Collection: Kijoshu

Kijoshu: Sake brewed from sake

For the Obata Kanadel Spiritoso Kijoshu, sake from previous years is used in addition to water. The bottle is described as very sweet and pairs well with cheese and desserts. These three details—sake from previous years, high sweetness, and the aforementioned food pairings—give the product a clear direction.

A special brewing method

For Kijoshu, a portion of the water is replaced by sake that has already been brewed. This finished sake is added to a batch still in fermentation, bringing the fermentation process to an earlier end. The method was used in Japan as early as a millennium ago and was later revived. Specialized literature draws a parallel to port wine; however, with Kijoshu, finished sake is added to the fermenting batch.

Kijoshu is described as rich and sweet. Aged versions may additionally exhibit sweet sherry, wood, hay, chocolate, and berry aromas; amber, copper, or coffee-brown hues, as well as a rich, oily texture, are also associated with such sake. This spectrum belongs to the category, without necessarily applying it to the Obata Kanadel Spiritoso.

Sweetness in context

The Sake Meter Value, also known as SMV or Nihonshudo, describes the residual sugar: negative values represent more sugar, while positive values represent less. Acidity and amino acids also influence the impression on the palate. For the Obata Kanadel Spiritoso, the concrete indicators remain the use of sake from previous years, the high sweetness, and the cheese and dessert pairings.

For the Obata Kanadel Spiritoso, sake from previous years, high sweetness, as well as cheese and desserts, are the focus.