This is a standard brand of Edobari Sentori, Sentori Modern's Sanshiki Happo-genshu.
As the name suggests, it is a second fermentation sake in the bottle and is lightly nigori (lightly cloudy). It is my favorite type of sake.
When I opened the bottle, bubbles started rising, so I opened and closed the cap several times and was able to open the bottle in about 3 minutes. When poured into a glass, the cloudy white sake bubbles vigorously.
The moment I took a sip, I felt a distinct gaseous sensation and the unique flavor common to Senkou's nigori sake made me think of a snowman for a moment. The taste is complex, with a moderate sweetness mixed with bitterness and spiciness, and the overall impression is bitter and dry.
The Niki Origami I drank the other day had a full-bodied impression with sweetness and umami at the forefront, so I felt it was in a slightly different direction from that. Perhaps it is not simply a secondary fermentation of the Niki, but the goal of the brewing process is completely different.
In this case, I am curious about the standard Type Zero and Type I. I am aware that there are changes in flavor from lot to lot, but I still feel like I need to know the basics.
I am currently in my second year of being a sake lover. This year, I thought that Sengoku would be the minimum, but with the return of Edo, I am becoming more and more interested in Sengoku.
Thank you for your comment, Jay & Nobby 😊.
I was surprised because I didn't expect the same Sentori Modern to be so different from Formula 2 and Formula 3!
I can't wait to try the basic Sengoku Modern!
We received Ori-Ori Rock in the mountains.
I had been curious about this sake for a long time, but could not find it, so I finally had a chance to try it.
This sake is made by Niigata Daiichi Sake Brewery, and is called Yamama (山間) to compete with Kubota (久保田), a major sake brewer in Niigata. It makes sense that in addition to Yamama, there is also Yamabo and Maabo.
Ori-Ori Rock is an active nigori sake, also known as an explosive type, among the Yamama brands. Although not shown in the photo, there was a warning on the colored necklace that said to be careful when opening the bottle and to use an ice pick to vent the bottle before opening it.
I opened the bottle normally over a bowl while it was cooled to below zero, just to be sure, because if I punctured the stopper, I would have to drink it all. Although gas blew out, the bottle did not overflow and I was able to open it safely.
The top clearings tasted bitter and grapefruit-like. When cloudy, the graininess of the rice is strongly felt and it is just like drinking rice juice. The taste was clean and crisp with a strong sense of gas, and I couldn't help but drink more than half of the bottle because it was so easy to drink without feeling the 17% alcohol content.
We received Oze no Yukidoke Junmai Daiginjo Peach Color Nigori, a classic spring sake from our hometown of Gunma. It is a spring pink sake made with red yeast. This is the first time I have had it.
It has a perforated stopper, so I chilled it well and opened it carefully. It didn't spurt out, but it was very energetic, leaking gas.
The taste has a sweet and sour strawberry nuance, just as it looks. It has a soft texture and gentle mouthfeel typical of nigori sake.
The alcohol content is low at 10%, so it can be drunk like a dessert.
The standard spring sake in our house is Atago no Matsumatsu Harukoi, but it is definitely more acidic than Harukoi.
We made strawberry and cream cheese cured ham rolls with Yayoi Hime strawberries, also from Gunma Prefecture, and enjoyed them together. The moderately sour Yayoi Hime and the crisp acidity of the sake were just about the same, making a perfect pairing.
Finally, our family has entered the spring sake season in earnest. I bought too many spring sake that I wanted to drink, so I will be drinking at a high pace.
We received our sixth bottle of Snow Crescent in total.
Despite the variations in rice, Snow Crescent probably tops the list in terms of the number of bottles of the same sake.
It was followed by Sanndo and Sengoku Kabutomushi, which I drank like an obsessive last summer.
Snow Crescent was again incredibly grapefruity.
A superb grapefruit squash made from rice and water. It is a light, shwashy, slightly cloudy wine with fresh sweetness and acidity. The bitter taste and the astringent nuance of Kouei Chrysanthemum are added to complete the unique grapefruit flavor.
