First of all, its latest flagship product, La Isojiman, released 1st edition with limited 400 bottles.
The Seimaibuai (rice polishing rate) achieved the historical highest, 19%, in Isojiman Shuzo history.
Despite the current highest Seimaibuai in the market is 1% by Tatenokawa Shuzo, Isojiman still had its own special skills than other sake breweires which make it unique.
The most famous one was their Junmai Daiginjo "Isojiman Nakadori 35" which was initially launched in 1998, and as cheer sake for G8 Presidents meeting in 2008.
They already keep working on four key points over twenty years.
A. Junmai Daiginjo
B. Grade AAA, Yamada Nishiki
C. Vintage
D. High Seimaibuai
Actually, to have high Seimaibuai which spend a lot of time in polishing rice, and lots of raw material.
All this progress already decides its high price due to materials and time.
However, the final product which customer cares more about is still sake itself.
It's honor and pleasure to join a twenty years vertical drinking party of "Isojiman Nakadori 35" in Japan this year. Ranges from 1st version, 1998, to latest version, 2017, where people can easily discover few difference between each other of years.
"Twenty years is just beginning." said people during the drinking party.
Generally speaking, with twenty years storage, sake usually taste with few or a little bit more old mushroom or decayed wood smell. If it gets much heavier, it tastes like over fermented rice wine.
However, there was not any kind of such smell and taste at all in old vintage "Isojiman Nakadori 35".
"I was absolutely surprised by this kind of sake! Eventhough, some good sake brewery which dig into vintage such
as Daishichi, Sudonhonke..., their old sake still have those kind of smell, but they are very well in mixing different fragrance and taste which make sake more sophiscated. However, this Isojiman Nakadori 35 vintage 20 years still taste pure and beautiful. What amazing!" said several senior drinkers during the party.
The younger years of "Isojiman Nakadori 35" still need much more time to decant. Maybe one to three days.
Therefore, we suddenly understand why Isojiman Shuzo release "La Isojiman" this year.
Isojiman Shuzo didn't do great effort marketing about "La Isojiman". They just release it, and if you are tracking them for several years, you will understand the meaning about this sake.
It performs the perspective about long time vintage comparing to red wine or whisky, which are talking about at least several ten years up! And this totally reverse the general sense about "You have to drink sake as soon as possible owing to its fresh".
Isojiman Shuzo still keep their step rhythm. They don't do much effort in marketing, but remain low profile with its sake as their best spokesperson. If you like their quality and taste, you will seek them automatically.
Quality is best.
In addition, they still keep direct store for local people. Everyday, many people still walk-in their store to buy sake lees for hotpot usage, and Junmaishu for after work drinking.
At present, Junmai Daiginjo "Isojiman Nakadori 35", maintain a role in high-end sake field, because of its pure, gentle, slim, elegant, and silky with complex taste, just like traditional Japanese geisha.
Breakthrough the limitation of sake vintage, "La Isojiman" is the pioneer and barrier at one particular phase.
Still, Japanese sake have infinite possibilities.
Note : Special thanks to store owner, Mr. Kinoshita-San, and my good friend, D.
