Tag Archives: sake

Fukui Sake Tasting: One Cup Series 3): Uno Brewery-Daiginjo Ichi No Tani

April 7, 2016 dragonlife Leave a comment

The other day a good friend of mine, Doctor Michitomo Kawahito brought me st of three one cup sake from Fukui Prefecture!

The set out of it package!

The third tasting: Daiginjo “Ichi no Tani” by Uno Brewery!

Rice: Yamada Nishiki
Rice milled down to 40%
Alcohol: 15~16 degrees
Bottled in March 2016

Clarity: very clear
Color: transparent
Body: fluid
Aroma: dry and fruity. Plums, oranges
Taste: dry and fruity attack.
Extremely complex: melon, faint custard, notes of white flowers, banana, pears, lychees, apricots, mirabelle.
Lingers for a while before departing on a slightly drier note with more fruit/oranges and almonds.
Gets drier with food with more dry oranges.

Overall: very elegant, actually extravagant for a one-cup sake!
Ever-changing sake that will keep you on your toes and looking forward to the next sip!
A sake to be enjoyed on its own!
The perfect souvenir!

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Fukui Prefecture, One Cup sake, sake, Sake Brewery

Fukui Sake Tasting: One Cup Series 2): Funaki Brewery-Ginjo Kita no Shou

April 7, 2016 dragonlife Leave a comment

The other day a good friend of mine, Doctor Michitomo Kawahito brought me st of three one cup sake from Fukui Prefecture!

The set out of it package!

The second tasting: Ginjo Kita No Shou by Funaki Brewery!

Rice milled down to 55%
Alcohol: 15~16 degrees
Bottled in February 2016

Clarity: very clear
Color: golden hue
Aroma: dry and fruity. Prunes
Body: fluid
Taste: dry and fruity attack.
Prunes, faint vanilla and oranges backed up with strong alcohol.
Lingers for a while before departing on smoky notes and dry oranges.
oranges making a comeback with following sips.

Overall: straightforward, uncomplicated and solid sake.
Obviously conceived to accompany food, especially izakaya and BBQ fare.
For dry and rustic sake lovers.
Suggested pairings: grilled fish, yakitori, stews.

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Fukui Prefecture, One Cup sake, sake, Sake Brewery

Fukui Sake Tasting: One Cup Series 1) Nanbu Brewery-Hanagaki Junmai

April 3, 2016 dragonlife Leave a comment

The other day a good friend of mine, Doctor Michitomo Kawahito brought me st of three one cup sake from Fukui Prefecture!

The set out of it package!

I started their tasting with a junmai called hanagaki by Nanbu Brewery!

Rice milled down to 60%
Alcohol: 15 degrees
Bottled in February 2016

Clarity: very clear
Color: golden hue
Aroma: dry and fruity. Prunes, faint bananas
Body: fluid
Taste: very dry and fruity attack backed up with puissant junmai petillant.
Prunes, dry apricots.
lingers for a while before departing with pleasant acidity and faint ornages.
Varies little with food.

Overall: pleasant and uncomplicated sake highly suitable to drink with izakaya cuisine and haevy dishes.
Should please the dry sake lovers.
Certainly a souvenir worth taking around.
Suggested pairings: blue cheese, BBQ, yakitori.

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Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Negami Brewery-Kinmei Junmai Nama Genshu Shiboritate

March 27, 2016 dragonlife Leave a comment

The other I was back to my favorite lair, namely Kasuri in Aoba Odengai in Shizuoka City, where I knew a fine sake was waiting for my tasting!

It was a nectar created by Negami Brewery in Gotemba City!
Kinmei Junmai (no pure alcohol blended in) Nama (unpasteurized) Genshu (no pure rice alcohol blended in) Shiboritate (just pressed)!

Rice: Yamada Nishiki
Rice milled down to 50~60%
Alcohol: 17 degrees
Second press
Bottled in March 2016

Clarity: very clear
Color: transparent
Aroma: dry and fruity. Pears
Body: fluid
Taste: very dry and fruity attack backed up with puissant junmai petillent.
Complex: pears, white flowers, melon, oranges.
Lingers for a while before departing on notes of soft flowers, melon and oranges.
Turns drier with food with herbs making an appearance.