Last year, we had the Sagabiyori and Yuyamanishiki versions, but we still think the Yamadanishiki is the most delicious. Snow Crescent will no longer be available after the summer, so I will buy some more of the Yamadanishiki version to keep in stock.
I received a bottle of Tasake light nigori.
I drank it for the first time last year and immediately decided to repeat it.
The moment I opened the bottle, I could smell the sweet aroma. The mellow aroma derived from rice, whether it is the koji or the fermenting unrefined sake, makes you think that the inside of a sake brewery must be filled with this kind of smell.
As those who have been there may know, the aroma is like a condensed version of the good smell inside Koyama Shoten's store.
The taste is a harmony of sweetness and umami, as well as the softness and refreshing bitterness typical of nigori sake, just like the aroma.
Mr. Takagi of the Takagi Shuzo brewery says that in the past, light and dry sake was the mainstream, but he researched sake brewing to create a sake with the same sweet aroma he felt in the brewery when he was a child, and the result was Jyushidai.
As a side note, this Tasyu light nigori was created to compete with Senkou's Snowman. A sales person at Nishida Brewery saw the snowman selling well in the market and made a proposal, which became a standard product. Come to think of it, this light nigori is the only nigori sake in the Tasake range.
Sentori is great at moving the big bosses, but it is also great that the big bosses have the flexibility to commercialize the needs of the market. We, the consumers, are greatly benefited.
SENKOKU MODERN 弐式Origarami was opened.
Sengoku Modern is one of the new standard brands of Sengoku, which is now back in Edo. This is the orikarami version of SENKOKU MODERN.
This is the first time for me to drink the standard brand, as I have only had seasonal SENKYO sake. I probably should have started with the standard Type Zero or Type I, but my love for nigori sake got the better of me and I decided to try Type Nigori.
After returning to Edo, I have already had two other Sengoku, Snow Dollar and Hello World, both of which were very good. The expectations for Sentori Modern were naturally high, and the result was that it was the best.
It had a sweet, tart, fruity flavor with a unique nuance that is common to all the Sentori sakes I have had so far. It also has the same complexity and depth of flavor due to the use of the raw yeast from the original brewing process, which I also felt in Snowball, but the mouthfeel is very clean and refreshing. The addition of the richness and softness of the orikara-mi flavor makes it the most delicious sake ever.
It was a bottle that prompted me to try the Zero, Ichi, Classic, and Retro as soon as possible.
Good morning, Hori 😃!
Congratulations on your first classic Sentori ㊗️ 🎉We haven't had only this one 🥲 review of the renewed Sentori 🥲 so please try our first choice Retro 🤗👋.
Thanks for your comments, Jay & Nobby 😊.
It's delicious, Type 2! I have a bottle of formula 3 on standby in the fridge, so I'm looking forward to that one too!
We will secure Retro as soon as we can find it!
It has been a long time since we have had a sambudo.
The regulations for Nozomi have been renewed this brewing year to make them easier to understand, and the highest rank of Nozomi has been renamed the Twelve Grades of Nozomi, with the Twelve Grades of Nozomi being the highest.
The conventional classification was based on the number of raw materials and brewing methods used, but the Twelve Grades of Nozomi, as the name implies, has evolved into a graded classification of Nozomi.
Whereas in the previous regulations, for example, there could be many different combinations of the same five fermentations, the 12 levels of fermentation clearly define the elements to be employed, as follows.
1-nouzou: rice from the Kikuchi River basin
Ni-no-no-kozo: "sake brewing with sake yeast" (sake yeast)
(iii) No pesticide-free brewing
(iv) No-fertilizer-free brewing
Five-fermentation wooden vat
6-nouzou brewing - no yeast added
7-no brewing - bookmark
8. hanging rice on a rack
9. winter waterlogging
10-fermentation: seedlings in the field
11. Sparse planting with a single palm
Twelve-fermentation horse cultivation
The labels have been renewed accordingly, so that the farmer's classification can be identified on the front label.
This time, the taste had a strong nuance of white peach, whereas it usually has a grape-like flavor.
The taste was clean and gaseous, with a final touch of acidity. In the end, I think this one may be my favorite.
Today is Peach Festival, and we have opened a bottle of Akabu Snow Extra.
