A popular tale in Japanese folklore goes like this: 

Stories like that of Momotaro's make sense in the context of Japanese society, where the peach, called Momo ("もも") in Japanese, is a longstanding symbol of good fortune, prosperity, and fertility. In the retelling of folklore, the peach is often credited for imbuing Momotaro with the strength, bravery and magical powers that made it possible for him to defeat the ogre.

This symbolism extends beyond Japan but also to many Eastern asian cultures. In China for example, the popular fantasy novel Journey to West depicts a mystical peach garden where the consumption of a single peach grants the consumer 3,000 years of life and magical powers.

Japanese peaches: a symbol of good fortune, fertility and prosperity! (Image source: Ikidane Nippon)

Today, I'm reviewing a special peach umeshu from one of my favourite umeshu brands, Yatagarasu. Yatagarasu is actually produced by Kitoaka Honten, a sake brewery in the Nara prefecture. The brewery first began fermenting soy sauce and sake when it was founded 1868, but it wasn’t until multiple generations later that one of the heirs, Sojuro, wanted to expand the brewery by distilling and fermenting local fruit and flora. Consequently, Kitoaka Honten started to gain a reputation for their burgeoning liqueur collection. For this bottle, Japanese peaches were blended with plum wine from Nara.

Yatagarasu Yoshino Monogatari Peach Umeshu - Tasting Notes

Nose: Fresh peaches, cream soda

Palate: The texture of this is thick, creamy and cloudy. The mouthfeel here is quite lush. Upon sipping it, there’s an immediate milky flavour of sweet yoghurt and cream soda, with bright sweet notes of peaches, strawberries and apricots infused within it. 

Finish: Short and sweet. There’s a note of peaches and cream, with buttery shortcrust and a drying, milky aftertaste reminiscent of yoghurt drinks. 

My Rating: 

👹😚🥛

Will this grant me magical powers enough to help me defeat an ogre? Probably not. But this umeshu is sweet and sessionable enough that it might help mellow out even the grumpiest ogre if I served it to him. 

You can purchase a bottle of Yatagarasu Yoshino Monogatari Peach Umeshu from Orihara at this link.

@lotusroot518