Drinking at home.
Today, we are going to compare two major brands (Hourai and W) of Watanabe Shuzo that we got in Hida Takayama, which we visited last week.
The first one is Hourai.
The aroma is not strong, and the flavor comes from the spiciness.
It is a clear and sharp sake.
It is delicious.
Next is W.
Drinking at home.
Today's drink is Hourai (Watanabe Shuzo) hiyaoroshi, which was purchased during a trip to Kanazawa, Hida Takayama, and Matsumoto in Shinshu (present-day Nagano Prefecture) with my wife.
I chose this bottle after drinking a variety of sake.
I bought autumn sake at various places.
We served it with fried amaebi (sweet shrimp), aji (horse mackerel), and roast duck.
The aroma is not strong, but the sourness and umami come through, and it cuts cleanly.
Although some acidity remains, it is a delicious drink.
Gifu comparison,
Hourai by Watanabe Sake Brewery
Hourai" is said to be Hida's representative beautiful sake, and has won many awards at sake competitions.
It has a slightly floral, sweet, and fruity aroma,
The mouthfeel is smooth,
The palate is smooth, with a hint of sweetness, but the taste is dry with a mild acidity.
The dryness comes from the mild acidity,
soft umami lingers on the palate,
It is elegant and delicious.
=== Ingredients: rice (domestic), rice malt (domestic)
Ingredients: rice (domestic), rice malt (domestic), brewers' alcohol
Rice used: Hidahomare
Rice polishing ratio: 55
Alcohol Content:16%.
Sake degree: +6.0
Acidity: 1.3
712 yen for 300ml
=== The company's website is
★★★★☆
For some reason
I came to Gifu.
At first, I bought a bottle of Hourai nigori that I saw at a convenience store.
Well, it's good enough for one person to drink👍.
First of all, when I poured it into a cup and put it in my mouth, it had a sweet aroma that was not as sweet as it looked!
I took a sip and wondered if it was sweet. ❗️
The gap between the aroma and the spiciness is amazing!
But the sweetness lingers afterwards, so it's not too much.
This is a good thing 😊.
This is the 6th Sushi Sake Party.
Izumiya has many varieties of Hourai, so we had their Ginjo-shu.
It is moderately dry. I never get tired of drinking this sake.
Rice used: Hida Homare
Polishing ratio 55
Alcohol content 16
Sake degree +6
Acidity 1.3
Sushi Sake Kai The third cup of the Sushi Sake Kai was the real deal.
Hourai Hiyoroshi Unfiltered Nama Sake.
It was very much my favorite with a little sweetness and thickening.
I had another glass later.
Raw material rice: Hidahomare
Rice polishing ratio 68
Alcohol content 19
Sake meter degree -2
Acidity 1.3
I bought this bottle on impulse while shopping. I often drink this brewery, but I was attracted to this fancy label.
The alcohol content is high at 19%, so it is recommended to drink it on the rocks or as a highball.
However, we naturally drank it straight. On the first day of opening the bottle, it had not yet opened, and both the aroma and taste were uneven, so I thought I had missed it after a long time, but I let it sit for a week and drank it when I felt like it.
But after a week's rest, I was in the mood to drink it, and it blossomed beautifully.
It has a sweet aroma unique to this brewery. However, the aroma of a little alsodé is bothersome.
In the mouth, the rich sweetness is joined by bitterness and finished with a pungent spiciness. Although it is rich, it also has a smooth texture on the tongue thanks to the aluzoe. Today, I paired it with sashimi, but the fish was a bit too much for it. For fish, I think teriyaki yellowtail would be a good match, but I think it would also go well with grilled meat, miso stew, or something with a strong flavor.
I think it is not for beginners, but I think it is a very maniacal sake.
Hidahomare Sake Rice Production Study Group Hourai
Sake brewed directly from the brewery, handmade in extremely cold temperatures
A relatively clear sake at a reasonable price, despite being made with genuine junmai rice, using sake rice that is under-sized and out of standard. It is really cosy due to the sake rice.
A cheap, yet high-class sake.
The message on the label surrounding the bottle speaks for the toji's feelings. LOL!
Classification: Normal sake
Raw material rice Hida Homare yeast
Polishing ratio 60
Alcohol content 15.5
Sake degree ±0
