Shuho BEACH SIDE ★★★

Shuho (Shuho Sake Brewery) [Yamagata Prefecture]
<Drank in May 2020>

This is part of my recent "buying by the label" obsession.
And yet, I might have made a huge mistake...

What kind of sake do you imagine when you think of drinking at the BEACH SIDE? My image is beer or cocktails. In the case of beer, it's Coors, Budweiser, or Orion rather than Yebisu, right?

With the enthusiasm of someone drinking while wearing beach sandals and shorts and sweating, I took a gulp... "Huh?" My brain and tongue are confused. My brain had prepared for a light, refreshing image, but a "sweetness" came from my tongue. Then, the acidity opened up sharply, and after that acidity receded, the umami of the rice whispered softly in my ear, "Even if you say all that, I'm still sake made from rice, you know."

"This isn't beachside at all!" I exclaimed in a dialect I don't even recognize. It's not bad, but there's such a gap between the label and the taste that my brain can't keep up.

Just as I was thinking that... "Ah!" "I'm sorry!" "So that's what it is!"

To think I "bought it by the label" and this happened. Doesn't the label clearly say "STRAIGHT, ON THE ROCKS OR WITH SODA AND LIME"! That makes sense. The slightly rich sweetness and acidity all fell into place. And suddenly, I wanted to float ice in it, mix it with soda, or add lime.
But!



I've already finished it (crying).

As I get older, I get stuck in my ways, assuming things must be a certain way. Sake must be Junmai. Ginjo sake should be drunk chilled. My head is full of nothing but theory. No, no, it's a luxury item, so I should enjoy it more flexibly! I really felt like I'd been outsmarted.



About the food

If you drink it as is, maybe cream-based dishes? How about a cream stew of lamb with a bit of a kick (doesn't that sound not summery at all...)? If you mix it with ice or soda water, junk food seems like a good match. Maybe Belgian-style frites with Andalusian sauce would be good too. Still, it's a shame I can't try it with soda...

Brand: Shuho BEACH SIDE
Alcohol 17%
Rice polishing ratio 55% Dewasansan
Sake meter value -8
Acidity 2.5
Yamagata yeast
Rating: ★★★
Sweetness 4, Acidity 5, Bitterness 2, Umami 4, Aroma 3
Price: 1,430 yen, Cost performance: ◯