Seikyo Takehara Mirror of Truth Junmai Sake (720ML)
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Mellow, mild, and balanced with hints of honey and brown butter.
Best slightly chilled or room temperature; can be lightly warmed. Excellent with fried oysters, Japanese katsu, cutlet, or yakitori.
Seikyo is the original brand from Nakao brewery when they were established in 1871. "Seikyo" meaning "Mirror of Truth," poetically conveys the aspiration that their passion and effort is genuinely reflected in the quality of the sake. This sake is a true local favorite, named also after the town Takehara which it is brewed in. Using local table rice and the local soft water that Hiroshima is known for, this Junmai is soft, melting, layered and oh so drinkable.
Throughout sake history, most sake has been brewed with ordinary table rice. Even today, many jizake breweries utilize local table rice in addition to special sake rice cultivars. Hiroshima and the larger Chugoku area have long been known for growing high-quality rice, thanks in part to the cold water springing up in the mountains and the cool climate at night.
Since the categories of saké are established not by rice variety, but by their polishing or milling percentages, the saké with the lowest milling requirement, at no less than 30% milled, is simply called Junmai. This means that so that 70% of each rice grain remains. It is solely made of water, koji mold, yeast and rice. Junmai is also brewed in the absence of added alcohol. Some brewers, in search of other flavors, aromas and textures, will add a small amount of distilled alcohol during the brewing process. But the alcohol in any saké labeled Junmai will come purely from fermentation. Pair Junmai with rich flavors and heavily seasoned dishes like pork belly, teriyaki, smoked salmon and furikake.
The introduction of the waterwheel in the 17th century, which eliminated the need for the manual polishing of rice grains, allowed Japan to begin producing saké at an industrial level for its greater population. Today Japan remains at the cutting edge of technology in its brewing practices. However, the traditional methods of handcrafted, artisanal saké remain alive in smaller and often family-owned breweries. Many of these showcase local ingredients and focus on microclimates to make what is known as ‘jizake,’ or regional saké.