Tsuchida Meat Lovers Only (720 ml)

When 6th-generation owner Yuji Tsuchida deliberately dismantled his predecessor's ginjo programme, he reached back to Edo-period kimoto technique and edible table rice to rebuild the brewery's identity from the grain up — Meat Lovers Only is the most direct expression of that conviction. Situated at the southern foot of Mt. Hotaka in Kawaba Village, Gunma's mountainous northern highlands, the brewery draws on natural spring water filtered over approximately 50 years through the mountain's underground strata, delivering exceptional mineral softness that supports long, stable fermentation. The entire range is produced via the kimoto method, relying on ambient lactic acid bacteria from the brewery air rather than commercially added lactic acid — a practice used by fewer than 1% of Japanese producers — which generates a naturally elevated, food-integrating acidity. Rice polishing is held at 90% seimaibuai (only 10% of the grain removed), using locally grown Asahi no Yume edible table rice rather than specialist sake rice, maximising bran-layer umami compounds that highly polished ginjo deliberately strips away. The transgression here is total: premium sake orthodoxy demands specialist rice polished to 60% or below; Tsuchida inverts both rules simultaneously. Conceived specifically to cut through rendered fat and amplify the savoury depth of grilled and braised meats, this expression channels the brewery's richest, most umami-forward profile — drink now through the near term, ideally slightly below room temperature.