[SMV +17] Super Dry Junmai Ginjo - Danchigai Karakuchi -

[SMV +17] Super Dry Junmai Ginjo
- Danchigai Karakuchi -

We got our hands on this rare, super dry Junmai Ginjo with SMV+17!
Sake lovers will know how rare it is to try such dry Junmai Ginjo, even in Japan.

Now, exclusively at J Passport Selection by Ohta-san Alcohol.

Although it is super dry, it is the perfect match for delicious cuisines.
Refreshing, sharp aftertaste, you will never get tired of drinking!

Enjoy the commitment of sake from a traditional brewery in Nara prefecture, since 1727.

"The sake that plays the best role to complement delicious food"

With this concept, dry Junmai Ginjo is brewed.

For maximum enjoyment, drink it chilled, or pour it into a wine glass as you would have a white wine. The feature of the sake is a perfect match for Japanese food and light Italian food.

Outstanding SMV+17

SMV (Sake Meter Value) is an indicator of the sweetness or dryness of sake.

Most charts indicate SMV up till +15, it is very rare to come across a Junmai Ginjo with SMV+17, beyond the usual chart!

Easy to drink and retains the taste of Junmai Ginjo

Despite the high dryness, it is enjoyed by a lot of people for the refreshing, sharp taste. Drink it chilled, or pour it into a wine glass as you would have a white wine.

First, enjoy the aroma.
When you bring the glass to your mouth, the rich aroma of ”ginjo-ka" goes through your nose.
Second, enjoy the taste.
You can feel the flavor of the rice as you hold it in your mouth.
Lastly, enjoy the aftertaste.
That’s the very essence of dry sake. It is outstandingly refreshing and sharp, and does not linger in the mouth, so you will never get tired of drinking.

*Ginjo-ka...the unique aroma of sake that is produced by the yeast during the ginjo brewing process

It's well-received in Japan!

Yamatsuru brewery is located at the foot of Mount Ikoma, which lies between Nara and Osaka. The history of the brewery dates back to 1727, during the Edo period.
Since then, they have been brewing in this area for more than 290 years.

Feature 1. They brew sake with confidence

Even though they are one of the oldest sake breweries in Nara, it is not enough for them to be highly regarded.

For their existence and pride, they made a major change in their brewery policy in 1987.
They started producing only high-quality sake meeting a standard of named sake, like “Ginjo”, “Junmai” in small quantities (50 kl or 270 stones per year).

In order to achieve this, they have rebuilt their brewery to be suitable for brewing small quantities of high quality sake, and they have actively invested in equipment.

In 2005, the brewery returned to its roots as a sake brewery, producing only “Junmai”.

Feature 2. All sake is brewed to “Ginjo” standards

The sake brewing process begins with polishing the rice white to remove the fat and other miscellaneous ingredients around the rice grains, which are not necessary for sake brewing.

The average polishing ratio of Yamatsuru brewery is 49.6%, compared to the national average of about 72%, so you can see how particular they are about polishing the ingredients.

Furthermore, all of their sake, including Junmai-shu, is brewed to Ginjo-shu standards (rice used must be at least third grade, polished to 60% or less, and fermented at low temperatures).

This is the reason why Yamatsuru brewery is highly regarded as a different kind of sake, even at the same level.

Feature 3. A fusion of the latest equipment and human skills

Yamatsuru brewery uses traditional techniques as the basis of its sake brewing, but it also actively introduces new equipment and techniques if they are useful in enhancing the quality and taste of its sake and making the best use of its handmade qualities.

One example of this is the construction of a dedicated Ginjo brewery in 1987, equipped with the latest equipment. Yamatsuru's philosophy is to let people do the things that can only be done by human skills and to let machines do the things that are better left to machines.

Feature 4. Taking great care in managing own products

Even if sake is brewed with great care, it will be ruined if it is not managed properly. They store their sake at a low temperature of -5 degrees Celsius for raw sake, and for heat-treated sake, they bottle it, warm it up, and cool it down quickly before storing it in a refrigerator at a temperature below 18 degrees Celsius.

They also sell our sake only to stores that are able to manage their products well. This is because no matter how good the sake is, if the product is not handled properly at the distribution stage, there is a great possibility that the contents will be altered.

Their desire is to deliver sake that has been brewed as if they were caring for their own children, freshly squeezed or with the same flavor as when it was first brewed. With this in mind, Yamatsuru brewery makes the most of the advantages of being a small sake brewery and continues to make every effort.

As explained above, they are very particular about the quality of brewing sake, environment and equipment of the brewery and the skills of our brewers. They are striving to improve quality by actively introducing the latest equipment while adhering to traditional craftsmanship.