It is brewed with the top-ranked sake rice in that year's sake rice contest by a brewery that performed well in the Gyuukai contest.
Yonetsuru's version is mellow and slightly dry.
Purchased with ANA miles. It was sold in a drink comparison with the previously uploaded item. The strains are similar. Less sweetness, strong bitterness in the aftertaste. Enough acidity.
It was released in 1981 to commemorate the third consecutive year it won an award at a sake competition. I didn't know that long ago!
The ginjo aroma, strong sweetness and bitterness are impressive.
The bottle claims it is fruity, but the impression one gets when drinking it is that of Shaoxing wine itself. Does it need to be aged in oak barrels? Basically, when sake is aged, it becomes old sake except for low temperature aging. Disappointing.