Overall: Another nectar to be enjoyed in the place of a white wine!
Best appreciated on its own slightly chilled.
Difficult to pair with food because of its very complex character.
Suggested pairing: asparaguses

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Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Morimoto Brewery-H. Morimoto Filtered Tokubetsu Junmai Nama Genshu

March 19, 2016 dragonlife Leave a comment

Last night when I paid a quick visit to my favorite oden bar in Shizuoka City, the Mama san showed this bottle she had just acquired at Tomitaya Sake Store in Shizuoka City!

Great Brew Master Hitoshi Morimoto was having fun once again in Kikugawa City, in the central-Western part of Shizuoka Prefecture!
The name was just his as he called it H. Morimoto Filtered (in English) for this Tokubetsu Junmai (no pure alcohol blended in) Nama (unpasteurized) genshu (no pure water blended in)!
Incidentally, it is a very limited edition!

Rice: Gohyakumangoku (Shizuoka Prefecture)
Rice milled down to 60%
Yeast: Kyoukai 901 Go
Alcohol: 17~18 degrees
Dryness: – 4
Bottled in February 2016

Clarity: very clear
Color: faint golden hue
Aroma: dry and discreet. Rice, faint pears
Taste: very fruity, sweetish attack backed up with puissant junmai petillant.
Complex: apples, plums, apricots, sweet pears.
Lingers for a while before departing on sweet, fruity and flowery notes and oranges.
No acidity whatsoever but the sweetness is not cloying at all.

Overall: a very fruity and flowery nectar!
Very unusual concept in Shizuoka prefecture where the great majority of sake are dry.
Very deep and complex with ever-changing facets surging up.
A sake best enjoyed on its own although could definitely be savored in the place of a dessert wine.
A last liqueur for the road, but one easy on the body and soul!
Suggested pairings: Chocolate, blue cheese.

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Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Suruga Brewery-Tenko Junmai Dai Ginjo Muroka Genshu (conducted at la Sommeliere in Shizuoka City)

March 16, 2016 dragonlife Leave a comment

I don’t mind repeating it all the time but I prefer conducting sake tastings in the right environment but not many places are propitious for that exercise or willing to help.
But La Sommeliere in Miyuki Cho, Aoi Ku, Shizuoka City is certainly becoming a habit as not only I can conduct my tasting in the best conditions possible but also exchange views at the same time!

This time we tasted a nectar brewed by an increasingly popular Suruga Brewery (Shizuoka City) which is already a lot of attention throughout Japan despite its very short history!

“Tenko/Heavens Rainbow” Junmai (no pure sake alcohol blended in) Daiginjo Muroka (unfiltered) Genshu (no pure water added)!

Rice: Yamada Nishiki (Hyogo Prefecture)
Rice milled down to 40%
Dryness: + 2
Acidity: 1.2
Alcohol: 16~17 degrees
Bottled in December 2015

Clarity: very clear
Color: light gold
Aroma: dry and very fruity.
Pears, banana, custard, chestnuts, young coconuts, green melon
Body: fluid, almost sirupy
Taste: dry and fruity attack backed with puissant junmai petillant.
Complex: custard, cream soda, banana, yogurt.
Always seems to reach the brink of sweetness without reaching it.
Lingers on for a short while before departing on a slightly drier note of custard, oranges and faint almonds.
Will become markedly drier with salty foods.

Overall: Very rich sake if there were such a term!
Both elegant and very satisfying.
Very fruity and sweetish at first but beautifully counterbalanced with swift, but in the right amount, acidity.
Could definitely be used as a superlative dessert wine!
Suggested pairings: Blue cheese!

LA SOMMELIERE

420-0857 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Miyuki Cho, 7-5, Aiseido Bldg, 1F
Tel. & Fax: 054-266-5085
Opening hours: 11:00~22:00, 12:00~18:00 on Sundays & National Holidays
FACEBOOK (Japanese)
Entirely non-smoking!

