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New Ume Sake Japanese Kit Kat features the flavour of traditional plum wine…with a twist

Oona McGee Apr 26, 2018
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Move over Sake Kit Kats, there’s a new Plum Sake in town.

Back in 2016, the tastebuds of the world were delighted to welcome the brand new Sake Kit Kat, which contained 0.8 percent alcohol and the distinct flavour of traditional Japanese rice wine.

The new taste sensation proved to be so popular that Nestlé decided to develop a premium version for more refined palates in 2017, bringing on board an esteemed brewery and former Japanese soccer star Hidetoshi Nakata, who’s made a name for himself in retirement as an accomplished sake connoisseur with his own popular brand of rice wine.

Under Nakata’s direction, the high-end sake Kit Kat became a hit, and Nestlé were keen to work with the retired sportsman again on another collaboration. Enlisting the assistance of another acclaimed sake brewery to work on another alcohol-infused Kit Kat, the famous chocolate brand turned to Wakayama-based Heiwa Shuzou.

▼ Nakata worked together with Heiwa Shuzou’s CEO, Fumio Yamamoto, to select the brewery’s best wine for the new Kit Kat.

Founded in 1928, Heiwa Shuzo is located in a valley with an abundant supply of high-quality soft spring water, making it perfect for sake brewing. What makes this particular brewery stand out from its competitors, however, is the fact that they have a range of special fruit-flavoured sake, which uses locally grown produce from Wakayama Prefecture.

As the producers of 40 percent of Japan’s plums, or ume, Wakayama is known for its fine fruit, and Nestlé is now showcasing the superior flavour of their local Nanko plums with an all-new Japan-exclusive Kit Kat called Ume Sake.

Nanko plums are widely considered to be the best on the market, with a soft pulp and an extremely rich flavour. Heiwa Shuzo uses these plums in their “Tsuru-ume Suppai Umeshu“, a plum wine that’s made with a sake base.

Umeshu, or plum wine, is an extremely popular drink in Japan, and is usually made with shochu, a distilled spirit. By using sake instead of shochu in their umeshu, Heiwa Shuzo’s special plum sake combines two of the country’s most beloved traditional tipples, making it a curious blend that Nestlé has fallen in love with.

The 梅酒 kanji used on the new Kit Kat packaging is usually read as “ume-shu” but the individual characters are read as “ume” and “sake”, which is a perfect description of Heiwa Shuzo’s unusual blend.

According to Nestlé, the new Kit Kats delicately balance the sweet, deep flavour of ripe Japanese plums with white chocolate, giving them a strong aroma and a refreshing aftertaste. Still, the sake element is front and centre, as the description on the box reads: “The fragrant taste of sake, wrapped in the gentle sweetness of white chocolate. Enjoy the rich satisfying flavour of sake”.

Each nine-piece pack of Ume Sake Kit Kats will retail for 700 yen (US$6.40) and will be available at souvenir stores around the country from mid-September.

Source, images: Nestlé Japan