Sunflower Club Monthly Archives

May 2024, we used a one-page comic to highlight Kidoizumi Shuzo & the inaugural arrival of AFS, as well as a fresh batch of Hakugyokko, a Hyogo Yamadanishiki Junmai Ginjo. Kidoizumi's unique ko-on (hot) Yamahai method is the signature of their rich, full bodied, tart and ageable house style. The intensity of flavor, structure and umami make Kidoizumi a favorite at Tokyo pairing institutions such as Eureka and Maen, even serving as the basis for barrel-aged variations (Afruge series), back vintage releases and single-tank selections. Common wisdom suggests that Kidoizumi is for experienced sake drinkers only, but I've found that it makes a stunning red carpet entrance for any skeptic, newbie, gastronome...it's all but guaranteed to knock the taster off their chair, and make them rethink all that they thought they knew.
Sake does not have to be light, clean, water-like, dry, or otherwise mild mannered in any way. It can be 100% chair-throwing, maximum volume, Lisa Frank, metal!