Prefecture: Ishikawa
Ingredients: Ishikawa-grown ume (Ishikawa No. 1 variety), rock sugar, sake
Style: Umeshu (Japanese plum liqueur) on a sake base
Food pairings: Chicken karaage, char siew, blue cheese, vanilla ice cream
Taste: Fresh, sweet, tangy, savoury
Alc.: 11.2%
Kagatsuru takes its name from the old Kaga region and from tsuru, the crane, a symbol of long life, good fortune and happiness. This umeshu is made by steeping high-quality green plums grown in Noto in the brewery's own sake, brewed from Gohyakumangoku rice polished to 60%. Aged for a year and a half at a steady temperature, it balances the sweetness and tang of the plum with the savoury umami of the sake. Serve on the rocks, straight as an aperitif, as a cocktail base, or chilled with soda as a refreshing digestif.
About the brewery
Yachiya Shuzo brews the Kaga Tsuru label at Ohimachi in Kanazawa, Ishikawa. The brewery presents itself as a Kaga domain brewery and purveyor to the Maeda lords, and one of its special junmai bottlings is named after Maeda Toshiie. Its range runs from honjozo and junmai through to daiginjo, alongside this sake-based umeshu.
