# Niigata, Japan

This May, the "Tokujun" nama-zume is released every year as a summer sake. Now, I had to decide whether to buy this year's freshly brewed or the one-year aged one on the line!

The long-established Niigata brewery, whose style has become old-fashioned and declining, has recently introduced Blue Bottle's Kawafui and Green Bottle's Kawafui to meet modern taste preferences.

Purchased at Muikamachi Aeon. It is a sake from the Tamagawa Sake Brewery in the neighboring city of Uonuma, but I had never seen the label before. When I looked at the distributor, it was Takano Sohonten K.K. of Nagano Prefecture.

Hakkai Brewery's summer sake is now ready. It is the season of "Summer Jun" again this year. Delivered right from our directly-managed stores. This year's rice is hidari and hard

This will be a lineup of modern acceptable sake from the Ishimoto Sake Brewery, which has dominated Niigata Prefecture, or Japan in the past. No longer classified as Tokkyu or First Class sake.

It is a local sake from Minamiuonuma City. It is slightly colored, which is common in sake, and has little alcohol smell, probably because it is pure rice. The taste is dry, but it is a low-polished sake.

Purchased at an Aeon in Muikamachi, a little over 1000 yen, tastes a little spicy, but one word, not soppy, that's its characteristic. It is Niigata Meikozo from Ojiya. Iwa

This is a very easy to understand sake. It is a so-called daiginjo-shu, with a ginjo aroma, slightly spicy, light flavor, and a lingering bitterness.

This is also recommended by Taiseiya. This sake is available only at registered stores. There is no coloring, and the aroma is typical of new sake, and the ginjo aroma also spreads. Iwa

This is a draft sake from Nakagawa Shuzo, a small sake brewery in Nagaoka City. After all, it has a high alcohol content of 20%, which is just on the edge of the standard! Muikamachi's Taissei