Sake Trend February Newsletter
New Product Azumino Umeshu (Plum Sake)
Recently Sake Trend added this Wonderful Azumino Umeshu from Fukugen Sake Brewery. This is first Umeshu Sake Trend added in our products and very exciting!
What is Umeshu?
Umeshu (梅酒) is a Japanese liqueur made by steeping ume plums in liquor (焼酎, shōchū) and sugar. You may see many Umeshu in the market now, but those umeshu are typically made with Shochu or brandy.
It is believed the existence of Ume - plums can be confirmed for 4,000 years, During the Edo period (1600-1700s), the culture of processing plums seemed to have established and Umeshu is a part of Japanese culture.
I still remember that my obaachan - grandma in Kagoshima used to give me some umeshu when I had sore throat or cold to relieve symptoms. Not really sure if Umeshu was helpful to cure but Umeshu always reminds me of nostalgic family-love, kind-heart, and warmness.
The distinguish character of Azumino Umeshu is made by Japanese sake instead of Shochu. Japanese sake has a lower alcohol content than shochu or brandy, making it difficult to brew, but when compared to other umeshu products using shochu or brandy, this Azumino Umeshu has a mellow texture and very smooth.
This is made from carefully selected ripe plums grown at the foot of the Alps, brewed with Azumino's clear spring water and Japanese sake brewed with richly grown sake rice, and aged for over 8 years. Plum extract brings a fresh scent and a gentle and mellow taste. Enjoy having it straight, on the rocks, with carbonated water, or even as an ingredient in dishes.
Notes from
The Sake Underground
by
Todd Eng
Instagram @ToddEng
Twitter/X @Toddthesakeman
Spring has sprungHiking along muddy leaf strewn paths on chilly days, clouds zipping by with occasional bursts of intense rain, warm sun and clear weather, it must be spring! Still the winter season does not exit lightly.
Did you know that sake brewing is a job typically done seasonally? Most sakagura brew sake only during the winter season, the practice is known as “kantsukuri” as opposed to “shiki-jozo” or all-season brewing.
Kantsukuri has many practical advantages, chief among them is that the colder weather leads to less spoilage risk, more consistency and with the additional bonus of more workers being available for brewing. In fact, kanshu or cold weather brewed sake was famous at the time for being higher quality. During the time of the Tokugawa shogunate, in the 1600’s, brewing other than kantsukuri became forbidden, and that settled the question for several hundred years until the Showa era (20th century).
Now, all-season brewing is not only possible, it also has several advantages in modern Japan. But still, old habits die hard and most breweries stick with traditional brewing cycles and the Winter is the busiest time for sake breweries.
Now that it is turning to Spring and we are able to enjoy new, fresh sake, I raise my glass to these hard-working men and women. Your winter labor is much appreciated!
Though not a shiboritate, this delicious namazake from Ryoko exhibits some of that same exuberant character.
https://saketrend.com/products/ryoko-peaches-junmai-daiginjyo-nama-origarami
Peaches!!
The rich taste unique to Origarami is characterized by the faint sweetness derived from the koji, and at the same time the effervescence and moderate acidity make the mouthfeel refreshing, not sticky like some Nigori.
Likely the only cloudy Junmai Daiginjo Nama in the US.
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Prince Nagaya Gold Medal in International Wine Competition 2023!!
The recipe for Prince Nagaya was created around 700 A.D., long before modern brewing methods and the ability to finely polish rice was developed.
Congratulations!!