Dry, clean
sake with herbal and minty aromas. This is a representative Niigata style Junmai
sake made in Niigata, the heartland of Japanese premium sake production. 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 brewery won gold prizes at Japan Annual National Sake
Awards for four years in a row since 2016.
Basic
Information
Brand : KIRIN-ZAN
Type of sake: Junmai
Seimai Buai: Rice milled to 58 %
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 7th generation of the owner/founding family
Toji (Master Brewer): Yoshiaki Hasegawa
Ingredients
& Technical data
Rice: Gohyaku-man-goku and Koshi-ibuki
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, clean and medium bodied with moderate umami.
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.