| Country: | Japan |
| Region: | Miyagi |
| Winery: | Hoyo Uchigasaki Brewing Company |
| Grape Type: | Kura no Hana (Sake) |
| Vintage: | NV |
| Bottle Size: | 720 ml |
Sake Eikun Junmai Ginjo Water Lords is made with Iwai rice.
Eikun sake uses water from a source called "Fusui", rated as one of the top 100 sources of water in Japan. This water source is located just south of the ancient Japanese, and still cultural capital of Japan, Kyoto.
Aromas of macadamia oatmeal cookie, spicy zucchini bread, and vanilla cream with a satiny fruity-yet-dry medium-to-full body and a layered, banana custard, jicama, salted whole nut, apple, and radish nuanced finish. A Wonderfully vibrant and flavorful sake.-Beverage Tasting Institute 94 points (Exceptional)
RATING: 94 points (Exceptional)
CATEGORY: Junmai Ginjo Sake, Sake
ALCOHOL BY VOLUME: 15.3%
TASTING LOCATION: In Our Chicago Tasting Room
TASTING DATE: Dec-05-2012
WINE ID: 200768
Woodsy honeycomb, nutshell, and mushroom patch aromas with a satiny fruity-yet-dry medium-to-full body and a delicate savory mushroom stock, chestnut, and golden beet driven finish. A fine choice for tempura. 91 Points -Beverage Tasting Institute
RATING: 91 points (Exceptional)
CATEGORY: Junmai Ginjo Sake, Sake
ALCOHOL BY VOLUME: 15.4%
TASTING LOCATION: In Our Chicago Tasting Room
TASTING DATE: Dec-05-2012
WINE ID: 200767
Rice milling: 60%
Rice varietal: Iwai (Only available in Kyoto)
Alcohol: 15%
Sake meter value: +3.0
Acidity: 1.3
Tasting Notes: --------
Eikun sake uses water from a source called "Fusui", rated as one of the top 100 sources of water in Japan. This water source is located just south of the ancient Japanese, and still cultural capital of Japan, Kyoto.
Review:
"Clear with a platinum blue cast. Aromas of coconut milk, melon, pear and rice pudding with a with a supple, dry-yet-fruity medium body and a vanilla, apple, and pepper accented finish. A robust and lively sake that will sing with spicy Asian cuisine."
- Beverage Testing Institute (July 2nd 2014), 91 pts
Sake Eikun Junmai Ginjo Water Lords 12/720ml is made with Iwai rice.
Eikun sake uses water from a source called "Fusui", rated as one of the top 100 sources of water in Japan. This water source is located just south of the ancient Japanese, and still cultural capital of Japan, Kyoto.
Aromas of macadamia oatmeal cookie, spicy zucchini bread, and vanilla cream with a satiny fruity-yet-dry medium-to-full body and a layered, banana custard, jicama, salted whole nut, apple, and radish nuanced finish. A Wonderfully vibrant and flavorful sake.-Beverage Tasting Institute 94 points (Exceptional)
RATING: 94 points (Exceptional)
CATEGORY: Junmai Ginjo Sake, Sake
ALCOHOL BY VOLUME: 15.3%
TASTING LOCATION: In Our Chicago Tasting Room
TASTING DATE: Dec-05-2012
WINE ID: 200768
Made with Iwai rice.
Eikun sake uses water from a source called "Fusui", rated as one of the top 100 sources of water in Japan. This water source is located just south of the ancient Japanese, and still cultural capital of Japan, Kyoto.
Rice milling: 60%
Savory nuances of toasted quinoa, banana bread, and nutmeg are present in the nose. On the palate, this sake is layered, lifted and complex, with flavors of plantain, dried cranberry, nougat, white Mushroom and almond.
POLISHING RATIO: 60%
ALCOHOL: 15-16%
SMV +/-: +3.0
RICE KAKE: 50% WAKAMIZU 50% LOCALLY FARMED JAPANESE RICE
YEAST STRAIN: PROPRIETARY
Inviting aromas of mint, marshmallow and Asian pear pull you into this drink. Surprisingly dry, this Nigori (cloudy) style sake has a rich, chewy texture. The intriguing mid palate features mint, white chocolate, and tart cherries. The finish belies our expectations with an elegant, softness of minerals that settles in a dry finish.
Pair with roast duck, dry-rub ribs, full flavored country pate, and fruit and nut desserts of light sweetness.
Mildly ripe Coulommiers or Brie, Italian Raschera.
Serenely occupying the borderland between junmai and ginjo sakes, Hoyo's new label delivers the best of both worlds. An altogether new style of sake: trim, relaxed, expressive.
Rice Variety: Kura no Hana
Alcohol Percentage: 15.5%
Acidity: 1.5
Polishing Ratio: 55%
Sake Meter Value: +1.0
Yeast: Association 901
The Uchigasaki Brewing Company Brewery
In 1620, Date Masamune, daimyo of present-day Miyagi Prefecture, ordered his retainer Uchigasaki Oribe to build a town one day's march from Sendai, on the road north to Aomori. In 1661, Oribe's son Sakuemon founded the Uchigasaki Sake Brewery, which has continued in production for 343 years and is the oldest brewery in the region. Little is known of those early days, and we can only surmise what the brewery's sakes tasted like then. But today we know exactly what to expect when we see a bottle with the brewery's Hoyo label on it. The sake inside will be gentle, reticent and charming, especially so in the case of ones made from regional rice strains like "Manamusume" and "Kura no Hana," which seem to lend themselves especially well to the brewery's delicately nuanced brewing style.
There are commentators who have called attention to the connection between sake and Buddhism, noting how, after all, it is the tiny microorganisms who do all the work, with human beings acting as mere coaches on the side. Brewmaster Shoji Kano lets them do the work, but ensures that their every need is sincerely and attentively met.
“If sakes were people,” one enthusiast commented recently, "Kura no Hana daiginjo would be a young girl playing gaily in a meadow.” By aspiring to produce a label that is light, winsome and graceful, the Uchigasaki Sake Brewery has produced one of the very few "crossover" sakes in the United States: Even flinty burgundy-sippers light up with a smile at first sip.
Inglenook Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc.
Stunningly deep ruby in color, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon opens with heady aromas of brambly black cherry, vanilla, warm brioche, and crème de cassis. As the wine warms on the palate, notes of red cherry, graphite and fennel emerge, as very polished, refined tannins carry the wine into a long, fragrant finish. Layered flavors, good tension, and a perfect integration of wine and oak interact to create this classic expression of Inglenook Cabernet Sauvignon.
Review:
This shows notes of ripe blackberries and blackcurrants with hints of licorice, cloves, walnuts and chocolate. It has full body and a velvety tannin structure. Juicy and vibrant fruit on the palate with a touch of earthiness. Smooth and delicious. Long, fruity finish. Very pure fruit. Try after 2024.
-James Suckling 95 points
Ambre de Maltus Bordeaux Blanc is made from 70% Sauvignon Blanc, 30% Sémillion.
Malolactic fermentation.
The wine was aged in French Oak barrels for a few month (between 6 and 8 months depending on the barrel's toastiness and cooper)
Delicious with grilled fish or grilled vegetables