Otokoyama Momenya [1 Koku - 13]

A tokubetsu junmai from Hokkaido's Otokoyama. Not sure why this would be called "Cotton Shop", if that is indeed the correct reading. To the best of my knowledge, Hokkaido isn't famed for cotton. But, cotton is considered a clean, wholesome, natural product, so perhaps that's the intention. Semaibuai of 55%, SMV of +5, acidity 1.5, and 15.5% abv (that's rather a lot of 5s.) The nose is grainy, with subtle wood, dairy, and apple notes. On the palate, this is certainly on the lighter side, not quite tanrei, but neither is it full-flavoured or fruit-forward. Rather, this strikes a pleasant balance between rice sweetness and starchiness, with an astringent, faintly cinnamon-laced finish. Very nice acidity supporting throughout, even offering a little bit of a surprise "kick." For our taste, a much better effort than the straight junmai from this kura.