June 25 Is Namazake Day! Try Namazake Made With Phantom Sake Rice!

The Story of Kamenoo Phantom Sake Rice

龟尾梦幻酒米的故事

Kamenoo, which originated in the Shonai region of Yamagata Prefecture, is a sake rice with a long history. In 1893, Abe Kameji found three ears in a neighbouring rice field that had withstood cold damage and were bearing strong fruit. He cultivated them for several years through a process of trial and error, and the result was the Kamenoo. At first, it was called 'Shinho' but was named 'Kamenoo' (literally "turtle's tail") after one of characters in the name of the founder.

产自山形县庄内地区的龟尾大米是一种历史悠久的清酒大米。1893年，安倍龟治在附近的稻田里发现了三个稻穗，它们经受住了寒冷的侵袭，结出果实了。经过几年的反复试验，他培育出了龟尾大米。起初，它被称为“Shinho”，但后来被命名为“龟尾”(字面意思是“乌龟的尾巴”)，以培育人名字中的一个字命名。

The quality of Kamenoo has led to its rapid expansion, particularly in eastern Japan. It also believed to be the ancestor of today's leading sake rice Koshihikari. At the time, it was such a famous sake rice that it was known as Omachi in the west and Kamenoo in the east. Kamenoo was widely cultivated because of its good taste, but it was vulnerable to pests, and the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides made the rice extremely brittle, making it unsuitable for modern farming methods, and it gradually disappeared.

龟尾大米因其高品质，尤其是在日本东部得到了快速扩张。普遍认为它是日本主要请酒米越光米的祖先。当时，它是一种非常著名的清酒大米，在西方被称为大町，在东方被称为龟尾。龟尾大米因其良好的口感而得到了广泛种植，但它易受虫害的侵袭，加上化肥和农药的使用导致其变得极其脆弱，并且不适合现代耕作方法，所以逐渐消失了。

In the 1980s, Norimichi Kusumi, a sake brewer based in Washima village, Niigata Prefecture, was inspired to revive Kamenoo after hearing from a famous master brewer that sake made from Kamenoo used to be excellent. It took three years to grow enough grain to produce sake. The famous Japanese manga comic “Natsuko no Sake”, which is based on this story, was a hit, and now more than a hundred brands made from Kamenoo have been produced by various sake brewers. 

上世纪80年代，新潟县冲岛村的清酒酿造商久须美典道(音)听著名酿酒大师说:“过去用龟尾酿造的清酒非常好”，于是萌生了复兴龟尾大米的想法。他花了三年时间才种出足够生产清酒的谷物。根据这个故事改编的日本著名漫画《夏子清酒》大受欢迎，现在各种清酒酿造商已经生产了一百多个以龟尾大米为原料的品牌。

 Natsuko no Sake by Akira Oze

Try a Unique Namazake Made With Phantom Rice

尝试一下用梦幻大米酿造的独特生酒吧！

Sake made from Kamenoo rice often have subdued aromatic intensity, but a rich, citrusy flavor profile. It tends toward the dry side and is often earthy with umami that lingers on the palate. Acidity can be elevated and features sour cream or yogurt notes. On this Namazake Day, we invite you to try namazake made with Kamenoo rice. Tatenokawa Junmai Daiginjo SHIELD Kamenoo is a seasonal limited edition namazake, so do not miss an opportunity to try this very special sake!

用龟尾大米酿制的清酒通常香气较淡，但有浓郁的酸橙味。它倾向于干爽的，通常带有大地的芬芳，逗留在味蕾。酸度可以提高，酸奶油或酸奶的特点。在这个生酒日，我们邀请您尝试用龟尾米酿造的生酒。楯野川  純米大吟醸是一款季节性限量版生酒，所以不要错过尝试这款非常特别的清酒的机会哦!