The R6BY All Japan New Sake Competition open tasting event was held in Ikebukuro, Tokyo on July 12, 2012.
I was able to attend the event in conjunction with my training trip!
It was a spectacular venue with 410 of the 809 R6BY sake entries and 410 of the prize winners all in one place 🍶🍶🍶🍶.
The time limit was 3 hours⏰.
I went to the event to at least taste 202 Gold Award-winning sakes.
As a result, I was able to taste all the gold medal-winning sakes except for a few that were out of stock, as well as other prize-winning sakes that I was interested in!
It was the first time in my life that I tasted more than 200 sakes in one day.
It was a valuable tongue experience: ☺️
Checking in was my sake of choice, Kirizukuba 🍶.
No notes...
Modest but gorgeous aroma, soft velvety mouthfeel, sweetness that melts and opens in the mouth, extremely smooth and delicate acidity, round and soft umami, finish that seems to disappear rather than swallow, and a wonderful lingering finish.
This is a drop of wine squeezed out by a master brewer who has concentrated his knowledge, experience, and skill.
I would like to continue to study so that I can properly understand its value and convey it emotionally.
It was an opportunity to get drunk.
Thank you very much for your hospitality.
By the way, I spent about 20 minutes in total at the beginning and the end of the event just trying out the "Sake Sensory Evaluation Standard Reagent" 😅.
It's a rare chance to smell the individual aroma components correctly 😁.
Discovery of Kiri Tsukuba 💡.
Next to Tochigi sake, Ibaraki sake!
It's also dry, and a special honjozo!
How about finishing off with this?
I think I'll have another one.
But this is a dry and tasty sake.
This is only my second Kiri-Tsukuba.
I'd like to try a higher spec next time since it has a high reputation at Sake-no-wa!
I want to recognize the power of Ogawa yeast (Association No. 10 yeast)
knowledge
Rice: Tamasakae
Polishing ratio 60
Yeast: Ogawa yeast
Alcohol 15%.
After watching a professional baseball game at Tokyo Dome, we had a second meeting at a soba noodle restaurant in Tsuchiura!
This restaurant has a good selection of Ishioka's Shirakiku type local sake, and although I had a hard time deciding, I ended up choosing Kiri-Tsukuba. I didn't think much of it the last time I drank it, but it was fruity and delicious.
Alcohol content: 15
Rice: Undisclosed, Brewer's alcohol
Rice polishing ratio:undisclosed
The color is yellowish like a barrel sake.
It has a pleasant cedar aroma from the barrel.
The taste is clean and dry with few peculiarities.
I bought this on a petit expedition to Ibaraki🍶.
I saw it on SNS and was told that it was only available in small quantities within the prefecture, so I took the plunge and picked it up along with the super-harakuchi.
According to the liquor store, only liquor stores that have participated in the exhibition held at the brewery can sell it.
I thought I had chilled it properly, but the moment I opened the crown, bwah! It overflowed! I'm glad it didn't get that low...
The aroma is of rice, koji, and sourness.
When you drink it, you will find it is a sweet and sour rice! It is refreshing, but the thick sweet and sourness pops with a sizzle.
A light, sweet and sour soda of rice, delicious! Why does it taste like this with pure rice?
It's 500 ml and 6 degrees, and it was gone in an instant.
The super-harakuchi was also delicious, and I hope they expand it outside of the prefecture!
Good evening, Kotaro 😃.
Your review of the second bottle of Fog Tsukuba makes me want to make a trip to Ibaraki 😍.
I've been to Ibaraki frequently for food logging activities, so I'll stop by the liquor store too ✨.
Good evening, Kotaro 😃.
This looks delicious 😋The label is gorgeous and 6 degrees alcohol is great😁.
I was wondering what Milky Queen is on the back label, it's a brand of rice 🌾 I didn't know that before 🤗.
Good evening, Mr. Kotaro.
I was curious about this because I drank regular Sakura Sho before and it was delicious, but it's only available in the prefecture 😥.
I was curious about it because I've enjoyed the regular Sakura Sho before, but it's only available in the prefecture 😥.
Good evening, ichiro18!
Oh, I see you've been to Ibaraki as part of your food log activity! I see you've been to Ibaraki too for your food log activity 😋 I'm sure you'll find lots of local delicacies ♬ Please bring back some Ibaraki sake at the liquor store this time 🥳.
Hi Hiro, good evening 🌙
Milky Queen, the name sounds too good, I had it before and it was chewy and delicious 😋 It's an edible rice from Ibaraki 🌾✨ This sake is not chewy 🤣 but a delicious one👍
Good evening, bouken 🌙
I hope they will expand the production next season 🤔I hope they will expand the production next season 🥳6 degrees and the flavor is delicious ♬I would love to try the regular Sakura Sho ✨.
Good evening, Jay & Nobby 🌙.
The illustration and the lettering are very noble🌹 😚🥂 As you said, it was gone in an instant as you took a breath 😆 We'd love to pick you up in the neighboring province 🙌✨.
I was curious about Kiri-Tsukuba. The taste was mild and easy to enjoy!
It was the 19th (19) day of the year, so we enjoyed 8 slices of bonito (usually 1490 yen) for only 190 yen, so we ate more than we drank and our stomachs were about to get bloated 😂.
I saw on SNS that Kiri-Tsukuba's prefecture limited edition sake was on sale, and impulsively decided to make a small expedition to Ibaraki to try the ultra-harsh sake!
I was impulsive enough to make a small trip to Ibaraki...but only to the southernmost sake shop.
The aroma is apple-like 🍎 and melon-like 🍈. I'm not sure 🍈.