Because it snowed in Tokyo today. It was the perfect opportunity to drink a winter sake that I had missed out on.
I had given up on Snow Extra because I missed the timing to buy it. However, a while later, I found it at a liquor store that I often visit and bought it without incident. The liquor store does not have a large refrigerator, so they sometimes delay the release of new sake because of their style of releasing the next shipment after the first shipment is sold out. I usually feel sad that I can't buy it on the release date, but this time it worked out for the better.
Now, this was my first time to try Snow Extra, and it was a personal strike.
The low alcohol content of 13 degrees Celsius makes it light and refreshing, so you can drink it as much as you want.
Once again, I was able to realize that I like this strain of active nigori sake.
I am very glad that I was able to obtain it.
This is the first time I have had Wakamusume sake.
It is a sake with a very nice name, Juni-Hisai-iro.
I had been curious about Wakamusume since I saw it introduced on social networking sites, but I could not find it. For the same shipping cost, it is more economical to buy two bottles than one.
The base of the flavor is fresh, fruity and sweet. It has the sweetness and umami of rice, but is not heavy, and the acidity helps to give it a clean overall impression. As the label on the back says, "We want this sake to evoke the delicate and elegant Japanese sense of beauty," the taste has a thin and clear impression.
I am not sure if there was a sake with this kind of taste when I was enjoying sake in Niigata about 15 years ago, but I wonder if I would have been shocked if I had encountered it then. Would I have been shocked if I had encountered it back then, or would I have been uninterested in sake other than the light and dry type?
This was one of the things that occurred to me.
In any case, I am thankful that I can enjoy this delicious sake now.
Good evening, Hori 😃!
Congratulations on your first wakamusume ㊗️ in 12 secret colors 🎉You're right, considering the shipping cost, I would buy in bulk 🤗Please try our favorite flower tachibana if you have a chance 👋
Thank you for your comment, Jay & Nobby...
I agree with Hana Tachibana, and the wonderfully named sake that comes out each season is very appealing!
I have so many brands I want to pursue that my fridge and liver are at capacity....
We were served KOUEIGIKU Aizan (Hello! KOUEIGIKU Aizan).
There were two types of sake: Sumi-shu (clear sake) and Usu-nigori (lightly cloudy sake), but this time I chose the Sumi-shu.
The first thing to do is to open the bottle and pour it into a glass.
It was a glossy, smooth liquid with a texture completely different from that of water. It has a strong yellowish color and appears golden. There are no impurities such as lees or bubbles, and the transparency is so high that no convection currents can be seen at all, giving the impression of a stillness that is so tight that it is as if time has stopped.
The taste is also something else. It has a rich sweetness and strong acidity like ripe tropical fruits.
The acidity is so strong that it synchronizes with the lemon juice we were having with carpaccio with a lot of lemon juice. It is packed with so many other flavor elements that it is hard to believe that it is a clear liquid, yet it also has the usual astringent nuance that is typical of KOUEIGIKU.
Hello! KOUEIGIKU is a special sake brewed to introduce people to Koueigiku. My introduction to Koueigiku was Snow Crescent, and had it been this, I would have followed the same path.
We received a bottle of Sairai Junmai Ginjo Nama-zume.
This sake is made by the Kitanishi Shuzo brewery in Ageo City, Saitama Prefecture.
This is the second bottle of Sairai I have had since the first bottle, a new sake nigori (nigori) called Usugiri.
I have never seen Sairai at liquor stores in my area, and I always buy it online.
I think I see the Junmai Ginjo with the light blue label all year round, so I guess it is a standard position. There seem to be several variations, such as unfiltered, unfiltered, and hi-ire sake, but the one I purchased this time was the nama-zume version.
The aroma is a clear ginjo aroma. The flavor is refined and modern, just as the label implies. It is fresh and fruity, but not too sweet, and the acidity and bitterness give it a refreshing taste.
It may not be particularly unique, but it is highly versatile and can be drunk on any occasion.
The first impression I had of this wine was to buy a bottle, but I personally feel that its performance exceeded my expectations. I will try some more of the other types and if they are good, they will become my favorite brand.
