Comparison of Sawaya Matsumoto Moribashiri. The rice fields where the rice was grown are the same for both 2016 and 2017. In other words, only the year of production is different, but everything else is the same.
To be honest, it is difficult to find the difference between the two, but I felt that the 2017 has a more pronounced aroma. In contrast, the 2016 has a good balance of sweetness and acidity.
Chiebijin Junmai 15th anniversary label. This one is also a nama-shu and tastes quite raw. It is crisp, dry, and has a good, sharp taste. It is very nice.
Hirotogawa Junmai Nigori Nama Sake. I got it with a service card I received when I couldn't visit the last time.
The nigori is quite strong. There is not much bitterness from the lees. However, the carbonation is quite strong. It has a stimulating texture.
Hououmida Junmai Daiginjo Akaban Special - Activated Nigori Hon Nama. I thought it would be more carbonated because it is an active nigori, but the stimulation is surprisingly fine and goes in easily. Of course it has acidity, but the aroma is amazing. As expected of Houou Mita.
Akabu Snow Xmas. junmai, orikarami, nama sake. It is a white Christmas with a slight lees dance. The gorgeous sweetness and acidity are in good balance. It's a nice sake.
After finishing my errands, it was time for a break and a drink. I went to Shinjuku Sohonten, a Japanese sake brewery. I may come back soon after the new year, but I thought I'd stop by and say hello.
First up was the Tobiroki Special Junmai. It is still clean, refreshing, and has a strong umami flavor. Yum!
The restaurant was full and it was almost time for the last order. So the last sake we ordered was another hidden sake, a Hanyokyu Junmai Daiginjo Unfiltered Nama-shu. This is definitely a delicious sake. It is the ultimate in sweet and sour. It is extremely fruity. It's so fruity, you'd think you were biting into a fresh pineapple. I can't get enough of it.
Shinshu Kamerei Junmai Daiginjo 39 Miyamanishiki. Today's hidden sake is here. As one would expect from a 39% rice polishing ratio, the aroma is very clean, gorgeous, and light. However, the alcohol content is quite strong. It makes the inside of the mouth hot.
Saint INDIGO Akki no Hijiri Junmai Daiginjo. It is a Gumma sake. According to the staff of the former brewer whom we are familiar with, it is a slightly acidic type of sake. It is unfiltered, unpasteurized sake, and the alcohol is quite strong. It has a moderate acidity, but not so much that it makes you yell. It is certainly a sake for different tastes.
Kido Junmai Ginjo Shiboritate. Talking with the manager, we nodded to each other and said, "Kido is the best new sake of the year, isn't it? I had this the last time I was here, and it was still gorgeous, fresh, and delicious.
Today I was in Shinjuku for various reasons, so I went to Sake Cost Sake Brewery.
The first sake was Hououmida Junmai Ginjo Hatsushibori Unrefined Honkaku. The aroma was quite subdued, as the rice was hard and difficult to melt due to the extremely hot summer this year. The freshness was a bit disappointing, but it was still delicious.
Compared Yamagata Masamune Junmai Omachi Namemasa and Shinmasa Ecru. As the description "very Shinmasa-like" suggests, Yamagata Masamune's Shinmasa-ness is tremendous. I can distinguish between them because they are ecru, but if they were R-type or S-type, I might not be able to distinguish them. It's amazing.
But I think there is a difference between acidity first and umami first.
Sagata Super Limited Edition Sugata Junmai Ginjo Unfiltered Nama-Ginjo Unrefined Nama-Shu, a blend of 9 varieties of sake rice. I was surprised to see the label on the back. I was surprised to see on the back of the label that the rice polishing ratio is also changed for each type of sake rice. The taste is quite sweet and syrupy on the palate. There is a caramel-like bitterness in it, as if it has been burnt. Interesting. It is quite distinctive.
By the way, the sake rice used is Yamadanishiki, Gohyakumangoku, Kitashizuku, Aizan, Omachi, Yumesasara, Hitogokochi, Comet, and Ginpu. There was also a Yamata no Sugata, a blend of eight different types of sake rice, in the past, and I am looking forward to seeing how far this brewery will go.
Today we will try to encounter a new sake at Sake Cost Sake Brewery Shinjuku Sohonten.
Raifuku Halloween Label Aifune 206 Junmai Ginjo. This rice is a cousin of Aizan, a famous sake rice. It has the same sweetness and aroma as Aizan, but it is also balanced with bitterness. It is said that this rice is used only at Raifuku.
Wakanami Junmai. The sharpness is typical of junmai sake. It has a long lingering alcohol taste and bitterness that comes out slowly. The taste is fun to drink. That is why Wakanami is my favorite sake.
Ame-go-no-tsuki Junmai Ginjo. This sake won first place in the Jun category at this year's Sake Competition.
It has a light banana-like aroma. Slightly coarse on the tongue, yet smooth on the way through. The aroma is persistent and deep in flavor.
Kido Junmai Ginjo Hiyadoroshi. As I said, Kido is a delicious sake, and Hiyahoroshi is also delicious. It is moist with a hint of bitterness, and the vegetables are delicious. I am glad I ordered the tataki cucumber.
