5:26 PM—From this moment on, we are friends for a minute... Inspired by the colors of dusk, this umeshu captures a fleeting instant in time. I don’t know exactly why the brewery chose this name, but I do know that thanks to this plum wine, I will always remember this minute.

Produced by Kanaya Brewery in Ishikawa Prefecture, this umeshu uses twice as many plums as usual, which are soaked in the brewery’s own sake for two years and then blended with brandy for extra richness. All that effort paid off—this bottle won a silver medal at the 2021 National Umeshu Competition in Japan.

Flavor-wise, the aroma is inviting, with gentle rice notes. The palate offers rich, mellow rice flavors interwoven with bright plum notes, while brandy in the mid-to-late palate adds further depth and fruitiness. The overall taste is both distinctive and easy to enjoy—the balanced sweetness never feels cloying, making this a truly good drink!

Aged sake often carries subtle hints of mushroom and steamed rice, which can be hard to balance. Here, the addition of brandy and an intense plum presence harmonize these unique aged-sake notes, achieving an elegant balance between rice, plum, and richness.

This deep, richly flavored style of umeshu is rare, and it’s seldom executed this well. It’s because of this taste that I’ll always remember PM 5:26—will you? If you’re curious, don’t hesitate to try it!