20 Years aged Black Mirin (Kuro 20 Hon Mirin)

An absolute rarity and delicacy is this 20-year matured Hon Mirin, i.e. a real Mirin, from Aichi Prefecture, the home of Mirin production. This mirin is made according to traditional craftsmanship; the only ingredients are glutinous rice, koji and rice shochu. The 20 years of storage in steel tanks give this mirin a particularly deep dark colour and its intense and extremely delicious taste. The sweetness is very elegant, the aroma extremely smooth, and it also has an intense umami note. Hon Mirin is a high-quality Japanese sweet liqueur and one of the most important seasonings in Japanese cuisine, where it is widely used. The most famous example is probably teriyaki sauce. Only the highest quality mirin is used as a drink in Japan. You should definitely enjoy this mirin neat.

Description

The producer of the 20 Years aged Black Mirin is Kankyo Shuzo, based in Kanie in Aichi Prefecture. The prefecture is considered the home of mirin production, which has a 400-year-old tradition here. The Black Mirin is an absolute speciality, as it is matured in steel tanks for 20 years. This is Hon Mirin, which is made exclusively from natural ingredients, namely steamed glutinous rice, rice koji and rice shochu, and is matured for at least 40 to 60 days. During this time, the enzymes in the rice koji break down the starch and protein of the glutinous rice to produce various sugars, amino acids and aroma components. The alcohol in the shochu interrupts further fermentation, similar to the production of port wine. Therefore, mirin has an elegant sweetness without any added sugar and can be drunk wonderfully as a liqueur or like a sweet wine. It is an enrichment as an ingredient in cocktails, as a seasoning or as an exciting component for exciting culinary experiences. Black Mirin has a great umami note. The texture is slightly creamy as well as rich. It has a full body with an exciting complexity.

The 20 Years aged Black Mirin is the pride and joy of Kankyo Shuzo and was created by accident: Several litres of mirin were brought to a cellar and forgotten there, only to be rediscovered 10 years later. In the process, Kankyo Shuzo noticed that the colour had become so deep dark, the taste so intense and the consistency so exciting over the years that they decided from then on to also store their mirin long-term.

Japanese Hon Mirin (real Mirin in drinking quality), matured for 20 years
Net quantity: 180 ml
Alk.: 14% vol
Dispensed only to persons of full age
Importer: Ginza Berlin GmbH, Pfalzburger Straße 20, 10719 Berlin

After opening, please store in a cool place and consume within 12 months.

About Kankyo Shuzo

Kankyo Shuzo was founded in 1862 and is already in its 7th generation. The company has been producing mirin ever since. The small company is based in the city of Kanie in Aichi Prefecture. Kanie is also known as a water town, because a quarter of the city is occupied by rivers. Since ancient times, there have been many sake and soy sauce breweries here, because the area is blessed with particularly pure and high-quality water.

Due to the Second World War, Kankyo Shuzo was forced to temporarily stop the production of mirin because of the shortage of rice in the country, which was reserved for feeding the population. Any conversion into spices was strictly forbidden. Kankyo Shuzo concentrated on sake production at this time and owes its survival to this circumstance. Mirin production resumed in 1951, maintaining the high quality of the ingredients and the traditional production process. Kankyo Shuzo is a true craft company and uses only locally produced ingredients to control the quality and taste of its products. Many producers add sugar during the fermentation of mirin to speed up the maturation. Kankyo Shuzo does not do this. The producer does not add sugar or other additives. The resulting production process is much slower, but the flavours are much more natural and pure. And you can taste that too!