I sincerely hope that there will be a distributor within easy reach.
We received a bottle of Fukkai's Yamadanishiki Nama Sake.
I have seen and heard about Fukkai in many places recently. I had always been curious about it, and at a liquor store at the beginning of the year, I found a bottle of raw sake that I had never seen before and purchased it.
Fukuda Shuzo, located near the southern tip of Hirado Island in Nagasaki Prefecture, rebranded their main brand Fukuda, and this Fukkai was introduced in 2023. The concept is "sake that expresses the sea," and the brand aims to represent the sea of Shidabiki Bay that stretches out in front of the brewery.
Poured into a glass, it looks slightly yellowish, soft, and glossy, as is typical of nama-zake. There are no bubbles or visible gas.
When you drink it, it has a dense flavor that seems to have been condensed. My first impression was that it tasted "right in the middle of the trend," but as I drank two or three more glasses, I gradually began to notice its individuality.
It has a strong umami and is fruity, but not too sweet, and in the latter half, it has a clear and crisp taste with a hint of bitterness and alcohol.
If it were to be fired, it would become a little more relaxed and might be perfect for a mealtime sake.
There are also nigori and sparkling varieties, which I would like to try in the future.
Thanks for your comment, Jay & Nobby 😊.
Fukkai is delicious 🍶I understand that it is a sake from a place you are associated with!
It's possible that you feel the taste on a genetic level 🧬.
It is Kirinzan's Potari-Potari Koshitanrei.
I compared it with Gohyakumangoku, which I posted one day ago.
They look exactly the same in a glass and are indistinguishable. Both are pale yellowish in color and have a soft and thick texture instead of smooth and silky.
As for the taste, I thought the Koshitanrei was a little sweeter than the Koshitanrei I tasted last year. No, it is not sweeter, but rather there are more elements of flavor, or it is more expansive, and the Gohyakumangoku is clearer and crisper.
In any case, the difference in nuance is so slight that it is difficult for an amateur like me to put it into words.
I have heard that the difference in rice has a very small effect on the taste of sake, and this is certainly true. I heard that water and yeast, rather than rice, and even more than that, the type of sake the brewer is aiming for greatly influences the taste of the sake.
For example, if you want to make a spicy sake, you should not say, "If you use 00 rice, it will make a spicy sake," but rather, "I want to make a spicy sake, so I will use 00 rice that is suitable for that. Depending on the method of production, it may be possible to make a sweet sake using this 00 rice. The sake comparison gave us a chance to think about various things.
This is POTARIPOTARI, a winter limited edition sake from Kirinzan.
Kirinzan was my favorite brand of sake when I was transferred to Niigata. At the time, Dengara and Rinkara were my favorites, and together with Echino Ketora, they were the driving force behind my first sake boom.
Potari-Potari is Kirinzan's winter release of freshly pressed unpasteurized sake, with the green bottle of Gohyakumangoku released in November and the blue bottle of Koshitanrei released in January.
Last year I drank each one separately, but this year I wanted to compare them, so I stocked up on the Ihyakumangoku without drinking it.
Potari-Potari Ihyakumangoku is a very tasty sake with a fresh, fruity aroma and a hint of sweetness that is typical of Niigata sake, while being clean and dry.
The unique nuance (taste of water?) of Kirinzan that we have become accustomed to is also clearly perceptible, and I personally find it to be very delicious. It is a very satisfying bottle for me personally.
Today, I had it with seafood yose-nabe, and it was a perfect match, as it should be. Of course it goes well with Japanese food in general because it is more on the dry side, but it also has a gorgeous aroma and fruitiness, so it seems to go well with French, Italian, and cheese-based dishes that do not have a strong flavor.
After this, we will compare it with Koshitanrei, but more on that in the next post.
Thanks for your comment, Jay & Nobby 😊.
Kirinzan may not be the most popular sake, but it's a refreshing Niigata-style sake 🍶The comparison was that we could hardly tell the difference 😅.
I received a bottle of Sakiyami from my hometown sake brewery, Takamusume Sake Brewery.
Ever since I was a child, Takamusume has been the sake of choice. It was only last year that I learned that Takamusume was making such a delicious sake.
