At the end of March, at the beginning of spring, I took a trip to Mt. Haruna Shrine, Mt. Haruna, and Lake Haruna, and after more than an hour's bus ride from Takasaki Station, I arrived at the lake to find the remnants of winter still visible in the mountains and on both sides of the road. After soaking in the Lake Haruna hot springs, I think I spent the entire day looking at nothing but the lake and the mountains. I bought this sake at Takasaki station on my way home. It was not as sweet and refreshing as I had expected. I bought some fried wakasagi (smelt) at a restaurant near the lake just before the bus departed for home, and it would have been better if I had drunk it with fried wakasagi. I was surprised to find that the smell I detected from the wakasagi was the very aroma of the hot spring.
I bought this at Takasaki station on a business trip to Gunma.
I can say that this is a genuinely delicious sake. It's not the latest fad, but it's an attractive taste for sake lovers. To put it another way, it's like a cup of sake made 100 times better.
It's probably a once-in-a-lifetime experience, so let's drink it while chewing it over.
All Gunma products, Maifu Drinking Comparison Set. Harunayama brewed by Makino Shuzo Brewery in the suburbs of Takasaki City. The brewery is located at the foot of the western side of Mount Haruna in what used to be Kurabuchi Village. I think I am the first person to use the Harunayama brand. I know the Daihai brand is very popular. macho!
A sweet aroma rose from the pale yama-buki color. I've had a few with the KAZE yeast, but this is the most gorgeous one I've had because it's Daiginjo standard. However, it is not overly fragrant, and the umami is strong, and this balance is very much to my liking. As time goes by, the aroma and taste become more spicy.
Cold sake. It had the typical aroma of sake, but also came in easily and was delicious. It was a perfect match with the pickled vegetables that came with the Toge no Kamameshi.