Kinsen Kinokawa Honjozo

According to the shop that sells this sake, this Honjozo won a the gold award at a Atsukan (warmed sake) contest in 2021. Having tried a couple of sake from the Kinokawa brewery, I am interested to see what this sake brings to the table.

First of all, great packaging! Just like their Doburoku, this carton has a very nice design. It's immediately clear we are dealing with a cereal/lactic style sake while taking a sniff. Very typical notes of rice, cereal, milk, etc. First of, let's try this sake cold. I notice that it's quite an easy sake to drink. The flavor doesn't overwhelm your mouthfeel, but still packs a lot of flavor. Here as well you will experience flavors of rice, cereal, a bit of yoghurt, milk.

So let's see what happens when we warm this sake up. After taking the cup, my nose noticed the great scent of this sake. While taking a sip, this sake still is quite mild. Warming up sake enhanced the cereal/lactic flavors, which can make it harsh. Not this sake to be honest. The flavors are there and it's still easy to drink.

If you like Honjozo style sake, if it's warm of cold, it's great to drink. Give it a try!