The last two bottles were straight-draft Arabashiri, but this time there was a light nigori that I had been curious about, so I chose it without hesitation.
When I opened the bottle, I felt the cork being pushed up as if it was being opened with caution. When the bottle is slowly turned over, the lees dance like a snow globe.
Bubbles rose from the lees, and when the bottle was opened again, the gas leaked out energetically.
As usual, it is gassy and fresh to the taste. The taste seems to be sweeter than the Arabashiri. It is so easy to drink that it is hard to believe that the alcohol content is 16%, and it is so delicious that it is easy to drink too much.
Takamusume Sake Brewery is not a very big brewery, so they probably don't make a lot of sake. There are only a few liquor stores in Tokyo that carry this sake, so opportunities to see it are limited, but I think it is a sake that deserves more attention, even if I discount the favoritism of my hometown.
We received our family's mainstay spring sake, Atago no Matsu Harukoi.
Breaking the rule of drinking in the order of purchase, I couldn't wait to open it on the day of purchase.
It looks more vibrant in color than last year. It was also more active than last year, and I let it overflow a little when I opened the bottle.
The mouthfeel is smoother than last year, and the fine rice grains that used to feel like strawberry grains are completely absent. The taste is still the same, sweet and sour, with a strawberry shake feel that makes you wonder if they really don't use strawberries.
We enjoyed the divine pairing of strawberries & cream cheese wrapped in prosciutto earlier this year.
The strange sensation of the seamless connection between the snack and the alcohol flavor is unique to this combination.
I have already bought one more bottle, but it looks like I will run out, so I will have to consider adding more in the next batch.
We received Hashu Homare 50 from Kangiku.
Hashu Homare is a rice suitable for sake brewing that was created by Tatsugoro Takagi, the 14th generation of Takagi Shuzo, after years of development. Hoshu Honor 50-Horizon is brewed with 80% Hoshu Honor and 20% Yamadanishiki.
It has the usual sweet and juicy flavor of Kangiku, but at the same time, it has a crisp and clean taste that is unique to Hanezu Honor.
I have been following Kangiku for the past year. I have not been able to drink all of them, but if I limit myself to the OCEAN99 and Occasional series, I think I have drunk about 80 to 90% of the sake released.
While each Kangiku sake has its own character, I feel that there is a consistent Kangiku character at the base of each sake. I am not sure if it is the water, the yeast, or the brewing method, but I can sense the same nuance in all of them. I feel that you can probably guess with a high degree of certainty whether it is a kangiku or not, even if you are blind tasting.
Because of its "character," I can always buy with confidence and never feel betrayed.
From now on, I will continue to follow OCEAN99 and drink mainly what I enjoyed and what I couldn't drink in the past year.
Good evening, Hori!
I also love Chrysanthemum coronarium ❤️ and I agree with you about the consistency of Chrysanthemum coronarium style ‼️ They all have different tastes, but there is a taste that is unique to Chrysanthemum coronarium 🧐I still want to follow more Chrysanthemum coronarium 🥰.
Thank you for your comment, HinaHanaMama!
I knew there was something there, like a unique cold chrysanthemum flavor.
I'm relieved I'm not the only one 😊.
This month is Aizan!
It was so good last year that I plan to buy it again this year!
I had a bottle of Aizu Miyazumi Junmai Nigori.
I drank it last year, but last year's record shows that I wrote it off as a bottle I would like to repeat next year.
It is a refreshing nigori sake that has the indescribable sweetness that only good sake can have, yet it is refreshing to drink due to its gaseous taste, acidity, bitterness from the lees, and spiciness from the alcohol.
Last year, I had just started drinking sake, especially nigori sake, and I remember that the bitterness and spiciness seemed like noise to me, especially since I drank Senkou Yukidaruma as my standard nigori sake. However, after drinking a variety of sakes after that, I think I was able to appreciate the taste of this Miyazumi Junmai Nigori more deeply.
The taste and ease of drinking kept me going, and after drinking more than half of the sake, I realized that the alcohol content was 16%. I was not able to stop drinking due to the delicious taste and ease of drinking, and after drinking more than half of the sake, I realized that it had 16 degrees of alcohol. It is said that sake that does not make you feel the strength of alcohol is good sake, and I think this is just such a sake.
