Denshin Duo

Two of my favorite brews to suggest to both novice and expert drinkers are the Denshin Duo: Ine and Yuki. While they come from the same brewery—Ippongi Kubohonten—they each have their own distinct personality.

For me the visual presentation of each brew is a perfect synopsis of the flavor presentation. Ine is a darling junmai packaged in a crisp green bottle. The lucky consumer has been warned that within that apple green glass bottle is liquid characterized by hints of cucumber, hay, and mint. This sake is brewed solely using the Koshinoshizuku varietal, a very rare, locally grown sake rice. With only about 2,000 rice bales produced and distributed each year, it is a very special brew at the easy to digest price point of $35.

By comparison Yuki is a junmai presented in a beautiful white and silver bottle reminiscent of snow capped mountains. Also priced at $35, this brew has a calm aroma and pure crisp taste that reminds the drinker of a quiet pureness. It is best paired with delicate cuisines.

The Ippongi Kubohonten is located in Katsuyama City, Fukui Prefecture, a town nestled in the foothills of Mt. Hakusan ["white mountain"] and known for its deep winter snows. It is a fertile region with pure water, fertile soil, and an ideal temperature difference between night and day; all of which create the perfect environment to grow large amounts of high quality sake rice. The brewery was founded in 1902 and has held the reputation for producing quality sake for over 100 years.