Yamagata Masamune Natsu no Junmai
An exciting summer release from Mitobe Shuzo in Yamagata, brewed with the Daiginjo rice variety Yuki Megami (Snow Goddess) grown on the brewery’s own fields. This iconic summer sake (natsuzake) is build to refresh and provide relief from the Japanese summer heat. Normally, the rice for this sake is polished to 50%, but production has now shifted to 60% because the rice varies from year to year. It’s striking that even though the rice polishing ratio is lower, the flavor profile is very similar to that of a Junmai Daiginjo.
Color: Clear with a creamy golden hue
Aroma: Koji rice, green notes, cedar, tropical fruit
Tasting notes: Fruity, juicy dark cherries, spicy, airy sweetness, tart sharpness but not aggressive. This sharpness is distributed throughout the taste, not just in the finish. The acidity holds the profile together so the sweetness doesn’t become dominant. The mouthfeel is like that of a solid Junmai Daiginjo: silky, viscous, juicy, and lingering.
Serving: Chilled, a few degrees below room temperature—definitely not straight from the refrigerator. In fact, the closer it is to room temperature, the broader the flavor spectrum, the greater the aroma, umami, and pronounced rice sweetness.
Food pairing: We’re thinking about texture with this summer sake. Langoustine is first on the list, either raw with a brushstroke of shoyu or grilled in its shell. Scallops with ponzu butter would also be a treat with Natsu no Junmai. Or skip the food altogether and enjoy it on the beach with fresh summer peas in the pod.
- Volume: 720ml
- ABV: 16%
- Polishing: 60%
- Rice strain: Yuki Megami (from the brewery's own fields)
- Gærtype: Nr. 14
- Pressing: Yokoyama (mekanisk presning)
- Namazume (pasteurisering i flasken)
Brewery: Mitobe Shuzo, Yamagata Prefecture
