Senjo Junmai Daiginjo

Regular price: $43.00 USD
Sale price: $43.00 USD
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At room temperature or gently chilled, fresh and spiced autumnal notes of hachiya persimmon, apricot, noyaux, almond butter, spice, and apple characterize the rich palate, whose soft sweetness lends full body to this very flavorful, yet elegant, junmai daiginjo. The texture is soft, slippery, creamy with only the slightest bit of mineral astringency. I find it difficult to put down, even without food– but the full body and sweetness make it a natural pairing for the classic entrees of the American holiday table. Thanks to its richness, this is one of the few Junmai Daiginjo that heats nicely as well: at a very gentle 110F, the sweetness and umami are emphasized, the spice notes become more evident, and the generous aromatics are preserved. No surprise: as a sake from snowy, mountainous Nagano, it is most welcome to brew something that can be served warm.

In short: a daiginjo to get cozy with.

Stats:

Brewery: Kuromatsu Senjo
Location: Ina City, Southern Nagano prefecture
Water: Spring water pulled from 60 meter deep wells, fed by snow melt from the locally famous Mt. Senjo.
Rice: Hitogokochi grown locally in Nagano
Polishing: 40%
Grade: Junmai Daiginjo
Yeast: 1801
Starter: Sokujo

For intentional food pairing, think winter food and mountain food, particularly pickles, preserved items, and dishes with significant sweetness. Pork chops with a dried fruit and mustard sauce, duck with mango chutney, roasted acorn squash with dried cherry chutney and roasted hazelnuts. Regional specialties in Ina City and Nagano include sansai: mountain vegetables, often pickled, cooked with mirin, soy and dashi, or fried as tempura; oyaki: wheat pancakes stuffed with leafy greens or anko , anything and everything miso (Nagano produces half of the nation’s miso), yakiniku (grilled meat), soba, sweet-salty crickets and other crunchy bugs as drinking snacks, and a dish more or less exclusive to Ina City: romen, which is like a soupy yakisoba made with mutton. A bit powerful and gamey, but great with sake.