Velvety and comforting, ricey with floral top notes, like its famous sibling "Sacred Power." In the Kumamoto style, Shared promise is full bodied, softly textured, full of life, but finishing a bit dryer than most other Southern sake. Compared to other selections from $25-30, this one is the most weighty, the most unctuous.
What else is there to say about a really good $27 junmai? It tastes lovely, goes down easy, and is a natural pair for the specialties of kumamoto: tonkotsu ramen, kumamoto oysters (the big ones...grown much larger than ours!), and karashi renkon, a deep-fried, miso & mustard-stuffed lotus root sliced for snacking with sake. At home, I love it with alfredo.
Stats:
- Brewery: Chiyonosono
- Established: 1896
- Prefecture: Kumamoto
- Rice: Gohyakumangoku
- Polish: 65%
- Starter method: Sokujo
- Yeast: Kumamoto (strain of #9)
- SMV: +3.5
Known as the Junmai expert, Chiyonosono was one of the first breweries to stop adding distilled alcohol to its sake after the rice shortages of World War II, paving the way for the popularity of Junmai today. Originally a rice wholesaler, Chiyonosono specializes in rice cultivation. Chiyonosono has access to heirloom strains and brews sake with distinctive rice textures and aromas.
The brewery is located on the southernmost island of Kyushu—the gateway into Japan—known for Asian and European cuisine, historic architecture, and distinct regional culture. The future 5th generation president and daughter of the current brewery president, Yuri Honda, is already making a name for herself as an innovator in the sake community and is primed to continue pushing the brewery toward forward-thinking yet approachable sake.