Junmai Ginjo Sake, ‘Asian Beauty’, Toyo Bijin

A bit of a stretch for brewer-owner Sumikawa-san, this Junmai Ginjo steps outside of his normally luscious and full bodied style to produce a sake that starts with gorgeous tropical fruit of melon and banana and then shifts to a rippingly dry finish that evokes allspice and nutmeg.  The fruit notes are coaxed out of Yamada Nishiki rice milled to 55% and Sumikawa-san’s careful brewing preserves those nuances while coaxing out the uniquely spicy finish. That balance of fruit and spice makes for a terrific pairing with richer foods like otoro sashimi, tonkotsu ramen or roast pork loin.