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Watanabe Irootoko Junmai Daiginjō

Hōrai Watanabe Irootoko Junmai Daiginjō, the "lady killer", is made of Yamadanishiki milled to 45%. It is fruity, sweet and rich, leaving an elegant overall impression.
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Sake specs

Prefecture
Gifu (岐阜)
Rice type
Yamada Nishiki (山田錦)
Polishing rate (semaibuai)
45%
Alcohol content
15%
SMV
+3
Acidity
1.3
Hōrai Watanabe Irootoko Junmai Daiginjō (蓬莱 純米大吟醸 色おとこ)

Hōrai Watanabe Irootoko Junmai Daiginjō (蓬莱 純米大吟醸 色おとこ) is made of Yamadanishiki milled to 45%. It is fruity, sweet and slightly rich, leaving an elegant overall impression. According to the brewery, the owner of one best host clubs in Japan requested they produce an elegant sake befitting their establishment that pleases the ladies as much as champagne and cocktails. Hōrai crafted the Irootoko ("lady killer"). Best served well chilled and paired with white fish sashimi, steamed chicken and salad.

Awards:

  • 2019 International Wine Challenge Silver
  • 2020 International Wine Challenge Commended
  • 2020 The Fine Sake Award Gold Medal
  • 2021 International Wine Challenge Bronze
  • 2021 Kura Master Gold Award
  • 2021 Bordeaux Sake Challenge Gold
  • 2022 International Wine Challenge Bronze

Tasting notes IWC 2021

Aroma of floral notes with young melon, creamy rice pudding. Rounded body, with notes of cotton candy and fruit syrup.

Hōrai Watanabe Irootoko Junmai Daiginjō (蓬莱 純米大吟醸 色おとこ) Hōrai Watanabe Irootoko Junmai Daiginjō (蓬莱 純米大吟醸 色おとこ) Hōrai Watanabe Irootoko Junmai Daiginjō (蓬莱 純米大吟醸 色おとこ) Hōrai Watanabe Irootoko Junmai Daiginjō (蓬莱 純米大吟醸 色おとこ) Hōrai Watanabe Irootoko Junmai Daiginjō (蓬莱 純米大吟醸 色おとこ) Hōrai Watanabe Irootoko Junmai Daiginjō (蓬莱 純米大吟醸 色おとこ) Hōrai Watanabe Irootoko Junmai Daiginjō (蓬莱 純米大吟醸 色おとこ) Hōrai Watanabe Irootoko Junmai Daiginjō (蓬莱 純米大吟醸 色おとこ) Hōrai Watanabe Irootoko Junmai Daiginjō (蓬莱 純米大吟醸 色おとこ) Hōrai Watanabe Irootoko Junmai Daiginjō (蓬莱 純米大吟醸 色おとこ) Hōrai Watanabe Irootoko Junmai Daiginjō (蓬莱 純米大吟醸 色おとこ) Hōrai Watanabe Irootoko Junmai Daiginjō (蓬莱 純米大吟醸 色おとこ) Hōrai Watanabe Irootoko Junmai Daiginjō (蓬莱 純米大吟醸 色おとこ) Hōrai Watanabe Irootoko Junmai Daiginjō (蓬莱 純米大吟醸 色おとこ)

Hōrai Watanabe Shuzōten

About the brewery

Brewery
Hōrai Watanabe Shuzōten
Name in Japanese
蓬莱 渡辺酒造店
Address
7-7 Furukawachō Ichinomachi, Hida, Gifu 509-4234
Phone
0577-73-0012
Website
horai-watanabe-logo.png
The town of Furukawa in Hida, where the Hōrai Brewery is located, is situated in the Furukawa Basin in the northernmost part of Gifu Prefecture, surrounded by the Northern Alps and the Hida Mountains, which are over 3,000 metres in altitude. "The townscape of Hida Furukawa has a splendid, graceful and ancient character. The town is not a tourist destination so that you can feel its unspoilt appearance, expression and even personality," said author Shiba Ryōtarō (司馬 遼太郎, 1923-1996) in his book 'Kaidō wo Yuku. Ichino-cho, with its rows of old merchant houses with protruding wooden latticework, has a calm atmosphere, and the Setogawa riverbank, with its rows of storehouses with white and black hip walls, still exudes a tranquil atmosphere.

In 1732, Watanabe Kyuemon (渡邉久右衛門) established a business under the name 'Aragiya' (荒城屋), while Kyuemon II started a money-changing business and also produced raw silk to sell to Kyōto. In 1870, the fifth generation of Watanabe started brewing sake which became very popular. It is written that while singing Noh songs at a feast to enjoy sake, he got intoxicated by the indescribable droplets of gems. During the Meiji, Taisho, and Showa eras, he visited famous breweries nationwide and strived to learn sake brewing techniques. Wakayama Bokusui (若山牧水, 1885-1928) and other writers and artists visiting Hida loved it, and Hōrai gradually became known to sake connoisseurs. It has been highly praised as a representative sake of Hida, rooted in the local climate, and has been loved by locals for a long time as a part of the joy of life with seasonal ingredients.

Latest reviews

Colour / hue
Pale Yellow
Clarity
Clear
I strongly oppose the notion of specially crafted "lady sake", but if there ever was one, it's Hōrai's Irootoko, the "lady killer". The bottle, along with its label and box, comes in the gaudiest colours imaginable: think of an artistic fusion of Mondrian and Dali. The sake has a fruity nose and a fruity taste of melon, pear, and almonds with some floral notes. It is sweet, however, less than expected, well-rounded, full-bodied, with a slight acidity in the finish. Despite its classy touch, it is not a brew that left a deep impression; it is deep enough to look forward to degusting Hōrai's more traditional sake.

Horai Watanabe Irootoko Junmai Daiginjo
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sake information

Category
Junmai Daiginjō
Added by
JREF
Views
1,129
Reviews
1
Last update
Rating
4.00 star(s) 1 ratings
Location
〒509-4234 岐阜県飛騨市古川町壱之町7−7

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