Sake Made from Ipponjime Sake Rice

With its increased resistance to wind and coldness, and being hard to crack or crush during milling process at a low rice milling rate, the sake rice variety Ipponjime was designated as a recommended variety of Niigata prefecture in 1993. However, I hear fewer farmers are growing this variety in late years.

In March, I visited Niigata city to attend "Niigata Sake no Jin," a big sake festa, where almost all the sake breweries in the prefecture exhibited their products and you could sample any sake free of charge with only paying the admittance fee. There, I talked with a person from a brewery about this sake rice. According to him, since Ipponjime is an early season variety, it has ripe grains earlier than other varieties, and ripe grains attract many sparrows that of course want to eat the rice. This is a big problem for rice growers.

Honjozo Ipponjime Koshino-Hakugan from Nakagawa Shuzo is a brew made from Ipponjime sake rice. When I visited Nagaoka city in Niigata prefecture last December, I bought a bottle of this sake, which I found very nice. So, when I went there again July of this year, I purchased another bottle of the same sake.

Before, I wrote about this sake in the past titled "Complicated Sake Name." In the post, I wrote "The sake exhibits elegant balance between various sensations of flavors while possessing keen dryness." Last time I found grace and elegance in this sake, but this time, I felt rather boldness. Even the same sake has different impressions according to the brewery years.


Today's Sake
Honjozo Ipponjime Koshinohakugan (Nakagawa Shuzo)

Rice used: Ipponjime

Seimaibuai: 57%

Alcohol: 15 - 16%