On the second day of my 2-night, 3-day trip to Tokachi Obihiro, after taking a break at Rock Cafe, I visited Aokumo Brewery. It is the only brewery in Tokachi Obihiro and the first brewery in Japan to be located on a university campus, specifically on the campus of Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine. The exterior and interior of the brewery are very stylish! I was able to take a leisurely tour of the brewery here. After that, I sampled some sake from a large refrigerator in the shop. With the help of the shop staff, I decided to purchase the following: - Tokachi Special Junmai for 1,980 yen - Kamikawa Taikan Special Junmai Summer Label for 2,200 yen The Tokachi sake has a polishing ratio of 60% and an alcohol content of 16%. This Tokachi sake won the Grand Prix at the 2022 Japan Sake Awards. It is more on the sweet side, with a rich and mellow flavor that highlights the taste of the rice. It was really delicious. On the other hand, the Kamikawa Taikan sake also has a polishing ratio of 60% and an alcohol content of 16%, but it is more on the dry side. Despite being dry, it is still delicious and refreshing. The Grand Prix-winning Tokachi sake was truly amazing! I never expected to enjoy visiting a sake brewery in Tokachi Obihiro, so I was very happy with this experience. Thank you for the wonderful meal!

In March 2022, I visited the "Hekikumo Kurou Shop," a sake brewery owned by Kamikawa Taisetsu Shuzo. I decided to visit after reading a review by the chairman of the Mirebi Madarai Association. The shop is located on the grounds of Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, or Obi-Chikudai for short. When I found it, I was pleasantly surprised and exclaimed, "Oh! A hidden gem!" The interior of the shop has a chic atmosphere that makes you want to buy something. I tried the "Tokachi" Junmai sake, priced at 1,320 yen for 720ml (tax included). Upon tasting it, I thought, "Oh! It's spicy!" It has a slightly thick flavor. Hmm, I would say it's worth the price.

Holiday outing series. The purpose of this camping trip was a drinking camp. The reason for choosing Obihiro was to stop by here to buy sake and drink it by the bonfire. It's been a while since I visited a sake brewery. A sake brewery located on the premises of Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine. Recently, both Aokumo Brewery and Ryokuoka Brewery received gold awards in the Junmai sake category at the 2020 Sapporo National Tax Agency New Sake Appraisal Competition, so they are highly rated among new breweries. Inside the store's refrigerator, there were various attractive sakes from Tokachi, including the award-winning "Tokachi Special Junmai Sake Organic Comet." A fresh scent like muscat with a mild taste. Not too heavy, refreshing, and delicious! I wanted to do a tasting comparison, so I purchased two bottles: "Kamikawa Taisetsu Aokumo Brewery Tokachi Junmai Ginjo" and "Tokachi Special Junmai Sake Organic Comet Gold Award." The former has a fragrant ginjo aroma with a solid body. It's just right after leaving it for about two days after opening. I also want to try it warmed up slightly. I have tried Ryokuoka Brewery's sake a few times before, but the taste subtly differs. I wonder if it's due to the water quality they use? I wonder how many sake breweries I can visit this year... Next, I want to visit Ryokuoka Brewery. Thank you for the meal!

Since last fall, I have been enamored with the sake from Kamikawa Taisetsu Shuzo, and in January I visited the Midorigaoka Kura in Kamikawa Town, clearing the snow to get there. This time, I braved the slushy ground with a rental car to reach Hekun Kura. The brewery is located on the campus of Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine. The university provides the location, Kamikawa Taisetsu Shuzo provides the expertise, and the brewmaster is also a visiting professor at the university. Although Kamikawa Town and Obihiro City are both in Hokkaido, the water is different which makes the sake unique. When looking at the sake from Hekun Kura, many do not list the type of rice used. If possible, I wanted to buy the same rice and polishing ratio to compare the differences in water between Kamikawa and Obihiro, but this time I simply enjoyed the sake from Kamikawa Taisetsu in Obihiro. Personally, I bought one bottle, which received high praise from me, so everyone chipped in to buy two bottles for a hotel room tasting. The next night, for some reason, we were in Asahikawa, doing a comparative tasting. Both bottles purchased were Junmai Daiginjo with a difference in polishing ratio of 45% and 40% as indicated on the labels. When compared side by side, they were quite different. One person fell asleep, so two of us did the tasting. One bottle was similar in taste to the Kamikawa Taisetsu I had tried before, with a slight sweetness, a bit of carbonation, and a refreshing finish that didn't linger. The other bottle had a slightly bitter taste, reminiscent of white wine. Opinions were divided, but depending on the situation, we found ourselves appreciating both. I still have another bottle of Junmai Daiginjo that I personally bought but have not yet tried. Could the brewery's character be influenced by the water's characteristics? Overall, the sake from Obihiro had a slightly more robust impression compared to Kamikawa Town. Which do I prefer? So far, I prefer the sake from Midorigaoka Kura in Kamikawa Town.

