Hokkan Honjirushi Sakura Daiginjo is a floral and elegant sake from Tochigi in Japan. It is made from rice, where 50% is polished away, and the more of the rice’s exterior you remove, the finer the taste.
Colour: Light golden.
Aroma: Vanilla, apple, rice and a touch of pepper.
Tasting notes: Fresh and crisp. Short, fruity taste of apple, a little pineapple and stone fruit.
Serving suggestion: Enjoy it slightly chilled, e.g. with sushi.
Located in Habikino, Osaka, Choya is the world’s largest (and, in the opinion of many, the best) producer of umeshu. And what is that? Yes, umeshu is a Japanese liqueur made from the ume fruit, which belongs to the same family as plums and apricots, but has a significantly higher acid content. Choya makes many different kinds of umeshu, some completely traditional and others more innovative – but what they all have in common is that no artificial additives are ever used – neither coloring nor flavouring.
The flavor of a good umeshu comes not only from the fruit’s flesh and skin, but also from the core. Out of the hundreds of ume varieties that exist in Japan, Choya has chosen to work with only four, of which Nanko-ume from Wakayama in particular is particularly sought after, among other things, because of its high acidity.
