“Kin Umeshu” is a name with a double meaning: (1) While most plum wines are amber-hued, this creation stands out with its exquisite champagne-gold color, truly unique in appearance. (2) The production cost is extremely high—Tatenokawa uses 200 kilograms of pure junmai daiginjo sake lees to produce just about 28 bottles, making the final product as precious as “gold.” Unsurprisingly, it’s priced at the very top of the market in Japan.

Tatenokawa is a renowned sake brewery in Yamagata Prefecture, specializing exclusively in junmai daiginjo sake. During their sake production, nutrient-rich sake lees are created. Tatenokawa distills a large quantity of these lees into “kasutori shochu,” which becomes the base spirit for this umeshu. The highest quality Nanko plums are then steeped in this refined base to produce the final product. So, is the flavor as “golden” as its looks? Absolutely 

Tasting it neat, you’re greeted with an intense plum aroma and a crisp, honeyed sweetness. The mouthfeel is gentle and silky, with almost no harshness—just a refined, sweet-tart plum flavor mingled with honey, all perfectly balanced and elegant. Even after several glasses, there’s no sense of heaviness or fatigue—this is the kind of exquisite drink even occasional drinkers will find themselves refilling!

The official suggestion is also to enjoy it with soda water (1:1). The gentle bubbles make it even more refreshing, though some might feel this dilutes its refined elegance—so the best recommendation is to enjoy it chilled and neat.

A refined, easy-to-drink, high-end umeshu, Kin Umeshu comes highly recommended for all plum wine aficionados.