Ishimoto Koshi no Kanbai Shin Ginjō

Koshi no Kanbai Shin Ginjō (石本酒造 越乃寒梅 澵 吟醸) is made of Gohyakumangoku and Yamadanishiki rice (from Niigata and Hyōgo, respectively) milled to 55%. Combining the beautiful sake quality of Koshi no Kanbai with its pleasant flavours and the aged flavour of Yamadanishiki, Ishimoto created a dignified Ginjō with a moist and soft taste, the brewery's new standard sake.

Sommelier Tasaki Shinya attests to a calm and elegant impression, especially the dairy scent: scents of fresh milk, fresh cream, and whipped cream, along with a faint scent of sour cream and cream cheese, harmonise with cherry blossom leaves, oak leaves, honeysuckle, and a hint of banana and lychee. The first impression is mellow and soft, and the flavour is smooth and creamy, with a fresh cream-like flavour. The well-balanced combination of multiple rice varieties suitable for sake brewing gives it a smooth taste and the dryness is felt in the aftertaste from the second half onwards, with a minerality that persists.

Do not chill too much to maintain the creaminess; consume at 15 to 16°C. Enjoy a richer, fuller flavour by heating it to 35-45°C. Recommended food pairings are cauliflower mousse, white asparagus mousseline sauce, crab and mackerel bowl, umaki, and cream-stewed scallops.

Ishimoto Brewery was founded in 1907. While most of the sake industry switched to the so-called 'triple sake brewing method' (三倍醸造 san-bai jōzō) during the rice shortages following World War II, Ishimoto continued to produce light and dry sake with a clean, refreshing taste. As the public preferred rich and sweet sake, sales stagnated. In the 1960s, essayist Sasaki Hisako, editor-in-chief of the magazine 'Sake' (酒), published a feature on Koshino Kanbai, describing it as 'fantastic sake'. In 1963, Sasaki's devotion to Koshi no Kanbai was picked out by Shukan Asahi magazine, triggering a new sake boom. Koshi no Kanbai continues to be highly popular to this day.

Ishimoto sources Yamadanishiki rice from Miki, Hyōgo Prefecture, and asks local farmers in Niigata Prefecture to grow Gohyakumangoku rice under contract. Koshino Kanbai is a representative sake of Niigata Prefecture and one of the best-known sake brands in the country. It has the typical flavour of Niigata sake: light and dry, with a light and refreshing taste. The main line-up includes White Label Futsūshu, Bessen Tokubetsu Honjozo, Mukunin Junmai Ginjō, Tokusen Ginjō, Kinmukun Junmai Daiginjō, and Chotokusen Daiginjō.