NIRO 2025
I stopped by a liquor store during my run and found a new autumn release "NIRO" that I had been eyeing! I immediately tasted it.
The aroma was fruity and melon-like (according to the web, the correct answer is green apple).
The mouthfeel was mild and apple-like, with umami and bitterness predominating in the mid-palate. The aftertaste is dry and clean.
Overall, the wine is well-balanced and easy to drink, but it is also a bit robust, with glimpses of classic elements.
Incidentally, the rice, milling ratio, yeast, etc. are all undisclosed. My guess based on my stupid tongue is--.
👉 Junmai Ginjyo, unfiltered sake, Miyamanishiki or Hitogokochi, Nagano yeast (lol)
[Preference score: 7.5/10
Aroma: 2.0｜Mouthfeel: 1.0｜Medium: 1.5｜Final taste: 1.5
This was a playful bottle, including the pleasure of drinking it while guessing the "secret" specs in one's own way.
Drinking at home.
Finally the Natsu season is over and we are back to normal days.
Today is my day off from work, so it is only lunchtime as usual.
Today's drink is Nisato, a hand-me-down from my son in Okazaki when he went home for Obon.
The snacks are sashimi, chicken tempura, horse mackerel, and assorted Japanese dishes.
The aroma is not strong due to the heat.
As is typical of Nitousato, it is a food sake that starts out spicy and then spreads to umami.
It is a delicious sake that complements today's snacks.
Nitoshi Junmai Daiginjyo Aizan 48 Fire
Rating 4.4
Rice: 100% Aizan, Rice polishing ratio: 48%, Alcohol level: 16
Starting with the soft and lovely nuance unique to Aizan, the acidity and gassiness harmonize in the latter half, bringing out its freshness and vividness. The aroma of Aizan is felt while the fire-brewing process makes it elegant and mellow. Slightly bitter aftertaste.
Futato Bizen Omachi 48 Junmai Daiginjyo Nama-Nagara Sake [10th Anniversary Label
Rated 4.4
Bizen Omachi 48% Nama Nama-shu! The richness, umami and sweetness characteristic of Omachi rice. It is well balanced with a pleasant acidity, and the convergence is beautifully citrus-like with an acidic effect.
Two rabbits, good name. The jacket is simple and I don't dislike it.
I have to take a picture of the label before I drink it, so I read it first, but it seems to be a sake that focuses on balance anyway. If that were all, it would seem boring.
I put it in a large boar cup and checked the aroma, which is not that distinctive. Of course, it is not bad, but I was worried that the bad one I imagined might be right.
I took the first sip.
There is none of the mediocrity of my imagination, and I was shocked by the deliciousness and sweetness of the rice.
I wonder what the standard of this sake brewer's taste is. I wonder if their senses have been deceived by brewing only intensely delicious sake. In my sense, the taste prevails overwhelmingly here.
The sweetness and spiciness of the rice continues, but there is also a certain spiciness as it passes down the throat. I imagine it is probably neutral here as well, around +/- 0 to -2 (the sake level is not disclosed).
The entry and the aftertaste, I'm not sure how to put this, but after the impact of the entry, the nose takes a breath or two after passing through the throat, and here the aroma reaches its peak. Moreover, the sweetness and deliciousness have not diminished at all up to this point. I am impressed that the balance is achieved here.
I don't have enough words!
Refreshing aroma like young banana.
Alcohol from dark sweet and bitter umami.
Sharp acidity from start to finish.
I have never had Omachi 48, so I can't compare it, but it is clearly more acidic than the usual Futatsugi.
Even though it seems to be a summer sake, it has a strong umami flavor and is light, which is nice because it is easy to pair with rice.
A little trivia: Ni-Utsuri's Yamada 55 is made from Okazaki-produced Yamada rice. When using Okazaki grown Manzai rice, the rabbit is given an ear of rice, and this Okazaki produced Tada 55 is usually given an ear of rice as well. 🌾.
However, according to the brewer, one out of every 100 bottles has a rabbit with an ear of 🥕. It is a rare bottle with a playful spirit. 😍.
The taste is naturally the same for both 🥕 and 🐇 with 🌾. It's like Ni-Rabbit, stable, fresh, fruity and umam sweet. 😋😋😋😋😋
