"The flavor of Shiro doesn't stay long in the mouth, but one can feel the aroma of the rice," he explains.
According to Hirohisa, Q has a slightly fruity aroma and is made using 35 percent polished rice-meaning that 65 percent of the grain's surface has been "polished" away, exposing the rich starch at the core of the grain. This results in sake with a brighter aroma and lighter, clearer taste. Only 150 bottles of Q are produced every year.
Like fine spirits and different wines, Hirohisa thinks the shape of the glass has an effect on the taste of sake. "For Kagami, a wide-mouthed glass is a good choice, and for Q, a white wineglass can highlight its aroma," he explains.
Now, all three of these handcrafted sake varieties are available in China, through the restaurant chain Yotsuba.
Wang Zicheng, sake sommelier and director of operations for Yotsuba, met Hirohisa in the summer of 2017. Wang was so impressed by his brewing skills that he went to see Hirohisa's sake production.
Summer is the only time that Hirohisa is available to meet guests, because the sake-making season begins in September and continues until January.
Wang and his team from Yotsuba invited Hirohisa to import his sake to China, and after months of persuasion, Hirohisa's signature series finally landed on the Chinese mainland.
To celebrate the September launch, Yotsuba created a 10-course set menu with full sake pairings. Hirohisa attended the launch event on Sept 2, explaining how he made the sake and how the Hirohisa series pairs with the food.
"Our sake factory is located near the sea, where there are a lot shellfish and white-meat fish. So my sake is an ideal accompaniment to seafood, especially octopus and scallops, and is also a good match with sushi," he explains.
After a short stay in Beijing, Hirohisa returned to Japan to commence this year's rice collection and then the washing, steaming and fermentation of the harvest.
Hirohisa may be getting busier as winter approaches, but he promises to come back next year with new sakes, but the same perfect flavor.
