Sho Chiku Bai Sake (1.5L, 15%)

A California-brewed junmai sake bottled at approximately 15% ABV in a 1500ml bottle. Takara Sake USA was established in 1983 in Berkeley, California, as a subsidiary of Takara Holdings. Sho Chiku Bai is brewed using Calrose rice, a Japanese hybrid variety cultivated in the Sacramento Valley, combined with Sierra Nevada mountain snowmelt water. As a junmai sake, it contains only polished rice, water, koji mold and yeast, with no added distilled alcohol. The nose opens with gentle rice sweetness, soft apple and a whisper of anise. On the palate it is smooth and well-balanced with a medium-dry profile, revealing macadamia nut, vanilla, custard, crème fraîche, sourdough bread, a subtle mineral quality, ripe apple and light umami richness. The finish is clean and crisp with moderate length, leaving fresh bread and gentle spice before a dry, refreshing close.