If you've ever asked "what's a good plum wine to start with?", the answer nine times out of ten is CHOYA. Since 1959, CHOYA has been the name most associated with umeshu — the traditional Japanese liqueur made by steeping whole ume (Japanese plum) in spirits with nothing more than sugar added. It's sweet, tart, gently warming, and one of the easiest ways to fall in love with Japanese drinks culture. Here's what makes CHOYA the benchmark for the category, and where to start if you're building your own umeshu shelf.
What Makes CHOYA Different
Not all umeshu is made the same way, and the gap shows up in the glass.
- More ume, more flavour. CHOYA uses a significantly higher concentration of ume fruit than most competitors, which is why the flavour comes through richer and rounder — natural sweetness balanced against a real backbone of acidity, rather than a one-note sugar hit.
- Consistency you can trust. Because CHOYA ages and blends at a scale few other producers can match, every bottle tastes the way you expect it to. Smaller producers with limited ageing capacity often see batch-to-batch variation, or lean on additives to paper over it.
- No shortcuts. Over 90% of CHOYA's range is made the traditional way — ume steeped in spirits with only sugar added, full stop. No artificial flavouring, no colouring, just fruit doing the work over time.
That combination is why CHOYA shows up so often in competitions. Several bottles in our range carry Double Gold medals from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and the Singapore World Spirits Awards, plus a “Best in Show” title in the Fruit Liqueur category — CHOYA isn't just popular, it's judged to be genuinely excellent.
Which CHOYA Should You Try First?
CHOYA makes more styles than most people realise — sweet and easy-drinking, dry and food-friendly, sparkling, tea-infused, brandy-aged. Here's how to pick, based on what's actually on the shelf right now.
New to umeshu? Start here
Choya Golden Ume Fruit Liqueur 650ml is the one to know — the classic CHOYA taste that put the brand on the map, and our best-stocked bottle by a wide margin. It's the safest, most crowd-pleasing place to start, whether you're drinking it neat over ice or mixing it into a spritz.
Want to try before you commit to a full bottle? Choya Classic Plum Liqueur 50ml miniatures are a low-risk way to taste the house style, and Choya Uji Green Tea Umeshu 180ml — matcha blended with real ume — is an easy, affordable way to sample CHOYA's more adventurous side.
Something a little different
- Choya Yuzu Citrus 750ml — umeshu's classic pairing partner. Yuzu and ume balance each other beautifully; this is the bottle for anyone who finds straight plum liqueur too sweet on its own.
- Choya Extra Shiso Ume Fruit Liqueur 700ml — infused with shiso (Japanese perilla leaf) for a herbal, slightly savoury edge that plum-wine purists will find fascinating.
- Choya Black Umeshu 700ml — premium Kishu plum aged a full year in brandy. Complex, elegant, and closer to a digestif than a dessert wine.
The good stuff (award winners)
If you want to see what CHOYA is capable of at the top end, these are the bottles that have picked up medals:
- Choya Extra Years Ume Fruit Liqueur 700ml — Double Gold at both the San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2024 and the Singapore World Spirits Awards.
- Choya Craft Fruit Liqueur 720ml — the triple-crown winner: “Best in Show” in the Liqueur category, plus Double Gold and Best of Class for Fruit Liqueur.
- Choya Genshu 18% Ume Liqueur 700ml — sold simply as “The CHOYA,” this is the brand's masterpiece bottling, built on decades of ume-liqueur expertise. If you're buying a gift for someone who already knows their umeshu, this is it.
Stock up or go big
Choya Umeshu Plum Liqueur 14% 1L Value Pack is the practical choice for anyone who's already a fan — same Kishu-series taste, bigger format, better value per ml. And if you're shopping for someone else, the Choya Plum Wine Gift Pack (3 x 200ml) bundles a Single Year, a 3 Year, and the award-winning Craft Fruit together, so the recipient gets a proper tasting flight in one box.
Grab it before it's gone
Stock is genuinely limited on Choya Kokuto Brown Sugar Umeshu 720ml — a rich, deeply flavoured blend of plum and brown sugar. We're down to our last bottles, so if this one's on your list, don't wait.
How to Drink It
CHOYA is flexible by design. Neat over a big block of ice is the traditional way to slow it down and let the ume flavour open up. Top it with soda water for a lighter, more refreshing pour on a warm day, or use it as the base for a plum sour or spritz if you want something a bit more cocktail-forward. There's no wrong answer — it's built to be easy.
Ready to Build Your Umeshu Shelf?
Whether you're starting with the classic Golden or going straight for an award-winning Extra Years, WhiskeyOnline has CHOYA's full New Zealand range in stock and ready to ship nationwide. Shop the CHOYA range →
Must be 18 or over to purchase. Please drink responsibly.
