Sake, are you drinking it?

Sake Ambassador @ Makoto Omori.

Under the title of 'Sake Ambassador', I work to increase sake consumption through a variety of methods, including planning and organising sake events, consulting restaurants, and helping sake retailers and breweries increase sales.

I would like to introduce Niigata's recommended local sake in a series of articles in this 'Niigata Repo'. The title of the series is 'Sake Ambassador Shin Omori's "Cheers to Sake Tonight!"'. The title of the series is 'Sake Ambassador Shin Omori's "Sake toast tonight! Thank you very much for your kind attention.

Now, this is the first sake to be introduced in the commemorative edition!

Kakurei Koshi-tanrei Special Junmai Unfiltered Nama-shu from Aoki Shuzo Co, Minamiuonuma City, Niigata Prefecture.

• Aoki Sake Brewery - Founded in 1717. The brewery has been brewing sake for about 300 years and produces about 2,000 koku (about 200,000 bottles) only during the winter, when it is said that 'sake is best brewed in the cold'. While most Niigata sake is light and dry, the brewery aims to preserve the original flavour of the sake.
• Representative brands - Tsururei, Makino, Yukio, Yukifu.

This sake is a limited brew of sake that can only be bought from a limited number of special dealers throughout the country.

This is a gem purchased from Masatoshi Nagao, a friend I met on Facebook who runs a liquor store called "Kaneshin" in Uonuma City, Niigata Prefecture. (Thank you very much, Mr Nagao).

Tsururei Special Junmai Koshi-tanrei Specifications

The rice is 100% Koshitanrei from Uonuma-Shiozawa.

• Semolina: 55 per cent
• Nippon Sake Degree: -1
• Acidity: 1.6
• Amino acidity: 1.1.
• Alcoholic strength: 17° C.
• Special pure rice unfiltered raw sake

Unfiltered raw sake - Sake that has not undergone the filtering, heating and watering processes that are normally carried out during the sake making process. It is characterised by its fresh and powerful taste and flavour.

The nose is slightly floral and fruity. In the mouth, you feel a momentary calmness like a small wave, followed immediately by the umami, sweetness and richness of the rice, as well as the richness and power of unfiltered, unpasteurised sake.

It finishes with a sufficient aftertaste, and then snaps and flows on with a pleasant acidity.

Slightly sweet. This is a delicious sake that will pair well with medium to dark dishes.

By the way, recently it seems that the number of people who are involved in, interested in and have started drinking sake is gradually increasing. This is a wonderful thing.

Some people tell me that my updated blog ( http://ameblo.jp/bigforest0819/) has inspired them to drink sake.

I am really happy about it.

From now on, we hope to provide a variety of sake information on Niigata Repo and increase the number of sake drinkers.

We look forward to working with you in the future.

If you're Japanese, it's sake, isn't it?

Sake, supreme!

Brewery information

Aoki Brewery Co.

• Address: 1214, Shiozawa, Minamiuonuma, Niigata 949-6408, Japan.
• Telephone 025-782-0023
• Website: http://www.kakurei.co.jp/