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Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Hamamatsu Shuzou (formerly Hamamatsu-Tenjingura Brewery)-Shusseijo Tokubetsu Junmai Nama Genshu Shizuku Shibori

February 29, 2016 dragonlife Leave a comment

Hamamatsu-Tenjingura Brewery has been through some significant changes recently.
It was sold to the Totsuka Family in Kakegawa City who already owns Hiraki Brewery and Shizuoka-Hiraki Brewery in Shizuoka City. And the name has apparently been changed to Hamamatsu Shuzou Co. Ltd. I do not know it is such a positive step although this has ensured a next generation of owners.
On the other hand, lady Master Brewer Miwa Masui/増井美和さん has definitely been accepted and furthermore hailed for her efforts as the only lady Sake Master Brewer, or “touji/杜氏” in Japanese, a feat the more remarkable that she does not come from a sake brewery family!

She even appears of the label of her latest creation, Shusseijo Tokubetsu Junmai Nama Genshu Shizuku Shibori, a very limited edition!

it is a Tokubetsu Junmai (meaning no pure alcohol was blended) Nama (unpasteurized) genshu (no pure water was blended in)!

Moreover, it is a Shizuku Shibori, meaning that the sake was not pressed but that it was left to drip out naturally from suspended bags, an extravagant method if there is one!

Rice: Yamada Nishiki (Shizuoka Prefecture)
Rice milled down to 60%
Yeast Shizuoka NEW-5
Alcohol: 17~18 degrees
Dryness: -5
Acidity: 1.7
Bottled in February 2016

Clarity: Smoky as it is only partially filtered but very clean
Color: Faint golden hue with thin white lees
Body: slightly sirupy
Aroma: Sweetish and fruity. Rice, melon
Taste: Strong, spicy and sweetish attack backed up by puissant junami petillant.
Melon, rice, rice lees.
Lingers for quite a while before departing on strong notes of oranges and faint almonds.
Rice lees and junmai petillant will come up stronger with food.

Overall: Strong, straightforward, “nigori-style/containing white lees” sake, a bit unusual for Shizuoka prefecture, considering it is sweeter than the norm.
Definitively conceived to accompany heavy izakaya cuisine.
Should do well at any temperature.
For the “nigori-style” sake lovers and definitely above average for such a style!
Suggested pairings: Izakaya Cuisine, BBQ meats!

HAMAMATSU SHUZOU Co. LTD.

430-0808 Hamamatsu City, Naka Ku, Tenjin Machi, 3-57
Tel.: 053-540-2082
HOMEPAGE

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Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Oomuraya Brewery-Tokubetsu Junmai “Oni Otome” Yume (conducted at la Sommeliere in Shizuoka City)

February 26, 2016 dragonlife Leave a comment

Today the occasion was made the more special that it was Hiromi’s birthday (February 25th)!

This time we tasted a nectar created by Oomuraya Brewery in Shimada City, part of a series of 4 limited seasonal brews dedicated to the partner of their “Onigoroshi/Kill a Goblin”, that is “Oniotome/The Goblin’s Wife”!
This is the Spring edition called “Dream”! By the end of the end year they will get married!

A dangerous lady actually when you realize she bears horns!

It is not indicated on the back label, but the rice used is exclusively Shizuoka Prefecture-grown “Homarefuji” sake rice, which is getting much deserved attention from all over the country as it is a hybrid of Yamada Nishiki sake rice, but with shorter stems, and far more resistant to the climate vagaries. It has recently reached maturity as far as brewers are concerned as all levels of premium sake are brewed with it!

Rice: Homarefuji (Shizuoka Prefecture)
Rice milled down to 60%
Dryness: + 4
Acidity: 1.3
Amino acids: 1.1
Bottled in February 2016

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Faint golden hue
Aroma: Dry, flowery and fruity. Melon, rapeseed flower (“na no hana”), flowers
Body: Fluid, slightly sirupy
Taste: Dry and fruit attack backed up with puissant junmai petillant.
Complex and fluctuating.
Dry melon, rapeseed flowers.
Starts on a sweetish note before quickly turning dry.
Lingers for a little while before disappearing with tangerines and faint coffee beans and almonds. Melon makes a very late appearance at the back of the palate. Coffee beans will also make a late surge with further sips.

