Nama! - Kasumi Tsuru Yamahai Namachozo
Kasumi Tsuru's spring release is one we look forward to every year. It's the only Yamahai spring nama of the bunch, which already places it pleasantly off-ce...
Kasumi Tsuru's spring release is one we look forward to every year. It's the only Yamahai spring nama of the bunch, which already places it pleasantly off-center from the rest. It has all the power and sunny brightness of the other spring releases, but it's also the least fruit-centered. This is a pleasant counterpoint to the general trend in spring nama releases. The other piece to note is that this one isn't a full "nama nama" like the rest. It is a nama-chozo which means it has been lightly pasteurized once.
On the nose, Kasumi Tsuru's Yamahai Namachozo starts off with scents of marigolds and dry grass, or maybe rice stalks. It's definitely got a major dose of a "captured sun in a bottle" type of energy, which I absolutely love about it. And then in the mouth, it shows banana, pumpkin, pine-sap, and apple cider. It's a little briny and a little gamey. Texturally it is bright, punchy, and a slightly bit sparkly on the tongue. Not full-on bubbly by any means, but more akin to licking a 9-volt battery. The lights are on!
This sake makes me miss eating at Izakaya. I would HIGHLY recommend doing yourself a favor and enjoy this with something in the realm of fried, salty, and/or soy-laden. This is good drinking-food drinking here.