Well-rounded, clean and rich (yet avoiding any semblance of heaviness), Kikusui Junmai will nestle itself comfortably in the center of your palate like a cat sleeping in the sun. When the sake is warmed slightly the bouquet becomes bolder, plumper, and the flavors ripple from that snug center down to the tips of your fingers and nose. This sake is Kikusui's best brew to be enjoyed warm.
Food Pairings: Strongly Flavored Seafood Dishes, Parmesan Cheese.
Rice: Gohyakumangoku
Rice-Polishing Ratio: 70%
Carrying 130 years’ worth of history on their shoulders, the Kikusui Sake Company is a brewery that fought to survive - and which ultimately flourished - in Niigata Prefecture. The name "Kikusui" is a reference to a Noh theatre play, wherein eternal life could be gained by drinking the dew (Sui) from the petals of chrysanthemums (Kiku) growing in secret pools on a mountain peak. In 2004 they established the Kikusui Sake Research Institute in an effort to both raise the bar on the quality of their offerings and wrestle with concepts such as enjoyment of sake, and sake culture itself. They are proud to be the producer of their flagship product "Funaguchi" - Japan's first canned draft sake.