This holiday season, enjoy premium brewed sake in a class all its own.
Sake brewery Tamanohikari goes above and beyond to ensure its sake is regarded as one of the top-tier brands on the market, and its Junmai Daiginjo Black Label Sake perfectly reflects the brewery’s passionate commitment to excellence.
Junmai Daiginjo
Sake aficionados will recognize that Daiginjo refers to a very high grade of sake, where the rice has been polished down at least 50%. The seimaibuai, or milling rate, is based on how much the rice is polished, as polishing the rice removes fat and protein, revealing the starchy core of the rice grain. This leads to a less harsh, more smooth and refined sake flavour. The Junmai Daiginjo Black Label Sake boasts rice grains that have been polished down to an impressive 35%.
Tamanohikari takes great care in polishing its rice using the henpeiseimai or “flat milling” technique. Normally, polishing rice makes it round, but flat milling preserves as much of the core as possible. Though it’s a painstaking process that takes anywhere from 30 to 48 hours, it’s all part of Tamanohikari’s steadfast philosophy that premium sake is worth the effort.
No compromise on quality
Dedicated to producing only premium products, Tamanohikari has a rigorous vetting process for the rice used in its sake. It’s made with only the highest-regarded variety of grains—only 5% of sake on the market today uses rice of a similar grade. And the brewery goes so far as to visit the fields to make sure the rice is planted and harvested according to strict standards. The water used in this sake comes from a famous source in Momoyama Hills, Kyoto, which is designated by Japan’s Ministry of Environment as one of the top 100 finest water sources in the country.
Tamanohikari brews only Junmai sake—sake made with only rice, water and koji (fermented rice). During World War II, many sake breweries began cutting their sake with other alcohol due to rice rationing, and this practice remains among many companies today. However, in the 1960s Tamanohikari revived the practice of brewing pure Junmai sake, and the company has remained loyal to it ever since.
An obsessive commitment to quality and decades of brewing experience make Junmai Daiginjo Black Label Sake an unforgettably refined sake blend.
Junmai Daiginjo Black Label Sake can be purchased at licensed liquor purveyors throughout Canada, including at the LCBO for $188.75. www.lcbo.com