Kubota is one of the new sake brands to our range that we're most excited about, which is why we put together this Limited Edition Junmai Daiginjo Sake Trio as a deeper dive into this outstanding producer. Kubota is made at Asahi Shuzo in Niigata, a mountainous Japanese prefecture full of rivers and valleys, and home to Mount Tanigawa. So, the locals need sakes that can be enjoyed in the wild, paired with foraged foods, picnics, barbeques and sushi and sashimi eaten on the go. So, we highly recommend taking this flight out for a picnic if you can. Firm believers that"the quality of sake can never exceed the quality of its ingredients", Asahi Brewery use only the finest raw materials. They work closely with local farmers to ensure access to the ultimate sake-brewing rice and keep their production techniques a well-guarded secret. Our selection includes three of their hard-to-come-by seasonal sakes: 1 x Kubota Tokugetsu Harvest Moon Junmai Daiginjo Sake 720ml - Sake is particularly enjoyed during Autumn. The Japanese have a custom called'Otsukimi', meaning'viewing of the harvest moon'. During this time, they enjoy the multi-coloured spectacle of the leaves turning and celebrate beneath the full moon, eating seasonal foods, reading poetry, making decorations and sipping sake, such as Kubota's Tokugetsu Harvest Moon. This seasonal Junmai Daiginjo Sake features a label and gift box especially designed for Otsukimi, it even features cute little rabbits pounding rice to make mochi. Kubota's flagship creation is Manjyu, which has received countless gold medals and a huge score on RateBeer.com, but Tokugetsu Harvest Moon is a step above even that. Despite the immense cost and skill involved, 72% of the Yukino Sei rice grains are polished away. The more you polish, the cleaner, brighter, and more delicate and aromatic the final sake. So, this is sake from the upper echelon. Only 84 bottles were made available for the UK, and we scooped up 60 of them, because it's just that good. This premium sake is an exhilarating and flawless affair that will appeal to fans of Dassai and fine wine. Clean and ethereal in texture, it's almost like the purest stream water. We were dazzled by its complex notes of pear sorbet, nougat, apricot pastries, steamed rice and anise, and we can't wait to sip it beneath the stars. 1 x Kubota Seppou Black Yamahai Junmai Daiginjo Sake 2021 500ml - This rare sake is a collaboration between two Niigata-based brands; the iconic Asahi Brewery and Snow Peak, a world-renowned outdoor specialist who promotes a nature-oriented lifestyle. Initially gentle and refreshing when chilled - displaying notes of melon, steamed rice, yuzu sourness, wildflowers and sweet grapes reminiscent of Moscato d'Asti - Kubota Seppou Black's depth of flavour grows as it approaches room temperature. Everything is perfectly in harmony, like nature itself. It is crafted entirely using locally grown Niigata rice. To start the process, the koji is combined with Gohyakumangoku rice (a variety famed for its clean taste and refreshing taste), which is polished to a ratio of 50%, meaning that half of each rice grain has been carefully whittled away. This is a Yamahai sake - the name referring to the way the yeast starter is made. Most sake uses commercially available lactic acid and cultivated yeast, which are mashed and mixed into the starter (shubo). This process is quick and easy to regulate and replicate. The Yamahai technique, however, allows the yeast and lactic bacteria that live in the brewery and the air to drive the process naturally. It takes much longer, but is revered for its additional acidity, sweetness, sense of terroir and wild gamey flavour. The mash for Kubota Seppou Black is even more highly polished than for the starter, achieving a polishing ratio of 33%, i.e. 67% of the rice grains are gently rubbed away. The designation Junmai Daiginjo lets you know that this is the finest sake made with the most highly polished rice. And all that's before you even get to that stunning black bottle, which is so rock'n'roll that it looks like sake's equivalent to Metallica's fifth studio album. Considering the ethos behind Kubota Seppou Black, maybe it should be enjoyed while listening to"Wherever I May Roam"? 1 x Kubota Seppou White Junmai Daiginjo Sake 2021 500ml - This is another collaboration with the Niigata-based outdoor specialist, Snow Peak. Together, these two brands release two expressions of this sake each year, both meant to be enjoyed outside. The aforementioned Kubota Seppou Black comes out as the autumn approaches, and Kubota Seppou White is brewed and stored during the cold temperatures of mid-winter and is released to celebrate the arrival of spring and the warm summer ahead. For the sake geeks out there, blending the White and the Black together would theoretically result in you making Kubota's flagship creation, the iconic Manjyu. But getting back to Kubota Seppou White, its style and seasonal release make it an excellent choice for hot days, long evenings and picnics. It dis