Overall: As usual a very elegant and complex sake.
Sake made with homarefuji rice has the intriguing particularity of fluctuating inside your palate revealing different facets in waves that can appear well after you thought it had completely departed. Don’t be taken aback if you are actually conducted a formal tasting and keep your pen in hand!
Will please ladies in particular, although gentlemen will appreciate its eclectic propensity to pair with many dishes if you decide to savor it along a repast.
Thoroughly enjoyable on its own, either slightly chilled or at room temperature, as well as all along a meal, be it an aperitif, a main drink, or a digestif!
Suggested pairings: “Asari no sakamai”/sake-steamed cockles, “Na no hana no karashi ae”/steamed rapeseed flowers seasoned in Japanese mustard, “Shinjo/Kyoto-style steamed white-flesh fish balls in light broth/”suimono”, Japanese-style scallops shuumai, White-flesh fish sushi. Foie gras as an aperitif!

LA SOMMELIERE

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Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Sugii Brewery-Junmai Bodaimoto

February 22, 2016 dragonlife Leave a comment

Sugii Brewery in Fujieda City has made itself a name all over the country when it comes to experimentation in the brewing of sake and their latest nectar is another illustration!

Junmai Bodaimoto!
Bodaimoto/菩提酛 is an old way of making the moto/酛/sake starter dating back to the Muromachi Era (14th~16th Century) with a mixture of steamed and non steamed (raw) rice, natural lactic acid and yeast.

Rice: Shizuoka Prefecture rices
Rice milled down to 60%
Alcohol: 13.8 %
Dryness: + 5.5
Acidity: 2.0
Bottled in February 2016

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Faint golden hue
Aroma: Discreet, elegant and fruity. Green apples, persimmon
Body: sirupy
Taste: Very dry and fruity attack. Little junmai petillant.
Prunes, dry muscat.
Lingers only for a little while before departing on a drier note withdry apricots and persimmon.
Turns drier, more discreet and acidic with food.
Alcohol will surge forth in spite of its low contents.

Overall: A discovery from another era when taste buds were definitely different!
I personally loved its down to earth approach and fully appreciated with food although it might shock people used to milder sake.
A sake to enjoy informally!
Suggested pairings: izakaya heavy food, stews, pickles.

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Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Sanwa Brewery-Garyubai Jumai Daiginjo Nama Genshu Fukuro Tsuri Tobin Kakoi (conducted at la Sommeliere in Shizuoka City)

February 18, 2016 dragonlife Leave a comment

This time we tasted one by one of Hiromi’s favorite breweries, namely, Sanwa Brewery in Shimizu Ku, Shizuoka City, which has the particularity to come up with long names for its brews!

The picture above states that the rice used is Bizen Ohmachi from Toyama Prefecture!

A long name as usual: Garyubai/臥龍梅 Junmai Daiginjo/純米大吟醸 (pure rice alcohol added) Nama/生原 (unpasteurized) Genshu/酒袋 (no pure water added) Fukuro tsuri/吊り Tobin Kakoi/斗瓶囲い!

As for Fukuro tsuri/吊り Tobin Kakoi/斗瓶囲い, “fukuro tsuri” means that the sake was not pressed but let to drip out of suspended bags, and “tobi kakoi” means that the naturally-filtered sake was gathered into expensive large glass flasks!

Rice: Bizen Ohmachi (Toyama Prefecture)
Rice milled down to 50%
Alcohol: 16~17 degrees
Dryness: + 4
Acidity: 1.3
Bottled in May 2015

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Faint golden hue
Aroma: Light, dry and fruity. Complex. Pears, melon, passion fruit, green apples
Body: Slightly sirupy
Taste: Dry but very fruity attack , but only with a little junmai petillant.
Complex.
Plums, pears, smoked muscat, melon, passion fruit.
Lingers on palate for quite a while before before departing with oranges and kumquats.
Melon makes a last appearance.

