Nanbu Bijin's signature brand, which uses locally grown Ginotome rice. Highly aromatic, with fruit, floral and delicate grain notes (rice pudding, mochi)-- Neat, clean, and crafted to pair with a wide range of food, excellent at any temperature. When it landed on the scene it took the sake world by storm, and remains a stalwart representation of the "modern" style of sake, from which thousands of others have taken inspiration.
Stats:
- Prefecture: Iwate
- Brewery:
- Brand: Nanbu Bijin
- Rice: Ginotome
- Polishing: 55%
- Yeast: M310
- Won Sake of the Year at IWC 2017
The brewery was established in 1902, and the Nanbu Bijin brand name came to be in 1951. The Iwate area used to be called Nanbu (South), and is a place rich with nature, abundant water and fertile soil. In Japan, most breweries of the time made quite rough, inelegant, sweet sake, but this brewery wanted to make clean & beautiful sake like a fair southern maiden. Hence, the name Nanbu Bijin, or Southern Beauty.