Item Number: 1860 UPC: 0835603005448

Country: Japan
Region: Kyoto Prefecture
Grape(s): Gohyakumangoku Rice / Gin-Ohmi Rice
Type: Sake - Sake
Bottle Size: 720ml Pack: 6
Closure: Screwcap
Special Attributes: Junmai Nigori
Alc by Vol(%): 14.9
Seimaibuai: 70% (30% of rice grain polished away)
Yeast: Brewer's Original
Nihonshu-do: +1
Brewery Name: Kizakura Sake Brewery Co. Ltd.

Tasting Notes: This is a fairly thick and chewy "nigorizake" (cloudy sake), but it is still surprisingly dry. The aromas are bright and fresh and they show a lovely ricey and fruity combination. In the mouth, this sake has solid weight and gives the same flavors of fresh fruit and creamy fresh rice that your nose told you about. The finish has a pleasant astringency and is nicely mellow, beckoning you for another mouthful. You will rarely taste a classier nigori at this price. This maybe the ultimate food-friendly nigori.

Notable Facts: Kizakura Brewery is located in Fushimi in the southern part of Kyoto, the oldest sake brewing area in Japan. The local "Fushi-Mizu" or crystal clear, underground "Fushimi Water", is well-known for bringing out the full flavor of sake. And Kyoto's especially frigid winters, called "So-ko-bi-e", are ideal for creating stable, cold temperatures inside the brewery. This helps to keep fermentation temperatures low and extend fermentation time so that delicate flavors and aromas remain in the sake.

About Snow Maiden: The image on the label is a "koi", or Japanese carp. Ornamental domesticated carp have been bred for their bright colors for centuries in Japan. Perhaps the most famous koi is one named "Hanako", which reportedly lived for 226 years! "Hanako" translates to "Flower Maiden", but in homage to the long-lived Hanako, which lived in the icy waters at the foot of Japan's Mt. Ontake, we have named this sake "Snow Maiden."