Gekkeikan月桂冠 純米 Junmai
Rice - Local 🌾
Prefecture - Kyoto 京都
Brewery - Gekkeikan Sake Brewery 月桂冠
Alcohol - 14.5%
Color - Light Yellow
Aroma - Soy Sauce, Roasted 🍄, 🍚 Water
Taste - Medium
Umami - High
First impression - Lively
Body - Medium
Sweetness - Medium Dry
Tail/length - Short
Notes - Was in Melbourne for a vacation and was staying at a farmhouse. The temperature at the farmhouse was around 6-14c daily. Decided to enjoy warm sake in the evening to warm up my body. The nearest BWS (Beer,Wine,Spirit) didn’t have many options for sake and all I can find was a bottle of Gekkeikan Junmai. Gekkeikan was founded in 1637 and is the oldest sake brewery in Fushimi, Kyoto. As I have a cast iron fireplace in the farmhouse, I decided to just warm up the sake by placing the whole bottle on the fireplace. Full of Junmai characteristics with every sip. Overflowing with umami of soy sauce and roasted 🍄. Clean and dry from start to finish and clears off quickly for the next sip.
Food pairing was with home cooked stir fried seasoned chicken breast and Grainwave chips from Woolworth’s. As the chicken breast was seasoned with herbs 🌿 and paprika powder which makes it strong in flavor, it kinds of compliment the Junmai as it reduces the soy sauce aroma of the sake which otherwise I feel is a little too overwhelming for my liking. Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy a good Junmai with depth from time to time but I do not typically enjoy a Junmai which makes me feel like I’m drinking a bottle of soy sauce. As little information was available both from the label and website, I do not know what is the polishing % nor the type of 🌾. I reckon is an export sake for overseas market.
Rice - Local 🌾
Prefecture - Kyoto 京都
Brewery - Gekkeikan Sake Brewery 月桂冠
Alcohol - 14.5%
Color - Light Yellow
Aroma - Soy Sauce, Roasted 🍄, 🍚 Water
Taste - Medium
Umami - High
First impression - Lively
Body - Medium
Sweetness - Medium Dry
Tail/length - Short
Notes - Was in Melbourne for a vacation and was staying at a farmhouse. The temperature at the farmhouse was around 6-14c daily. Decided to enjoy warm sake in the evening to warm up my body. The nearest BWS (Beer,Wine,Spirit) didn’t have many options for sake and all I can find was a bottle of Gekkeikan Junmai. Gekkeikan was founded in 1637 and is the oldest sake brewery in Fushimi, Kyoto. As I have a cast iron fireplace in the farmhouse, I decided to just warm up the sake by placing the whole bottle on the fireplace. Full of Junmai characteristics with every sip. Overflowing with umami of soy sauce and roasted 🍄. Clean and dry from start to finish and clears off quickly for the next sip.
Food pairing was with home cooked stir fried seasoned chicken breast and Grainwave chips from Woolworth’s. As the chicken breast was seasoned with herbs 🌿 and paprika powder which makes it strong in flavor, it kinds of compliment the Junmai as it reduces the soy sauce aroma of the sake which otherwise I feel is a little too overwhelming for my liking. Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy a good Junmai with depth from time to time but I do not typically enjoy a Junmai which makes me feel like I’m drinking a bottle of soy sauce. As little information was available both from the label and website, I do not know what is the polishing % nor the type of 🌾. I reckon is an export sake for overseas market.
Mitsui San (See all posts here)
An amateur sake lover who loves anything 🇯🇵 and started exploring 🍶 drinking 5 years ago. A Kikisakeshi #唎酒師 by SSI & Certified Sake Sommelier by SSA.
IG: @mitsui.sakenoob
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