NTG’s craft gins “Noto Jin Ki” and “CHA-CHA-CHA” win Gold and Silver at TWSC 2026

NTG, based in Kurobe, Toyama Prefecture and led by Yukimasa Matsuda, plans, wholesales, and retails spirits and carbonated beverages. The company announced that its craft gin “Noto Jin Ki,” made with satoyama ingredients from Noto, and “CHA-CHA-CHA,” made with botanicals from Toyama and Ishikawa prefectures, won Gold and Silver respectively in the spirits category at the Tokyo Whisky & Spirits Competition 2026, one of Asia’s largest spirits competitions. “Noto Jin Ki” is the first product in the Noto Jin series to win Gold at a domestic Japanese competition. Previous entries, including the Wales-made Noto Gin, the domestically distilled Noto Jin, and Noto Jin Negaiboshi, had received Silver awards, making this Gold a long-awaited achievement for the brand. “CHA-CHA-CHA” is NTG’s first bottle to use molasses spirit made from waste molasses as its base spirit. Its clean base spirit allows its distinctive aroma and flavor to stand out, earning strong evaluation. The award came on its first entry into a domestic Japanese competition. “Noto Jin Ki” succeeds “Noto Gin NOTO GIN,” which had been produced in Wales and imported from 2021, and “Noto Jin NOTO JIN,” which has been distilled and sold in Japan since 2024. It keeps the same botanical recipe and rice-derived base spirit, while the label design was refreshed in 2025 to make the product easier to understand as the standard bottle of the Noto Jin series. The gin uses eight botanicals: juniper berry, coriander seed, cardamom seed, meadowsweet, plus Noto-grown yuzu peel, kaya nuts, kuromoji branches, and bay leaves. Its refreshing aroma and approachable taste have made it popular with a wide range of drinkers, especially those new to gin and female gin enthusiasts. By using rice spirit as the base, it preserves the original concept of a fresh aroma “scented by the wind” while giving the gin more strength and presence, even in cocktails. “CHA-CHA-CHA” was inspired by gratitude toward the people in Ishikawa and Toyama who supported NTG after the Noto Peninsula earthquake and the subsequent changes in living conditions. It inherits the gentle flavor developed through the Noto Jin series and is designed to be enjoyed both hot with warm water and chilled with soda, offering a soft, full-bodied taste at a more accessible price for everyday relaxation. “CHA-CHA-CHA” uses nine botanicals: juniper berry, cardamom seed, coriander seed, holy basil from Matsudo in Chiba, quince fruit from Asahi in Toyama, Batabata-cha tea from Asahi in Toyama, ginger fruit from Hakusan in Ishikawa, ginger leaves from Hakusan in Ishikawa, and yuzu peel from Suzu in Ishikawa. Their distinctive aromas and flavors are clearly expressed in the clean molasses spirit, making the gin enjoyable both on its own and with food. It pairs especially well with Japanese cuisine, including dashi-rich dishes such as oden and udon. Both “Noto Jin Ki” and “CHA-CHA-CHA” are distilled at TL Pearce Distillery in Noda, Chiba Prefecture, by distiller Michael Pearce, who studied distillation in Belgium and has been producing gin and vodka in Noda since 2022. The distillery’s gins and vodkas are highly regarded in Japan and overseas and have achieved strong results at TWSC in recent years. NTG currently sells its main products online and through wholesale channels to liquor stores across Japan, especially in Ishikawa and Toyama, and its products are also used in restaurants, bars, and tourism facilities in Oku-Noto. After experiencing the 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake and heavy rain disaster, NTG left Suzu and relocated in 2025 to Kurobe, Toyama Prefecture. The company is now preparing to establish a sustainable distillery in Kurobe, aiming to move from contract production to in-house production and eventually contract distillation services. Following the awards, NTG is planning tasting sessions and bar events in Ishikawa and Toyama, including a tasting event at K-Hall in Kurobe on May 24, NOTO GIN Night at KOI Bar by Bar W in Higashiyama, Kanazawa on June 4, and NTG Night at THE HIDEOUT in Katamachi, Kanazawa on June 5.