There are still many sake breweries in Shiga that I have not tried. It has a freshness that is typical of nama-shu, but it is also very drinkable and does not try to be carried away by the current style of easy-drinking.
Shiga Sake Festival in Otsu 2025⑫
Mochizuki Shuzo and Suzukabuto booth.
The youngest toji in Shiga Prefecture who used to not talk much, but this time he was able to talk a lot.
◉Jusakabuto Special Junmai Namaishu
A full-bodied, mellow type of sake with a unique aroma on the nose. The aroma on the nose is unique, but not unpleasant.
◉Junmai Ginjo Hi-ire
The aroma is clear and calm, a little loose and lackluster. It has a pungent aftertaste.
◉Juzukabuto Junmai Ginjo Namaishu
Fresh, with a firm umami and a little bit of sake. It has a freshness to it, a firm umami, and a slight sake-like quality.
The Junmai Ginjo Nama Shu and the Hi-ire Shu have almost identical labels, but there is a small note on the label saying that the sake has been hi-ire and needs to be stored cold.
It seems that after Corona, they started storing more regular sake and now they are reducing production. They haven't raised the price yet, but they said that from now on the situation will be such that they will either sell it for rice or make it to earn money for rice. I'll have to drink and support them.
Spring Tokaido Sake Brewery Tour (2)
Dragon Boat Festival🎏 is Kabuto-chan.
The second bottle is Suzukabuto.
It is junmai ginjo new sake.
It is safe to say that this one went out with a real mission.
The rice is Ginbuki, a sake rice from Shiga Prefecture, just like the first bottle, Hatsuzakura.
It is served cold.
It has a slight yellow hue.
The top aroma is very mild.
It has a juicy aroma reminiscent of fresh bamboo grass, young dried grapes, and oranges.
The mouthfeel is round. From the bluish alcoholiness, the juicy orange aroma and acidity are gently developed with a smooth and robust rice feel. The taste is sharp with a tangy, bitter and pungent flavor.
The refreshing acidity typical of junmai ginjo-style sake, the familiar rice flavor, and the sharpness of the aftertaste are all nicely integrated.
It is a moderate, not too hard-core food sake, and the more you drink, the more you will want another glass.
And if you heat it up
The contrast between the plumpness of the freshly cooked rice and the tangy bitterness is again delicious.
I would like to try it with mackerel sushi as an entrée.
This was the sixth sake we chose to drink at a sake event in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture.
This sake has a strong umami flavor, with a sense of maturity and a freshness that is unique to the original sake. It is delicious, but it is quite intoxicating.
Sake purchased at the Kisogawa Station site of the Shiga Sake Brewery Opening event.
It has a thick nigori color and a heavy, gutsy mouthfeel. It felt much spicier than when I tasted it. As the description says, it is best served at room temperature or warmed.
I wondered if it was the magic of the tasting. I thought so, but when I drank it at room temperature, it was close to the impression of the tasting.
I could taste the sweetness, but it was basically spicy and alcoholic. I was probably drunk and buggy when I tasted it.
Tastes great with soda.
I felt like it would go well with pineapple when mixed with soda 🍍.
I'm jealous of Kotobukabuto.
I personally don't drink nigori, so I don't have the guts to buy it.
But if it's a dry ale, even I can drink it.
I'll try to have the guts to buy it when I go to a place where I can buy it.
Good evening, Shinjo-san 😃
I didn't like it when I drank it cold, but at room temperature, it was quite sweet 😊It was just right for me to drink it with soda because it softens the alu feeling 😅.
The one I bought at the Kisegawa venue of the Shiga brewery opening event.
It has a strong alcohol taste with a lot of gusto. It has a strong sweetness and umami of rice.
It is better at room temperature, but it is also good on the rocks or with soda.
After a week, it still has a strong alcoholic taste, but I think the sweetness has increased.
Shiga Prefecture brewery tour (5) Kisogawa venue: 1️⃣
On the way from the breweries, we went to the tasting and sales venue in front of Kisegawa station.
Some Shiga breweries were not opening their breweries, but were participating in the tasting and sales, and it was very crowded here as well.
We met Pon-chan and her husband 😊.
I posted all the tasting and sales.
■Mochizuki Sake Brewery
The Mochizuki Shuzo brewery's Suzukabuto is based on the concept of making sake that tastes like rice.
Suzukabuto Junmai Nigori Sake
It is milky with a firm mouthfeel and umami with a sense of rice. The dry and spicy taste is moderate.
Suzukabuto Junmai Ginjyo Shinshu Nama Nigori Sake
Slightly sweet and umami, but with a taste of rice. It is also a little dry and spicy, but it is delicious.
The one I had before was a bit sharper, but I guess it was hi-iru.
I've only seen Suzukabuto in Shiga, so I'm glad I had a chance to try it 🙏.
Fujimoto Sake Brewery
Fujimoto Sake Brewery was also here. And I've never seen this label before.
Dainen: Special Junmai.
Unlike the Kamikai, it has a strong umami flavor and acidity, but has a clean finish. It is also good warmed up.
Nishida Shuzo
I'm sorry to say this, but I didn't even know this brewery existed.
