Abekan Natsujungin Kingyo

Abekan Shuzo, operating continuously since 1716 beside Shiogama Shrine, issues this summer-seasonal junmai ginjo under the evocative name 'Natsujungin Kingyo', Summer Goldfish, nodding to the classic Japanese summer festival image of goldfish in water. Since toji Toshiaki Hiratsuka took the helm in 2006, the brewery has embraced seasonal releases that capture a moment in the brewing year, and this lightly chilled bottling fits squarely in that tradition. The name's imagery suggests a sake meant for warm evenings: bright, clear, and fleeting. Miyagi's Kuranohana and other locally grown rice varieties have shaped Abekan's house style toward pronounced umami balanced with a clean finish.