It is the season of brilliant fresh greenery. We find ourselves in the midst of Golden Week in Japan.
This year’s holidays are spread out, and many may choose to spend their time relaxing nearby rather than taking long trips. ✨
The soft breeze through the trees and the vivid, glowing green foliage are a feast for the eyes and soul. On such a gentle, sunlit afternoon, I’d love to recommend a sake that perfectly complements the moment.
The sake I’d like to introduce is “Urin Midori no Taiyo”. As the name suggests, this sake is as fresh as the fresh green leaves bathed in sunlight, and uplifts the spirit with its brightness.
Brewed with 100% Hattan Nishiki, a sake rice variety from Hiroshima, this sake is polished only to 80% to retain the full flavor of the grain. Hattan Nishiki has the characteristics of bold umami, refreshing sharpness, and green grass-like aroma sometimees emerge. Its character is beautifully expressed in this unfiltered, unpasteurized, undiluted style (muroka nama genshu). The brewery, Kyokuhou Shuzo, now led by its seventh-generation brewer, launched the “Urin” brand with a theme of “sunlight in everyday life.” It aims to offer a sake that shines brightly alongside open, cheerful moments during the day.
Urin Midori no Taiyo(Unfiltered, Unpasteurized, Undiluted Sake)
Ingredients: Rice (domestic), Rice malt (domestic)
Ingredient Rice: 100% Hattannishiki(produced in Hiroshima Prefecture)
Rice polishing ratio: 80%
Alcohol content: 17%.
Brewer's name : Kyokuhou Suzou (Hiroshima-shi, Hiroshima)
📒 Tasting Notes 📒
Appearance: a pale yellow-green color that seems to softly gather light. Its color with a sense of transparency.
Aroma: fresh melon, gently supported by nostalgic aromas like sweet barley candy, glutinous rice flour, and freshly pounded mochi.
Taste: The initial sip bursts with ripe melon sweetness, quickly followed by an elegant nutty sweetness reminiscent of rakugan (traditional Japanese sugar confections). Acidity is subtle, gently refreshing the palate. The finish is clean and crisp, with a short, elegant aftertaste that leaves a refreshing impression.In the mouth, the juicy sweetness of melon at its peak of ripeness spreads, followed immediately by the savory and elegant sweetness of rakugan. Acidity is subtle, gently refreshing the palate. The finish is clean and crisp, with a short, elegant aftertaste that leaves a refreshing impression.
✨🥂🥂✨
For pairing, it's perfect with prosciutto-wrapped cream cheese and shishito peppers. The saltiness of the prosciutto and the sweetness of the ripe melon harmonize beautifully with the refreshing sweetness of this sake to create a marriage.
Once bottle is opened, the sake’s aroma settles, and its flavor sharpens over the next few days. You can enjoy how it transitions—from the vibrant freshness typical of shinshu (newly brewed sake) to the tones of milder, firmer, and tigher flavors.🫛🧀🥩✨
💚🥩 Let this bottle accompany a tranquil spring afternoon in the sunlight,
or brighten up a holiday brunch table. ✨🫛🍶🥂