Overall: Extremely elegant sweetish sake in spite of its announced + 4 dryness.
Very fruity and complex it will appeal to ladies in particular.
Probably best enjoyed at room temperature on its own or as a digestif.
Suggested pairings: foie gras, blue cheese, smoked cheese.
Extravagant!

LA SOMMELIERE

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Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Hatsukame Brewery-Hatsukame “En” Honjozo

December 28, 2015 dragonlife Leave a comment

When it comes to a home party one always looks for a sake which is not only tasty and easy to pair at all temperatures but also reasonably-priced.
The other day I did participate to a big home party with old mates and I had the perfect present to bring with me!

Hatsukame Brewery in Okabe, Fujieda City produces this extravagant honjozo called “En/縁”！
When you read the specs you will realize that some breweries in Shizuoka Prefecture are spoiling their customers!

Rice: Yamada Nishiki
Rice milled down to 65%
Dryness: + 4
Acidity: 1.30
Alcohol: 15~16 degrees
Brewed in September 2015
Bottled in November 2015

Clarity: very clear
Color: faint golden hue
Aroma: dry and fruity. pears, banana, rice, greens
Body: fluid
Taste: Dry and fruity attack.
Complex: oranges, custard, chestnuts.
Lingers only for a short while before departing on a still drier note with oranges, custard and coffee beans.
Becomes milder and lighter with food before finishing on a drier note.
Oranges and custard in particular will come back once again away from food.
At lukewarm temperature/”nurukan”, tends to become lighter and less complex, but still very pleasant on the palate.

Overall: I conducted that tasting in a light-hearted manner with my friends before he alcohol took the best of them. We all agreed it was simply extravagant considering the ridiculously cheap price!
This is the kind of sake you can bring to any party any time of the year when you can savor it on its own or with any food, at room temperature or warmed up!
The kind of sake you won’t let inside the bottle very long and a great introduction to beginners!

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Shizuoka Sake Tasting: One-Cup Series 14): Shidaizumi Brewery-Nyan Cup Shidaizumi Junmai Ginjo

December 25, 2015 dragonlife Leave a comment

A very interesting and reasonable way to taste sake is to acquire one-cup sake!
They also make for cute collection of glasses or cups!

Now, this is the sixth tasting of the second batch of Shizuoka Prefecture One Cup Sake I obtained at Matsuzakaya Department Store in Shizuoka City!

Shidaizumi Brewery-Nyan Cup Shidaizumi Junmai Ginjo!
Actually, this is the original Nyan Cup which has now 4 different types all with different sake inside!

If you look at the inside of cup once empty you will find out that the cats look at with different eyes!

Rice: Yamada Nishiki
Rice milled down to 55%
Alcohol: 16 degrees
Bottled in July 2015

Clarity: very clear
Color: very faint golden hue
Aroma: assertive, dry and fruity.
Banana, pears, custard, green apple.
Body: fluid, a little sirupy
Taste: dry and very fruity attack backed up with puissant junmai petillant.
Complex. Bananas, dry oranges, faint almonds.
Lingers only for a little while before departing on a drier note with drier chocolate, custard and mandarin oranges.
Oranges and coffee beans will make a surprise appearance once in a while.
Turns drier with food with faint coffee beans appearing.
Stays dry all the way through with plenty of junmai petillant.

Overall: very elegant and extravagant one cup sake!
　　　　　I wonder if people understand its real value as a premium sake and as a splendid souvenir!
To take with you on any trip and to forget the crowds!
No wonder it sells out so quickly!

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Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Oomuraya Brewery-Nagai Ki No Hashi Junmai Ginjo (conducted at la Sommeliere in Shizuoka City)

December 5, 2015 dragonlife 1 Comment

This time we tasted a classic by Oomuraya Brewery in Shimada City: Nagai Ki No Hashi Junmai Ginjo!
“Nagai Ki No Hashi” stands for Horai Bridge in Shimada City which holds the Guinness Book World Record of the longest pedestrian wooden bridge!

