Dry, clean sake with herbal and minty aromas. This is a representative Junmai sake made in Niigata, the heartland of Japanese premium sake production.

Basic Information

Brand : KIRIN-ZAN

Type of sake: Junmai

Seimai Buai: Rice milled to 60 %

Alcohol: 15-16% by volume

Size ＆ UPC: 720ml, 12-pack UPC 844650025033

Producer

Name: Kirinzan Shuzo Founded: 1843

Location: 46 Tsugawa, Aga-cho, Higashi-kanbara-gun, Niigata 959-4402, Japan

Website: www.niigatasake.com

President: Shuntaro Saito – the 7^th generation of the owner/founding family

Toji (Master Brewer): Yoshiaki Hasegawa

Ingredients & Technical data

Rice: Gohyaku-man-goku and Yukinosei

Water: Soft water

Yeast: G9NF

Nihonshu-do (SMV): +4 Acidity: 1.4 Amino acids: 1.3 No sulfite, no preservatives.

Other Information

Serving temp: Chilled, Room temp., Luke-warm

Tasting note: Herbal, minty and slightly gamey. Dry, lean and attractive.

Food pairing: Matches well with Sukiyaki and Eel kabayaki.

Escargots Barigoule – A hard dish to harmonize with wine because of the artichokes. But with Sake, it is a different match allowing for the herbs and mint to intermingle with gaminess and buttery aroma of the sauce and the chewy texture of the snails.

Clams Casino – The brininess of the clam liquor mixed with the pungent aroma from the chopped and sweated garlic adds the herbal note to the clams and compliments the herbal minty aroma and taste of the dry Junmai sake.

Other pairings – Mussels mariniere, Oyster Rockefeller, Escargots Barigoule.

Kirinzan Shuzo is located near Mt. Kirin (= Kirin-zan) in Tsugawa, Niigata. Kirin is a mythical creature much like a flying unicorn, is believed to bring about happiness and luck.

The producer won gold medals at Japan National Sake Competition in 2014, 2012, 2009, 2008, etc.