Traveled to Saga, where I had not had much luck with sake. At Itami Airport on the way back to Shimane, I came across a sake tasting and sale 🥰 and asked for a few bottles to be shipped to me.
I opened a bottle of Toyo Bijin from the sake that arrived 🍶 and had a cup of oden with the sake cup I had purchased in Arita 😋.
It is stunningly clear and colorless. A very gorgeous and refreshing ginjo aroma reminiscent of muscat and white peach rises up, raising expectations even before drinking.
In the mouth, lush sweetness and delicate acidity are in harmony, and the clear flavor spreads gently. The finish is smooth and disappears easily, leaving a short but beautifully transparent aftertaste.
- Sumikawa Sake Brewery, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Yamaguchi, ABV 16
- Clear, fruity flavor, a little lighter, but still sweet. All information is confidential, so it's hard to tell if it's Junmai or Honjojo if it's left to the drinker's imagination. Mild acidity is impressive.
Toyo Bijin has a Jungin series of sake with different rice, which is my favorite because it is easy to drink and tastes good for the price.
This Jihonbeni is a Daiginjo-shu made with more polished rice. It is not junmai-zukuri, but that is why its technique shines through.
It has an aroma of ethyl caproate that wafts from the moment it is poured into the glass. And when you drink it, you will be surprised by the ginjo aroma...and there is a sweetness but no sourness. I don't like this one.
I like sweet and sour aroma sake, but I am not so good at this kind of sake without acidity. So I sometimes can't drink sake that excels in aroma, which is common in Tohoku sake, even if it is famous.
However, this one is not harsh on the palate! This is probably due to its transparency or cleanliness. If it is this beautiful, even a combination of flavors that you don't like can be drunk with pleasure. If it is more fragrant than this, it is a bit harsh.
Although it is fruity, it does not end there. It is gentle and refreshing, so I think it will appeal to a wide target audience.
Alcohol content: 15
Saito no Shizuku
Rice polishing ratio: 40
This is a limited edition sake of Suzuden by Toyo Bijin.
The aroma is of yogurt.
The taste is fruity, sweet, and acidic, typical of Toyo Bijin, with a hint of yogurt.
The aftertaste is slightly bitter.
It is well-balanced and delicious.
Alcohol content: 14
Shunyo 80%, other sake rice 20%.
Rice polishing ratio: 35% (Koji rice), 50% (Kake rice)
This is the Shunyo version of our favorite Jyundo Isshu series.
The fruity, sweet and sour taste is a characteristic of this series, but the acidity and sweetness are also moderate compared to the others.
However, it is exquisitely delicious and cannot be described as simply dry. The sweetness, sourness, and bitterness are in harmony, making it very tasty.
Shacho Sumikawa came from Yamaguchi to visit us at Horikoshi Shoten in Saitama.
I had to go to the store because I could do a tasting, so I rushed there after taking care of some business.
I was surprised to see a very energetic man as Shacho. I tasted two kinds of sake and bought the cheaper one.
The first 300 bottles of the fastest sake in the universe were fresh and juicy, and the personality of Shacho made it the best of both worlds.
I asked my friend to drive me to the tasting. What a nice guy.
I also got an EGA beer from Ataoka. This one was also Umashira. So they were able to ship Asahi Beer?
Purchased at a Japanese supermarket in Dusseldorf. Transparent like clear water. Mild taste. Clean aftertaste. Fruity after a while. I want to drink this every day. I served it as an accompaniment to takoyaki with dashi broth, and the sharpness of the sake complemented the dish nicely.
Ingredients: rice (domestic), rice malt (domestic)
Rice: 100% Yamadanishiki
Alcohol content: 16% abv.
Rice Polishing Ratio：Mian rice 40%, Kake rice 50%.
It was easy to drink with a good balance of sweetness and flavor.
The summer one was a little too sweet, but this time it was just right.
It ran out too soon!
Toyo Bijin Junmai Ginjo Jyundo Isshu Hashu Honor
Rating 4.4-4.5
Ingredients : Hashu Honor (80%), Rice polishing ratio : Koji 35%, Kake 50%, Alcohol content : 14
Hashu-Nishiki No. 2 is one of the varieties of rice suitable for sake brewing. This sake rice was bred in 2000 by Tatsugoro Takagi, the 14th generation of Takagi Sake Brewery, which produces "Jyushiyo" in Yamagata Prefecture. It is characterized by its ability to easily express the taste of rice, and is a gem among Toyo Bijin's products, in which the "rice flavor" can be felt especially well.
Good balance of sweetness and umami.
The aroma is slightly strawberry-like.
