Garyubai Junmai Ginjo [1 Koku - 45]

Garyubai (Dragon Shaped Plum Trees) Junmai Ginjo Namachozo Genshu, from Sanwa Shuzo in Shizuoka Prefecture. Yamada Nishiki milled to 55%, SMV +4, 16.5% abv. Brewed from an underground source of the Okitsu River, the name allegedly being inspired by a story in Luo Guanzhong's Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which, admittedly, I have not yet read.

The aroma is pronounced, musk melons, which carries over onto the palate - rich and medium bodied, sweet, clean rice flavours followed by a sharply dry, acidic and astringent finish. I'm very much preferring this at room temperature. Very flavourful, sharp and fruity. The alcohol seems rather low for a genshu sake, and the richness and dryness makes for an interesting contrast.

Shizuoka has a reputation for distinctive sake, and this certainly lives up to that. The website, while it doesn't look like much, does have a monthly newsletter going back to mid-2003 - wish I could make more sense of it.