MANOTSURU "BULZAI" GINJO
This is a Nama-chozo sake, which means it is left un-pasteurized until the bottling stage; this adds zestiness to the mouthfeel. Refreshing aromas of bananas and tropical fruit. The finish offers hints of licorice and white pepper over stone-driven mineral notes. Best served chilled. Bulzai "hits the mark" with a wide range of appetizers and fish dishes.

Grade: Ginjo (premium quality sake)
Region: Sado Island, Niigata
Nihonshu-do: +4 to +6 (dry)
Seimaibuai: 55% (45% of the rice milled away)
Rice: Gohyaku - Mangoku
Yeast: k1701
Acidity: 1.2
Pairings: Perfect by itself or with lightly seasoned foods. Sushi, sashimi, seafood salad, steamed or grilled white meat fish, oyster, cooked scallops.

Reviews & Awards:
Wilfred Wong:
92 Points
Tastings.com World Sake Challenge:
90 Points & Best Buy

About the Brewery
Obata Shuzo has been hand-making boutique premium sake since its founding in 1892, using pure, soft groundwater and world-famous sake rice. The kura is still owned and managed by the Obata family (Rumiko Obata). The toji (master brewer) is the acclaimed Kenya Kudo. The brewery has received multiple Gold Medals at the National New Sake Competition and the International Wine Challenge.. The brewery has been featured in Wine & Spirits, the Los Angeles Times, Wine Enthusiast, and Wine Spectator.
The Obata family crest is Four Diamonds. These represent the three elements that are commonly held to be crucial in sake brewing: "Rice", "Water" and "Humans" (Brewers). In addition to the aforementioned three, the brewery takes into account the importance of "Climate and Nature" (Terroir). Their motto is to brew sake where the "four treasures" may work harmoniously to produce a well balanced product.

About the Region
Obata Shuzo is located on Sado Island in the Niigata prefecture of Japan. Niigata is famed for its jizake, or unique, “micro-brewed” sakes with character. Niigata is considered by many to be the best place in the world to find high quality sake. The toji in Niigata use highly polished rice and exacting filtering techniques to create a distinctive style. They are aided by the cold climate and the isolation of the mountains, as well as good regional rice and pure mountain water. (Source: The Sake Companion).
Sado Island has been in the forefront of wildlife and nature conservation. Particularly, they have concentrated their efforts on conserving the Japanese Crested Ibis (Toki in Japanese). An island that is kind to the Ibis is kind to humans as well, creating a safe atmosphere for living. Such an atmosphere yields positive results to every process of sake brewing.

 

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