Nada Ki-ippon tasting event in Kobe

The Yomiuri Shimbun reports on ten kuramoto (蔵元, brewery owners) in the famous Nada Gogō area who held a tasting event in the Kitano Kōbō no Machi area of Kobe on 7 September 2019, prior to launching their brand Nada Ki-ippon. Around 260 sake enthusiasts joined them to sample a wide variety of brews.

Nada Ki-ippon has been released every year since 2011 in an attempt to showcase sake with deep flavour and intense aroma. The flavour of the sake is evaluated by the Society for Nada Sake Research, made up of skilled brewers from each company, and this year ten companies gained their approval, including Sawanotsuru, Kenbishi, Hakutsuru, Dōkan and Kikumasamune.

Each brewery had a booth at the event, where attendees could hear about the sake while comparing their aroma and flavour. Mio Yoneda (27), a public servant for Suma Ward in Kobe, came with some co-workers and commented that it was an important opportunity to taste and compare, and the difference in taste between all the sake was a big surprise.