haccoba

After 18 months of planning and preparation, this one-of-a-kind, limited release collaboration between our neighbors Smith Teamaker + Fukushima craft brewery haccoba (with a little logistics and cheerleading support from Sunflower!) has landed in Portland. The improbable combination of American-style blended sencha tea and pre-modern/post-modern Japanese sake is limited to one batch and not one you'll want to miss.

Haccoba brews under a zasshu 雑酒(miscellaneous alcohol) license rather than a seishu (sake) one, which frees them to add extra ingredients (like tea!) to their brews. This sub-genre of alt-sake has come to be known as "craft sake." In an industry that is otherwise deeply traditional, craft sake is a special space where experimentation and collaboration are encouraged. Craft sake brewers are often inspired by craft beer: taprooms, exciting new flavors, limited releases, and a craftsmanship ethos.

Twilight Brew is a perfect example of this creative synthesis. Wild-fermented kimoto sake is brewed using local Omachi rice for a resonant, umami-rich base. After the sake is pressed, Smith Teamaker Tokyo Twilight tea is infused into the brew. After steeping at cool temperatures, a sort of sake mizudashi, the brew is gently filtered, and the golden-green liquid is bottled before being lightly pasteurized for stability.

Out of the refrigerator is delicious, but try it on ice, with a sparkling water back, or a little bit of sparkling water & a twist of lemon.

Because the base of the brew is so well made and has so much character on its own, heating brings out a completely different side of the sake. The low ABV (10%) and moderate sweetness shine at high temperatures, around 60-80C. Particularly when heated in a copper chirori, the sharpness of the heat moderates the sweetness and lifts the tropical, pandan and pineapple notes out of the cup.

Sake? Not exactly. Tea? No..
Something in between, something new.


---
Haccoba product page (Japanese)
For a full background on the brewery and the craft sake category, read our article here.

Ingredients: Rice (Local Omachi rice from Haccoba's Fukushima neighborhood, organically grown by small independent farmers), rice koji, Tokyo Twilight tea [sencha, green rooibos, juniper berry, Holy Basil, Lavender, Lemon Peel]