On 23/06/17, I purchased the "Tokachi Yamahai Junmai Genshu Kitashizuku Namazake" for 2400 yen to enjoy during my business trip. It is from my beloved sake brewery, Kamikawa Taisetsu Shuzo. I have been stationed in Obihiro for 11 months now, and finally had the chance to visit the "Hekienkura" brewery. I had a hard time deciding, but ended up choosing a limited edition product. I have a weakness for limited edition items, as always. And so, I enjoyed a late night drink alone. I took a slow sip. It tasted so good. It went down smoothly and had a crisp finish. This is my go-to phrase when describing sake from this brewery. This time, it had a strong and rich flavor too! It must be the characteristic of a genshu sake. I quietly continued to enjoy my drink. When I crave a delicious sake again, I will definitely come back here.

Congratulations on winning the Tokachi Special Junmai Sake Award 2022. I've been to Akikumo Kura once, so I'll skip it, but I visited Fukushi Shuzo in Kushiro. Let's go and look for their limited edition sake. It's quite noisy inside the building. Oh no, it seems like we've clashed with some elderly group. Basically, they have a lot of sake in refrigerators here. It's impossible to compete with them as they talk loudly in front of the refrigerators. Managed to get the limited edition sake from the refrigerator. Went to the cashier. Even at the cashier, the elderly ladies in front of us took a long time without looking back. Sigh, I regret not stopping myself from buying it. After a while, I drank it at home. Slightly colored. It has a comet-like flavor, rich and pleasant taste. It ends crisply with alcohol. This taste is definitely from the Tokachi region. Thank you for the meal. Limited edition sake Junmai Ginjo Tokachi Ingredients: Rice (100% Hokkaido-grown Comet), rice koji (Hokkaido-grown rice) Polishing ratio: 55% Alcohol content: 16%

I requested the person in charge in Obihiro to purchase it and bring it to the meeting, but I ended up forgetting it in the company locker for over six months. I apologize sincerely. The label with the emblem of Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine is nice. I tried it as soon as I got home. The color is dark, maybe because I stored it for a while? The scent is a bit subtle. The sharpness is still there. The rich taste is truly from Kamikawa Daisetsu. Thank you for the meal. Ingredients: rice (produced in Hokkaido), rice koji (rice produced in Hokkaido) Polishing ratio: 55% Alcohol content: 16%

I had always wanted to visit this place during my business trip to eastern Hokkaido. It was a bit far from the city center of Obihiro, and I had to rely on my navigation system to find it. The entrance to the parking lot was a bit tricky to locate, but after circling the building, I finally parked. There was a separate building where you could tour and purchase their products. I bought a bottle of Junmai Ginjo "Tokachi" made from 100% Ginpu rice as a souvenir. When I tried it at home, I could taste the familiar sharpness of the Tokachi region, with about half the usual intensity. It had a vibrant and elegant taste with the distinctive sharpness of Tokachi still present. It was a delightful experience. Thank you. Junmai Ginjo "Tokachi" Ingredients: Rice (100% Ginpu rice from Hokkaido), rice koji (Hokkaido-grown rice) Polishing ratio: 55% Alcohol content: 16%

The contents of the tasting set include "Tokachi Junmai" from Kamikawa Taisetsu Shuzo, "Fukushi Junmai COCOROMI" from Fukushi Shuzo, and "Hokkaido Kachou Houou" from Usui Kachisaburo Shoten. The third bottle is "Junmai Tokachi" from Kamikawa Taisetsu Shuzo, with a rice polishing ratio of 70% and an alcohol content of 15%. The review praises the refreshing taste and skillful brewing of Kamikawa Taisetsu Shuzo, with a lingering sense of sharpness.

This is the "Tokachi Junmai" from Kamikawa Taisetsu Shuzo's Hekikumo Kura. It is a gift from a friend, a delicious Junmai sake with a smooth taste. The sake has a rice polishing ratio of 70% and an alcohol content of 15%. Kamikawa Taisetsu Shuzo is located within Obihiro Livestock University in Tokachi. They have an online shop as well. The sake has a mellow and delicious taste, perfect for those interested in Tokachi Junmai sake. Highly recommended!