Nanbu Bijin No Sugar Added Plum Sake

The brewery was established in 1902, and the Nanbu Bijin brand name came to be in 1951. The Iwate area used to be called Nanbu (South), and is a place rich with nature, abundant water and fertile soil. In Japan, most breweries of the time made quite rough, inelegant, sweet sake, but this brewery wanted to make clean & beautiful sake like a fair southern maiden. Hence, the name Nanbu Bijin, or Southern Beauty. 

Typical Umeshu (plum sake) has loads of sugar added to offset the extreme tartness of the plums (on average 1.8L of white liquor = 1kg sugar), however Nanbu Bijin Umeshu infuses only Ume plums into their one-of-a-kind "all koji" Junmai Sake. Sugar is not needed, since plums and koji rice are naturally sweet. This sake is easy to drink, has an attractive rose pour and high acidity, and pairs well with any meal.