A Junmai brewed naturally using the ancient Yamahai starter method without any additional yeast and then matured at room temperature. When heated to a high temperature, it gains a richness, aroma, and gentleness, that makes it stand out.
Tamagawa Spontaneous Fermentation Junmaishu (Yamahai) “Vintage” 2020
| Vintage | 2020 |
| Years aged | 6 years |
- 2010 or later
- All Products
- Less than 5,000 yen
- Light Yellow/Green
- More attractive when warmed
- Throughout the meal
- 5-9 years
- Brewer：Kinoshita Sake Brewery
- Alcohol：15 degrees or more and less than 16 degrees
- Volume：720ml
Couldn't load pickup availability
[ Drinking alcohol under the age of 20 is prohibited by law. ]
This Yamahai brewed with Kita Nishiki sake rice is the centerpiece of Tamagawa's additive-free Natural Shikomi series.
The brewery enhances the sake's color and flavor by adding water to the unprocessed sake and maturing it at room temperature for over three years.
It is characterized by a fragrance reminiscent of caramel and nuts and a pale amber color.
When heated as hot as possible, the aroma and flavor obtained through aging become clearer and more gentle.
Below is a message from the brewery.
“Yamahai's naturally brewed Junmaishu and Muroka (no added active carbon) Nama (unpasteurized) Genshu (undiluted), made with Kita Nishiki sake rice, have been our main product for many years.
Although we had high hopes for the potential of an aged pasteurized, diluted version, supply was limited due to demand for Nama Genshu sake and storage space issues.
By significantly expanding the storage space in the 2015 sake brewing year, we have facilitated a stable supply for three years. It goes well with dishes that use dashi (simmered dishes), eel kabayaki, etc. “
- about
-
Type Yamahai Junmai Rice polishing ratio 66% Yeast type No yeast additives Ingredients/raw materials rice, rice koji Rice type Kitanishiki Origin of rice Hyogo Prefecture (Tajima) Toji(Brew Master) philip harper Assemblage 無
- Recommended occasions/temperature
-
- How to store
-
- Delivery dates and charges
-
Tasting comments
-
Hidekazu Ishiwata
(Former National Tax Bureau Chief Appraiser)(chilled)
Pale amber.
Volatile acidity and lactic acidity float up softly in the upper part of the bottle.
When you drink it, it has a dried fruit-like aroma, followed by chocolate and rice.
The lingering aftertaste is pleasant.
(warm)
Rounded aroma with hints of caramel and cocoa.
Spicy mouthfeel, with a hint of acidity.
The lingering aftertaste is pleasant. -
Akiko Toda
(Director of ITTEKI, Japan Sake and Meat Research Institute)(chilled)
A beautiful yellow gold, this sake is aged, but has a banana and honey-like aroma. Aged sakes tend to have complex aromas, but this one has a relatively clear and transparent impression. When you put it in your mouth, you can feel the plumpness of the rice and a slightly dried flavor, so it seems like it would go well with a wide variety of dishes.
(warm)
I think it's usually better served warm, but personally I prefer this one unwarmed for the overall balance. When I warm it, I feel like saying, "I thought you were a really nice guy, but you actually have some pretty strange habits and personality traits."
Delicious and sour. It goes well with snacks with a sharp sour taste, such as marinated mackerel, horse mackerel nanbanzuke, and pickled eggplant tartar sauce.
-
Yuji Yamauchi
(Yushima Tenjinshita Sushi Hatsu 4th generation / 1st JSA SAKE DIPLOMA competition winner)(chilled)
A sharp acidic aroma and sweet rice aroma.
There is an impression of cypress wood, but it also feels a little softer. For Tamagawa's sake, it is gentle and mild. It may be an introductory drink.
(warm)
Compared to the chilled version, the overall tone is brightened from the attack to the first half, and the sense of balance is no longer inconsistent. From the middle onwards, a hook or individuality emerges that allows the sake to decide on a dish to pair with it. "A solid taste with wood, complexity and depth."
The combination with the blue fish as a finishing dish is exquisite, as the flavors mix together in your mouth.
-
Christopher Hughes
(WSET Sake Educator)(chilled)
Pronounced woody nose, burnished wood, caramel. Remarkedly reserved in its delivery. Superbly balanced. Reserved but still delivering depth + layers of complexity. Long luxurious finish punctuated by umami.
(warm)
Warming makes sake creamier but less flavours stick out. The sake feels better blended together as a package. Umami is rounder. Feel a slightly more sweetness. More relaxing at this temperature.
Brewer
Kinoshita Sake Brewery
Since our establishment in 1842 in Kumihama, Kyotango City, we have been producing sake under the brand name ``Tamagawa'' for approximately 180 years. In 2007, we welcomed Philip Harper, an Englishman who was the first foreigner to obtain the chief brewer's qualification, as chief brewer, and now the company has become popular not only among Japanese sake drinkers across Japan but also overseas. It has become a well-known brand.
Tamagawa is characterized by its quality, which is centered around ``umami'' and has a satisfying quality that ``you won't get tired of drinking even if you drink it every night'' and ``enjoys it with meals.'' In particular, ``Natural Shikomi'', which is brewed with fermented yeast that lives in the brewery, is a quality that is unique to other breweries. We create unique flavors that cannot be imitated by any other sake brewery.
Currently, our main theme is ``Aged Japanese Sake'' that can make the most of Tamagawa's durable and long-lasting quality, and we are creating a mysterious world where sake transforms into aged sake from the moment it is born as ``freshly squeezed.'' We value the process of brewing sake, and work hard every day to make sake so that our customers can experience deep emotion with all five senses and time.
Many Tamagawa products have a common secret ingredient. That is "time". Tamagawa is a sake that grows over time, refined through aging. We consider new sake to be a ``starting point,'' and the taste of freshly brewed sake is also appealing, so we ship ``freshly squeezed sake'' from autumn to the following spring every year, giving our customers the chance to taste the changes over time. Many of our products are aged in our brewery before being served as aged sake.
Depending on the quality of the sake and the environment in which it is stored, aged sake has a wide variety of aromas, tastes, and colors, as well as unique characteristics, and it has a depth of flavor that new sake does not have. Kinoshita Sake Brewery's wish is to express the countless deliciousness of Japanese sake in a variety of ways for everyone to enjoy.