A little chili, apple flavor, and clarity. The final taste is bitter and smooth. Delicious!
Full of apple flavor, but not too bitter, so it's the kind of thing that makes you go on. Not super dry at all, but perfect for a meal.
It is a clear drink of sweet apples and rice 🍶 It is not alcoholic, and the slight bitterness is still a nice accent.
The mouthfeel is very clear and fresh. When drunk with a meal, it seems to reset itself while repeating its umami.
I hope they expand the sales channels outside of the prefecture.
I am looking forward to the one I bought with it!
Good evening, Kotaro.
I have a theory that Kirizukuba is actually better than Urasato. When I gave it to my friend, he asked me if it contained melon juice. He said, "Is this melon juice in it? Ibaraki sake is not to be underestimated.
Good morning, Jay & Nobby!
I'm sure you're right about Manachy's guess! You were right to make the expedition 👍I hope you can get it near you 😆 I drank the one I bought with you the other day, so I'll be bobbing up and down 😚.
Good morning, Kosuke: ☀️
Yes, it's true! It has a melon feel 🍈 but it's not sweet, which is awesome👍Ibaraki sake, there are many delicious and interesting ones 😳I hope it will be easier to buy 🤣.
First Junmai Usu Nigori in 3 years!
Unlike the previous time, be careful because the cap will fly off! I was told that the cap would fly off, but it flew off even when it was cooled down to the perfect temperature.
Left⬅️ this year
Right➡️04 year
If I remember correctly, this is the first time I've had sparkling wine 🤔
I'll have to drink this one as an unauthorized self-appointed ambassador 🤪🤪🤪.
Now sold all year round♪
My favorite Kiri-Tsukuba super dry wine is now available all year round instead of seasonal!
I'm too happy ❤️
It's super good every time and it's worth repeating 🤣I wonder if my feelings were conveyed to the toji-san 😆.
The aroma is slightly melon. But quite mild.
Slightly fresh mouthfeel.
The sweet melon-like flavor comes out a little bit, and from there, the mouth is washed away cleanly and spastically.
The throat and the aftertaste are somewhat like Canadian dry ginger.
Kuso Tamesu: ‼️
If I were to rank the sake I'd like to keep on hand, I'd say it's as good as Nabeshima Green.
I would like people who don't like dry sake to try it. ❤️
It's perfect with chilled tofu in hot summer. ☀️
It goes well with meat, fish, or anything 😊.
Good morning, T.KISO 😃I think it's relatively easy to buy them if you use the online store of a liquor store in Ibaraki, so please buy 10 bottles or so: ‼️
Good morning, Manachy 😃.
This one is really one of the best 🙆🏻🙆🏻♀️ to drink 😙 certainly not trapped in the big dry 😅I hope everyone can drink it 🤗.
Oh! I drank one third 🍺‼️ and it was also very good 😋.
Hi Jay & Nobby😃This is a great product that I really want everyone to drink‼️ but it is distributed almost exclusively in Ibaraki Prefecture🤣.
One third drank 👌I wish that one was available all year round ❤️
Good evening, Mr. Manachy 🌙
I've always wanted to drink this, but it's too limited distribution to sell 😫I wonder if you can expand the distribution channel throughout the year + a bit ✨I'll have to make an Ibaraki expedition 🤔.
That said, I bought the one third too 💪 enjoy 😊.
Royal, sake-like aroma.
Slightly alcoholic with a hint of rice flavor.
The taste of rice is refreshing. A sense of freshness.
Good balance of sweetness and acidity.
Moderate and smooth texture.
Slightly light, suitable for a medium-bodied sake.
It is delicious without flaw.
4/5 stars for my favorite.
1922 2025/6
KIRITSUKUBA Honnen Special Junmai Sake
Gohyakumangoku 60
Ogawa yeast 15° A
Tsukuba City, Ibaraki
1800 3465
This is the first Kiri-Tsukuba in a long time.
I found a draft, so I didn't hesitate to drink it.
I felt a slight bitterness in the back of my mouth when I first sipped it, but it disappeared as I continued drinking.
The taste is soft and gentle, and the acidity is moderate, but it's good once in a while.
As if it were the third in a series.
I think this one might be my favorite😍.
I drink it chilled and sip it on a hot night! I need to buy several bottles for my stock 🤪🤪.
Masaaki Thanks for your comment. I noticed it today😅.
I just found out today 😅This series is now a PB product of a certain liquor store. I wish you all could drink it 😆.
National Sake Fair 2025 in Osaka (11)
Ibaraki Prefecture Booth①
Mr. Bouken was disappointed that there were only a few brands of sake from Ibaraki Prefecture when the sake list was announced, but when he went to the booth, he found a lot of sake that were not on the list.
First up was the Urasato Sake Brewery, a classmate of the owner of the Crazy Salad Pavilion.
The toji and his wife were available and we had a short chat with them. They had been staying in Osaka since last week for a series of events.
◉霧筑波超辛口本生 Junmai Ginjo
I tasted it thinking I wouldn't buy it because of its dryness, but it had a refreshing mouthfeel with a decent sweetness and umami, and wasn't too spicy that I didn't like.
When I asked about the difference between Urasato and Kiri-Tsukuba, I was told that Urasato is for the national market and Kiri-Tsukuba is 97% for the local market, and that outside of the prefecture, Crazy Salad House has a 3% share of the market. That's quite an impressive feat.
Good evening Nemuchi-san 🍶.
I think all of the remaining 3% is a lot of Sugi since the liquor store in the next station in Tokyo sometimes has Kirizukuba lol.
