The “Beau-Zone” Layer – Urakasumi “Junmai”

Ok Ok so we were a little late to tell everybody that Miyagi Prefecture’s sake brewery called Urakasumi was founded in 1724, which means we missed their 300th birthday? Or did we? Many of you have met Koichi Saura either at True Sake or at SAKE DAY, but many of you don’t know his sake! He’s the President (Shacho) of Urakasumi and we have been using his super solid (and balanced) Junmai sake as a benchmark and “prototypical” Junmai sake for over 20 years. What is prototypical “Junmai” sake? Crap! I thought you wouldn’t ask, so here it goes. Junmai sake today is whackadoodle! It is so many things, and has become so many not things. Is it a category any more? Dunno! Sure on paper it can say Junmai, but milling rates are crazy today and techniques are exploding that pull “prototypical” Junmai sake so far away from prototypical Junmai sake. Hard to explain. So as educators, let’s say this: Urakasumi sake is like Junmai sake from the “olden days.” Man, that’s terrible. Ok, let’s say if you want to taste sake that was made from the heart, made for the local Miyagi community, and made for the flavors of Miyagi and using only Miyagi ingredients, then give this “throwback” “traditional” “old school” “typical” and “prototypical” Junmai sake a try. If that doesn’t do it for you, then take a look at Hiromi’s staff picks; this woman knows her sake and yes it’s been her pick forever.

SHOP THIS SAKE