salt, and underripe honeydew. Sea salt and olive brine lead the notes on the finish, with a fresh sugarcane note.
This isn't my favorite profile, and really reminds me more of a gin (there is also a gin released under the Tokyo Nights brand) than a rum with how much the vegetal umami notes are favored, especially in a molasses rum. Still, not bad, and worth trying if you want to broaden your horizons.