Please note, this product is not available for shipping. It is available for free pick-up or delivery in Portland, OR.

Well, I'm really happy to be posting this Joto Plum Sake here, because it's hands down the best ume-shu that I've ever had. There's a whole level of orchard complexity here. A whole farm, teeming with life. Captured sunlight in a bottle. 

Tasting Profile

The first thing that drew me in was the deep, amber-red color. It's really pretty. On the nose is fresh, sweet, juicy plums. It's not just the smell of plum juice either. It's more like the smell of an entire orchard: grass, leaves, sun, flowers, trees and earth. Moving into the palate, Joto's ume-shu is wonderfully tart! It tastes like whole ume fruit. There's the bitterness of the skins that build into the profile of the fruit's acidity. This then comes together as a balance to the natural sweetness of the fruit. I should note here that this isn't terribly sweet ume-shu. The sweetness is restrained and natural tasting, pretty much just like a fresh ripe plum is sweet. And the plums' natural acidity goes on and keeps the whole thing extra tasty. This is dangerous though. Joto umeshu is realllllly easy to drink. Thankfully it's just 12% alcohol. 

Plum Wine like this isn't really wine. It's not fermented plum juice, but rather sake that has been either macerated with fresh plums, or mixed with plum juice. (Which is why in the previous sentence, is the only time I'll call it "plum wine". Being more clear, it's better to call it Plum Sake, or, even better, Ume-shu.