This is the flagship label for Hiroki Sake Brewery and a sake which is very popular in Japan representing a good balance between rice umami flavours and mellow fruity tastes derived from fermentation. This sake has a bolder, layered more textural mouthfeel which creeps across the palate slowly showing ripe green apple and pear highlights and an elegant refreshing sourness before ending cleanly in the dry zone. Because of this structure and character this Tokubetsu Junmai is a natural pairing for many food styles from richer seafood and oily fish, through grilled meats and into heavily seasoned dishes with more complex flavours such as sea urchin or eel.
The reason this sake is classified as a “Special (Tokubetsu)” Junmai is because it is made of two sake specific rice varietals (Yamadanishiki & Gohyakumangoku) that have been polished to 50% and 55% respectively. These polishing ratios are much less than normal Junmai category sake where the rice is normally polished around 70%.
Try this sake in a thicker walled vessel/pottery or ceramic sake cup to appreciate more of the textural, umami elements.
- Brewery: HIROKI SAKE BREWERY
- Region: Fukushima
- Classification: Junmai Ginjo
- %ALC/VOL: 16.8%
- Net Volume: 1.8L
- Rice: Yamadanishiki (Koji), Gohyakumangoku (Kake)
- Rice Polishing Ratio: Koji rice 50%, Kake rice 55%
- SMV (Sake Meter Value): 3.0
- Serve: Cold | Chilled
- Matching Food: Oily Fish e.g., Sardine, Clam, Uni, Eel, Grilled Chicken, Nabe, Beef Steak