Hatsumago 初孫Inaho Namazume Kimoto 生詰 生酛Junmai Ginjo 純米吟醸50% Seimai Buai

Rice - 100% Dewasansan 🌾
Prefecture - Yamagata Prefecture 山形県
Brewery - Tohoku Meijo 東北銘醸
Alcohol - 15.5%
Color - Colourless
Aroma - Steam 🍚 , 🍌, Barley, 🍈
Taste - Medium
Umami - Light
First impression - Fresh
Body - Light
Sweetness - Medium Sweet
Tail/length - Medium
Overall - First time trying a Hatsumago sake. Heard many great things about it and decided to give it a try. 初孫 means the first grandchild in Chinese, which happens to be me as well in my family. Since its founding, this brewery has consistently brewed sake using the kimoto style method which is often hard to find nowadays. They were also awarded the Sake Brewer of the Year by IWC consecutively for 2 straight years in 2018 & 2019. This bottle is a Namazume Kimoto sake. Namazume meaning it has only been pasteurized once before storage. Made with 100% Dewasansan rice from Yamagata and not the usual Yamadanishiki. Being a Kimoto style sake, the aroma is full of steam rice and fresh barley but at the same time filled with fruity aroma of melon and banana. With a 50% seimai buai, it can also be classified as a Daiginjo grade sake. The taste is medium with a light umami which is uncommon for a Kimoto style sake. Usually for a Kimoto style sake, the umami tends to be on the medium side. However with a light umami, it helps to bring out the taste of the fruity flavor. The light body with a medium sweetness is a great introduction for beginners to kimoto style sake. The medium length complements the medium taste making it a well balanced and rounded sake. Pairing is easy for food such as steam fish, sashimi, Japanese Kaiseki meals, tofu etc. Remember to serve chilled at around 10-15 degree in order to preserve the freshness of this Namazume.
Overall, this is a very good sake.

Mitsui San
An amateur sake lover who loves anything 🇯🇵 and started exploring 🍶 drinking 5 years ago. A Kikisakeshi #唎酒師 by SSI & Certified Sake Sommelier by SSA. IG: @mitsui.sakenoob