NV Heiwa Shuzou Suppai Umeshu Plum Sake

Community Tasting Notes (2) Avg Score: 89.5 points

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  12/15/2023 - Obi-Wan Cannubi Likes this wine: 89 Points

  Lett, slank, inntørket plomme og lett bitterhet type plommestein.

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  5/27/2023 - forceberry wrote: 90 Points

  "Suppai" translates to "sour". A sake in which the producer uses three times more ume plums from Nankō than normally, macerating them in the sake for 3 years. 11% alcohol. According to the back label, this is bottled in October 2022.
  
  Hazy copper color. The heady, fruity and very sweet nose is brimming with aromas of ume plums and bitter almond-like nuances of plum pits, some honeyed tones and a little bit of peach marmalade and a hint of tangerine. The sake feels very bold, intense and noticeably sweet yet also surprisingly tart on the palate with rich flavors of ume plums, some plum jam tones, a little bit of orange marmalade, a hint of apple peel bitterness and a touch of bitter almond oil. The sake feels high in acidity, lending it a brisk, refreshing zip, yet the mouthfeel is also very rich, soft and textural, thanks to the sweetness. The finish is sweet, sticky and still pretty acid-driven with an intense and very persistent aftertaste of ume and peach jam, some orange marmalade, light bitter almond nuances of plum pit, a little bit of honeyed richness and a hint of apple peel bitterness.
  
  A fun, characterful and ridiculously intense experience. Although this is a rather sweet beverage, I found it remarkably balanced and harmonious, due to its surprisingly zippy acidity - or maybe "sourness" might be a better word, considering how this umeshu is named? Anyways, that plum pit flavor might distract some people who find the flavor bitter almond oil disagreeable (or unpalatable), but to me this was a simply terrific new experience. I wish all umeshus were this balanced, zippy and complex! Superb stuff, highly recommended.

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