Sharaku Junmai Ginjo Sake (BTL 720ml)

With rich clay soil, ideal temperatures for rice-growing, and well-water conducive to sake-making, this brewery showcases the best of Aizu in Fukushima. The brewery also prides itself on using mainly rice grown by local farmers. Sharaku gained nationwide acclaim in 2013 when Dancyu magazine (a great source for sake and shochu news and features) identified Sharaku as a sake brand to watch. Since then, demand for Sharaku sakes have sky rocketed and bottles are often hard to come by. It was our former staff Ian, who now lives in Japan, who tapped us on the shoulder and told us that Sharaku was now coming into the U.S. Part of the appeal of Sharaku sakes is that they are fruit-forward but refreshing.

We settled on this Sharaku Junmai Ginjo because it encapsulates the signature Sharaku profile. We get aromas of red apple and banana. Once sipped, enjoy flavors of peach, juicy mango, with a refreshing tail of lime rinds and a hint of acidity. This combination of slightly fruit sweetness with a crisp end is what has captured the heart of sake otaku in Japan. And the cheese winner is: Tallegio! This semi-soft, washed-rind cheese with a golden-orange exterior is a mild, buttery, cheese from Italy. The mild flavor profile with a hint of fruity aroma echoes some of the characteristics of the sake. The buttery, mellow flavors of the cheese highlight the mineral flavors in the sake, making the sake drink even more crisp and clean. This is a sake and cheese pairing that would be ideal to have out on the table as soon as guests arrive - fresh yet flavorful and won't obliterate the palate.

Features

• Brewed in Fukushima Japan by Miyaizumi Meijo
• Style: Junmai Ginjo
• Seimaibuai (rice kernel remaining): 50% Gohyaku Mangoku, SMV: +1 Acidity: 1.4
• ABV: 15%
• Size: 24 fl oz (720ml)