As a sake lover, Shimizu Seizaburo Shoten Brewery should be famiilar to you. Its brand 'Zaku', which aims at innovation on Japanese sake, is just established for 20 years and is already a frequent winner in different sake contests, making ite one of the most popular sake brands.
But other than the famous 'Zaku', Shimizu Seizaburo has another brand with a longer history: Suzukagawa. Zaku is modern, crisp and fruity, which is popular among both beginners and sake geeks. On the other hand, Suzukagawa is classic, rich and floral, which is more well-known in the local market. In fact, with smaller production, Suzukagawa is even rarer and seldom available in restaurants or department stores. If you deem yourself as a sake fan, definitely you should not miss the new limited sake we introduce this month.
The Suzuka Mountains are steep and with high-quality soft water.the water quality is soft and high-quality. The Ise Plain at the foot of the mountain also benefits from this, making it a suitable land for rice cultivation. Such a privileged environment has created an optimal location for sake brewing, and has also been the base of the Shimizu Seizaburo Shoten Brewery for over 150 years. Although it is not a large brewery, the brewers have always try to develop new sake and keep the traditions of their predecessors in the meanwhile, to show their sincere in sake brewing.
Every year at the beginning of the year, many brewery will introduce a kind of 'early sake' (known as Shiboritate) which is using the sake rice harvested in autumn as the main ingredient. As the fermentation time is short, the taste of Shiboritate is fresher by comparing to the aged ones Suzukagawa is having a shiboritate in limited quantity this year. It is sweet and clean with the notes of green apples and pears. As a shiboritate, it has a light bubble mouthfeel and refreshing, it is even more crisp as glass when it is served cold. As the temperature gradually increases, the sake becomes smooth and soft. The overall impression is slightly sweet, while the aftertaste is slightly sour like orange and peach.
In addition to the attractive taste, the brewery has also worked hard on the design. The bottle packaging is using a special paper called Isekatagami, which a traditional craft in the Suzuka region. Many of the patterns on the kimono are first carved on this Isekatagami paper and then dyed. Making Isekatagami requires not only the skill of a craftsman, but also a passion for manufacturing, which is exactly the same as sake brewing and therefore the brewery hopes to convey the charm of Suzukagawa sake through this unique packaging.
LIMITED ITEM
LIMITED ITEM
Suzukagawa Shiboritate
Junmai Daiginjo
The aroma is gorgeous and refreshing with a remarkable taste. A precious Junmai Daiginjo shiboritate which can only be found in the beginning of the year.