Minakuchi
It is a little spicy with a strong umami taste. It's a little spicy with a strong umami taste.
Good evening, Nemuchi-san 🦉.
I was wondering if I would be able to meet you since there were many warehouses! It was great to see you all in a good mood😊👍✨
I had a drink at the Kisogawa venue, but I don't remember anything except my first love 🤣.
Good evening, Pon-chan 🌛I'm so glad you found me at the event 😊I was nice and drunk, so I didn't know who you were at first 🤣but when I saw you, I got excited and my festive mood increased 😆.
Tokaido Sake Brewery Tour in Spring (6)
We moved to the tasting and sales area in front of Kisegawa Station.
Various breweries that do not hold "kurabiraki" were also there.
The first one was Mochizuki Shuzo.
We drank
Suzukabuto Junmai Ginjo Hon Nama
It was sweet and quite modern, and I wanted to buy it, but they were out of stock...
Juusakabuto Junmai Nigori Sake
I felt it was quite sweet. I bought it, but I don't know how it would go down at home.
Suzu Kabuto Kuradashi Nama Sake
This is a sake that is not alcoholic. I was impressed with this one, so I bought it.
Suzukabuto Special Junmai Hon Namaisake
I didn't take a picture of it because I drank it in the past, but I'm sure I did.
It is still spicier and I like Junmai Ginjo better even after drinking it again!
The brewer is quite young, as I had heard he was the youngest toji in Shiga. Maybe that's why he was teased by the brewers around him, and the atmosphere was friendly.
Good evening, bouken 😃
Suzukabuto😳I had never seen or heard of it! Is it a brand consumed locally 🤔?
I look forward to your review of the nigori sake and kuradashi hara-sake you purchased, as well as your review of the nigori sake and kuradashi hara-sake, which you've had a chance to drink carefully at home: ☺️
Good morning bouken😃
I see you drank a lot of sake other than the sake brewery opening 😊If you drank this much, no wonder you can't visit all the breweries 😁.
Hi Aladdin 😃
It seems that this sake is almost never available outside of the prefecture 🤔.
I even bought a spot shipment before from a liquor store in Awaji that is strong in Shiga sake 😅.
I hope my impression from tasting and drinking at home is the same 💦.
Hi Rafa 😃
I think the reason why I couldn't visit all the breweries was because I had to stop at Kisogawa, but also because I had to stay longer at each brewery 😅.
My mother gave it to me for everyday drinking 🙏.
Suzukabuto is a cross between Suzuka, a water from the Suzuka mountain range, and Kabuto (Kou) from Kouga.
The aroma of sake, classic flavor and delicious taste!
It is very hard to drink on its own, but during a meal, it is very tasty and will not be overwhelmed by anything!
It goes well with strong flavors such as tanzanashi soy milk hot pot and shigureni simmered beef.
After dinner, we decided to warm it up and drink it!
When heated to human body temperature, the sweetness and umami of the rice and a little acidity come out and it tastes great!
There is no harshness at all!
When we warmed it up to lukewarm, the alcohol taste was stronger than the umami, so we decided to drink it warmed and cooled.
The crispness is gone, but the rice flavor is weak and unreliable!
I liked it best when it was warmed up to human skin as the temperature was raised. ❣️
I got a Hato Sablet zodiac bag with my sake. The bag was cute and 🕊️💕
The contents are the same.
Hi Pon 😀
I think it is very difficult to compare so many different temperatures at home, but you are a very enthusiastic drinker 😀.
I can't reach that level of enthusiasm, but I'm going to have a drink so that I can follow you little by little!
Hello.
Personally, I think it's a great sake, but it seems to be hard to find outside of Shiga Prefecture.
I envy you very much!
The temperature is also helpful.
I tend to drink it hot, so it never grows on me.
Good evening, Pon-chan 😃.
It's good to have a bottle of sake like this 🍶 when you have a hard time deciding what to serve with this side dish 🤗It's also interesting how the flavor changes with the temperature 😋.
Shiga love ❤️... ☺️
Good morning, Yasbay 🐥.
I'm not that enthusiastic 💦 I'm just experimenting to see how the taste changes 😆 I guess I should make a graph or something 😅.
Have fun and don't overdo it 😉.
Good morning, Shinjo-san 🐥.
I was drinking it while thinking Shinjo-san is drinking it 😊It tastes good when heated up ❣️
This sake is so rare even in the prefecture 😁My mother is surprised why I have this one 😳.
Good morning, Jay & Nobby 🐥.
Really! It would be nice to keep something like this 😊I wish I could separate it from after dinner etc. since most of the Junmai and Honjozo are for during the meal, but I can't keep up with all the stuff 😂.
Love Shiga 🥰.
Pon-chan
Good evening...I suddenly feel like drinking the sake 🤤Hato sableye is a classic souvenir as I lived in southern Yokohama for a long time! I found this key chain at a certain place in Kamakura and the name is Hato Saburo 🤣🤣🤣!
Thanks again for your help here, Kojo 😊.
Maybe it's my age, but I can drink normally now 😆.
Hatosaburo! Another goofy 🤣I've always loved it 💕I bought all the clear files and postcards when I went to the store in Kamakura 🤭.