Joto Junmai Nigori "The Blue One" (Nakao Shuzo)

This super-affordable nigori is creamy, soft, sumptuous, like an ultra-ripe, dripping anjou pear. Banana pudding, ripe dates, soft florals, and the delightful sweetness of rice itself: pillowy, mochi-wrapped bites of mango ice cream. Unlike many nigori Joto has no graininess, no astringency-- It's lightly sweet, lightly fruity. There's not a lot of umami here, or complexity, but the point is to be delightful, friendly, and approachable, with a thick but soft texture.