About the brewery : The Akita Kinmon brewery is located in Daisen, in the centre of Akita prefecture. Bordered by the Ou and Dewa mountains, this is an important cereal-growing region thanks to the water provided by the Omono and Yokote rivers. The brewery was founded in 1939 and distributed its sakes very locally until 1989, when Takashi Sasaki took over to develop a completely new approach. At the time, he was blending koshu sakes with freshly produced junmai sakes. It was under the guidance of Toji Sugawara that they reached their culmination, with sakes that transcend stereotypes, with umami as their mainstay.

Detailed tasting notes : Beautiful golden highlights for this 3-year-old Junmaï Genshu sake. The nose immediately takes on oxidative notes, with tertiary aromas of dried fruit, grape and apricot. There are also clear fermentative notes of soy sauce, caramel and woody notes, all set off by a lovely liveliness and tangy sensations of citrus zest. On the palate, the aromas are powerful. It is supple and smooth, superbly balanced throughout by a sustained acidity. The ripe fruit hinted at on the nose and the lively citrus notes are present. There's little bitterness and good aromatic persistence, with the same balance.

Delicious with : Meat, glazed duck, game. With cheeses such as aged mimolette or parmesan, or with bitter chocolate or coffee desserts. Serve warm, at room temperature or chilled.