In our last entry we reviewed this kura’s Shirakawago Junmai Nigorizake Dekitate Nama and commented that it was “dessert in a glass.” That descriptor might apply here, as well, but none of us was overly impressed with this offering. The abv is 11%, and it has a nihonshu-do of -50, which means it is very sweet. A little more information might be helpful here. You might be wondering what nihonshu-do is and how a minus can be a plus. The nihonshu-do is a measure of gravity. Alcohol is lighter than water. Residual sugar is heavier. A zero reading would mean that the seesaw is balanced. It is customary to indicate greater heaviness, or sweetness, with a minus sign. It is not unusual to encounter a sake with a -10 nihonshu-do, but -50 is not so common. This measurement, of course, is consistent with what our taste buds perceived. Its seimaibuai is 70%, which means that the rice-polishing removed 30% of the outer portion of the grains. It is in neither in the premium daiginjoshu or ginjoshu categories. The nose is redolent of cotton candy (a.k.a., candy floss) and of ramune, a Japanese soft drink.
Recommendation level (out of five stars):
⭐️⭐️
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Drinking Japan 