We have wrote articles about sake tasting tips and notes and hope you enjoy reading them!
This time we would like to introduce three bottles that you must try while you are in Kyoto!
Key Words
Honjozo: Sake made up of rice, water, koji mold, yeast and a portion of added distilled alcohol. Rice polished 30%, with 70% of each grain remaining.
Ginjo: Sake made up of rice, water, koji mold, yeast and a portion of added distilled alcohol and the rice. Polished to 40% with 60% of each grain remaining.
Daiginjo: Sake made up of rice, water, koji mold, yeast and a portion of distilled alcohol, with rice polished to 50%.
Nigori: A cloudy sake variety of sake
Kotosennen
Brewery: Eikun
Category: Junmai Ginjyo
Polishing percentage: 55%
Rice: Iwai
One of the classical series [Kotosennen]. Compared with Junmai Daiginjo, this one smells not that fruity, but still can slightly feel an apple-like aroma. Tastes definitely dryer than Junmai Daiginjo. Could say it has the typical character of Junmai Ginjo.
Asahi Junmai Kotosennen
Brewery: Tsukinokatsura
Category: Junmai
Polishing percentage: 60%
Rice: Asahi No.4
My first time to try a sake made from the Asahi No.4 sake rice. This is a species of rice which is specially cultivated by farmers in Fushimi, Kyoto. Have a small sip, roll it with your tongue, imagine you are walking by a river side where lines laurel trees, in a silent cool night at an early spring. When it flows through the throat fluently, you can feel a mellow power spread to your whole stomach. What a beautiful Junmai. Like Momonoshizuku, this is also a more polished Junmai, with a higher price than the normal ones.
Tansyu Yamadanishiki
Brewery: Tomio
Category: Junmai Ginjo, unfiltered Namagenshu
Polishing percentage: 55%
Rice: Yamadanishiki
Yamadanishiki, King of sake rice! Un-filtering makes the tastes of Yamadanishiki even more obvious. Fresh smells may make you feel like you are walking in a rain forest. Although it is not diluted, alcohol content is still not so high, just 16%. The same category Junmai Ginjo as Kotosennen, but Kotosennen is more like a well-behaved lady, while Tansyu is more like an outgoing young girl who makes you want to have a date.
Join Our Tour!
When visiting Kyoto, you can’t miss a sake tour of Fushimi – so why not join us on a hunt for the area’s best sake, and best combination with food pairing session and find your favourite along the way?
We are the only sake tour company based in Kyoto Fushimi Sake Capital.
Good and strong relationship with local breweries and insiders allow us to provide you deeper sake experience.
Our guides are International Kikisake-shi, specialists of sake who can show how to enjoy sake according to personal preference, market condition, culture, and tradition. For any inquiries, please contact us 🙂