Rice milled down to 55%
Yeast: Shizuoka NEW-5
Alcohol: 15~16 degrees
Dryness: + 2.0
Acidity: 1.3
Amino acids: 1.1
Bottled in December 2015

Clarity: very clear
Color: faint golden hue
Aroma: assertive, dry, fresh and fruity
Lime, pears, green apples, banana, gin
Body: fluid
Taste: dry and fruity attack backed up with solid junmai petillant.
Complex. Green apples, dry custard.
Stays dry all the way through.
Lingers on palate only for a while before departing on strong notes of dry coffee beans, dry dark chocolate and dry almonds.

Overall: Both elegant and straightforward sake.
Can be enjoyed on its own at room temperature or as “nurukan” up to 45 degrees, or with a meal, especially as an aperitif as its dryness will disappear quickly enough and enhances the following glass of wine.
Actually drinks like a very dry Alsace wine!
Suggested pairings: sauerkraut, cold meats, feta cheese.

LA SOMMELIERE

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Shizuoka Sake tasting: Sanwa Brewery-Garyubai Genteihin Junmai Ginjo Aki Agari

November 27, 2015 dragonlife Leave a comment

The Autumn is a season impatiently awaited by sake aficionados and some breweries make a point to produce their first brews early.
In Shizuoka Prefecture, Sanwa Brewery in Shimizu Ku, Shizuoka City is arguably the first to do so!

And as usual they do come with long names for their sake:
Garyubai (sake name) Genteihin (limited product) Junmai Ginjo (sake grade) Aki Agari (“first to rise in Autumn”!)!

Rice: Gohyakumangoku (Toyama Prefecture), 93% + Yamada Nishiki (Hyogo Precture), 7%
Rice milled down to 60%
Alcohol: 15~16 degrees
Dryness + 3
Acidity: 1.3
Bottled in September 2015

Clarity: very clear
Color: almost transparent
Aroma: dry and fruity. Rice, green apples, hints of banana
Body: fluid
Taste: dry and fruity attack backed up with strong junmai petillant.
Complex: chestnuts, dry chocolate, almonds, coffee beans.
Lingers for a while before departing on a drier note with hints of persimmon, oranges and more almonds.
Tends to get even drier with food, especially sweets.

Overall: an intriguing sake with a complex approach.
Although eminently enjoyable on its own, does marry beautifully with food in spite of its elevated status.
A pity it is limited as it would definitely please many all year round!
Recommended pairings: oden, fish, cheese, fruits confits.

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HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

Fujieda City, One Cup sake, sake, Sake Brewery, Shizuoka Prefecture

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: One-Cup Series 13): Shidaizumi Brewery-Nyan Cup Shidaizumi “Rasta” Umeshu

November 25, 2015 dragonlife Leave a comment

A very interesting and reasonable way to taste sake is to acquire one-cup sake!
They also make for cute collection of glasses or cups!

Now, this is the fifth tasting of the second batch of Shizuoka Prefecture One Cup Sake I obtained at Matsuzakaya Department Store in Shizuoka City!

A one cup sake by Shidaizumi Brewery in Fujieda City

It is part of a series known all over Japan with cat designs and so-called Nyan Cups!
Although this one contains umeshu, it was originally created with junmai sake made in the same brewery!

That name “Rasta” is just great!

Alcohol: 11 degrees
Junmai sake
Ume/Japanese plums
Water
Sugar
Fruit juice

Clarity: very clear
Color: light brown
Aroma: assertive, sweet and fruity. Umeshu
Body: fluid
Taste: drier than expected and very fruity attack.
Complex. Sweetness will come with every sip to disappear quickly.
Lingers only for a little while before departing on a dry “ume” note.
Very pleasant alcohol.

Overall: an incredibly elegant umeshu, so different from most cloying products found on the market.
Its comparatively (for the market!) high alcohol content contributes to an unexpected complexity!
The ume/Japanese plum inside are of the crunchy type and quite dry.
The cup is so exquisite! A must souvenir!
To be indulged in any time, anywhere all year round!

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