Manotsuru Daiginjo

The brewery describes the Manotsuru Daiginjō (真野鶴 大吟醸) as a gorgeous, fresh and light daiginjō with a hint of Niigata's "tanrei dryness"; light, refreshing, and "popular with women who don't usually drink sake".

Manotsuru Daiginjō has a fruity aroma, a light and refreshing taste, and a mild finish. It is made of Niigata's gohyakumangoku rice and has the typically light and dry taste of Niigata sake. It has a refreshing apple aroma and a light mouthfeel, and it is recommended to serve it slightly chilled with appetisers. If chilled too much, the aroma will be lost. It is best served in a thin bowl or a white wine glass.

Obata Shuzō was founded by Obata Yosozaku in 1885 on the island of Sado off the coast of Niigata. With its world-famous rice and pure, soft groundwater, Sado is an ideal place for sake production. The kura is still owned and managed by the Obata family. The tōji (master brewer) is Kudō Kenya (工藤賢也), born 1971, who apprenticed under Maho Matsui, another famed tōji. For more than ten decades, Obata Shuzō's brewers have spent the whole brewing season in winter at the brewery to take care of sake throughout the day and brewed traditionally handcrafted sake.

Since 2009, the brewery has been devoting its efforts to produce premium sake (特定名称酒 tokutei meishō-shu) to create higher quality sake. In 2003, Obata Shuzō started to export to 15 countries, including the United States, Hong Kong, Singapore, and it is also installed in Air France's first-class and JR East "Shikishima". Manotsuru has been receiving gold medals at the National New Sake Awards for six consecutive years and the world-renowned International Wine Challenge (IWC). The Obata family crest consists of four diamonds representing the three elements crucial in sake brewing: rice, water and humans; in addition, the brewery also takes climate and nature (terroir) into account. Its motto is shihōwajō (四宝和醸) which translates to "brewing well-balanced sake by harmonising the principles of the four diamonds."