Sake On-nomi #46 - Narutotai

For our 46th Sake On-nomi, we explored our newest brewery, Narutotai and their range of interesting sakes! 

These former pirates aim to brew sake to pair Naruto City’s local sea bream, and our participants got to dive into their unique offerings such as their Sudachi Sake, with our in-house sommelier, Vincent Zheng!

1) Narutotai Ginjo Nama Genshu



Vincent’s #1 Favourite! An unpasteurised and undiluted sake that is famous in the USA! It is also known for using Oseto rice - a table rice.

Nose: Yoghurt-y (lactic), alkaline, nutty, chalky (typical of a nama), banana skin
Taste: Alcohol content is prominent, this undiluted sake is bright and chewy. Fruity, but not overly sweet, this velvety Nama that is pure pleasure in a can. 
Suggested Food Pairing: Aged cheese, burgers, steak, local choices: satay, cheese prata,

2) Narutotai Daiginjo

Vincent’s second favourite – because of its finish and astringency! Comparing the Daiginjo and Junmai Daiginjo, the former has a more prominent and distinct body.

Nose: Refreshing aroma of crisp apple peel
Taste: Pleasant acidity with gentle body. Longer finish with spicy notes towards to the end.
Suggested Food Pairing: Sashimi, Japanese cuisine

3) Narutotai Junmai Mizuto Kome

Mizuto Kome literally means “water to rice”. The intention of the name is to promote the awareness of the importance of these raw ingredients that bring out the flavour in the sake.

Not a typical Junmai (tend to be earthy, full bodied), this is a more modern play on Junmai. Uses Nihonbare rice – a tablerice.

Nose: Floral and fruity notes
Taste: Soft acidity, nice round mouthfeel. Nice astringency and slight bitterness towards the end.
Suggested Food Pairing: Oysters, caviar, whitefish, sea bass, local choices: prawn noodles, sambal stingray

4) Narutotai Junmai Daiginjo

Uses the king of sakamai – Yamadanishiki. Slow fermentation for 30 days in monomi. Well integrated sake, pleasant acidity.

Nose: nosing of of a typical Yamadanishiki, sweet and elegant fruity aroma. 
Taste: Slightly sweet, smooth and soft mouthfeel, reminds of a classic ginjo-ka (tropical fruits pineapple, melon, apple), mellow umami
Suggested food pairing: Sashimi, fish and chips, local choices: wanton mee, fishball noodles

5) Narutotai Sudachi Sake

Sudachi – a local inedible citrus fruit of Tokushima Prefecture, cross between lemon and lime.

Sudachi Sake – made up of sudachi juice, sugar, honey, sake and water

A very nice palette cleanser or digestif!

Nose: Reminiscent of Sprite, tonic water or a regular soft drink.
Taste: Very sweet and citrusy. Low alcohol content.
Suggested pairing: Can use as a mixer for gin! For food, thai cuisine such as pad thai, tom yum fried rice and Mexican cuisine.

Enjoy 10% off any 3 sakes from Sake On-Nomi #46 using the promo code “Narutotai”!

Look forward to our next On-nomi, something big is brewing…

Cheers, 
Yan Shun

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