This has become one of my favorite new sake nigori sakes, so of course I will repeat it next year. Buy at least two bottles.
Hi Hori 😃
Miyazumi nigori is delicious 😋I sometimes have a different impression of a sake that I repeat after a lot of experience 🤗I'm looking forward to more!
Thank you for your comment, Jay & Nobby!
I feel like I'm expanding my world by encountering different kinds of drinks 🌍 But I think I'm still pretty biased in terms of types, so I'll continue to explore a little bit more!
This is Senkori's Risshun Asa Shibori.
This is an event where sake pressed early in the spring can be enjoyed on the same day, which is doubly nice for me since my birthday is on February 4, but since the first day of spring was a day later this year, the bottle was opened on the day before my birthday.
More than 40 sake breweries participate in the Risshun Asa Shibori, and each region has a different brand.
Speaking of Sengkyo, all of their sake is made from the same sake yeast this year, and this Risshun Asa Shibori is no exception. According to some sources, this is the first time to make a sake with a fresh yeast yeast for the Risshun Asa-brewing.
Since it takes a long time to make sake, the mother brewing was done in November. The sake was made with great care during the year-end and New Year's holidays to ensure that the sake could be pressed today with pinpoint accuracy.
We were grateful to the sake store that went to the brewery early in the morning to pick up the sake and sell it on the same day.
It has a fruity aroma like white wine and a lively flavor with a pronounced acidity. It is a strange sensation to think that this was unrefined until the day before.
It was the best sake of the year, not only delicious, but also a good omen.
Good evening, Hori😄.
Happy birthday 🎂🎊🎉!
Congratulations on the eve of the festival and the lucky drink 🍶, good things are really going on ❣️ I hope you have another great year ✨!
Hi Hori 😃
Delicious and auspicious is the best ‼️
I can't believe you can celebrate your birthday with a Risshun morning squeeze 🥹It's going to be a good year for sure🤗.
Thank you, HinaHanaMama ‼️
I am thankful to my parents for giving birth to me on a day when I can celebrate with lucky sake every year😊I want to spend each day without regrets so that I can drink good sake again next year‼️
Thanks for your comment, Jay & Nobby 😊.
I drank the Risshun Morning Press for the first time last year and it's too great to be able to drink such a special sake on my birthday! I think I will be drinking it every year for the rest of my life 🍶.
We had a Sentori Hello World.
Today was my 00th year of Hello World celebration. Last year I celebrated with Sentori Risshun Asa Shibori, so this is the second year in a row that I have had Sentori.
Hello World is a private brand of sake bar Sakelabo Tokyo in Kita-ku, Tokyo. The brewer is SENKOURI.
I haven't had the first one because it was before I became interested in sake, but I have had all of the ones since the second one so far. I have not been able to drink the first one since I was not interested in sake before, but I have been able to drink all the ones after the second one so far. Even so, every time I drink it, I feel that it is a sake worth getting. Don't miss the fact that a portion of the proceeds from the second and subsequent editions will be donated to the areas affected by the Noto Peninsula earthquake.
Sengoku has started to make all of its sake under the banner of "Edo kitaeri" (return to Edo) this year, and this Hello World is no exception, being the first sake made using the original sake yeast.
As previously reported, there is almost no gasiness and it has a clear and smooth mouthfeel. The taste is sweet and sour, which is typical of Sengoku, and it is light enough not to be a sake made from a sake yeast. Although it is an orikara, it is not complicated and has a fruity flavor that makes you wonder why it is made from rice.
I have already purchased another bottle, so I would like to drink it after letting it sit for a while.
Good morning Hori 😃
Happy Hello World Day 🎂 🎉 Happy delicious anniversary 🤗.
We, on the other hand, got the first one and haven't had it since 🥲It's a relief to have another bottle 😋.
Thanks for your comment, Jay & Nobby 😊.
Last year's Hello World Day celebration was Sentori's Risshun Morning Pressing, so it was Sentori two years in a row 🥂.
I'm jealous of your first time drinking it!
