Sake Chiyokotobuki Umeshu - 50cl

Chiyokotobuki Umeshu is a delicious plum liqueur made by Chiyokotobuki Toraya by combining sake and plum juice. This sakagura has been committed for over a century to enhancing the excellence of the area of Sagae, a town located in the heart of Yamagata Prefecture, known for the quality of its sake and orchards. Umeshu is a traditional liqueur with a light alcohol content obtained by steeping plums, "ume" in Japanese, in shochu or sake, with the addition of cane sugar to balance the unripe flavour of the fruit. It is one of the oldest liqueurs in Japan, with documents attesting to its production as far back as the 7th century.

For the processing of Umeshu Chiyokotobuki, Sake Nihonshu Junmai made from the same sakagura Chiyokotobuki Toraya and plum juice produced by the Yamagata Yorozuya Prefectural delicatessen shop is combined. Sake is made from rice polished to less than 70% dehusked, in the Junmai category therefore. After cooking, the rice undergoes double fermentation by the Koji fungus and yeast, the former responsible for the saccharification process and the latter for the development of alcoholic fermentation. Once ready, this Junmai sake is finally combined with Yorozuya plum juice.

The colour of Umeshu Chiyokotobuki is a deep golden yellow. Hints of unripe plum alternate with sweeter notes of summer fruit on the nose. The taste is dense, rich and concentrated, with the characteristic umami note of sake giving balance to the progression along with the typical freshness of plum juice. This umeshu is ideal to drink alone at the end of a meal or as an ingredient in creative cocktails.