Koueigiku "Harujion" Muroka Nama Genshu
- Low stock - 1 item left
Harujion is the Japanese way of saying Halcyon, a word meaning idyllic,
peaceful and prosperous. While opening a bottle of Harujion, you are
greeted with a light pop as residual CO2 escapes. Once poured, harmonious
aromas of fresh cut sunflowers, muscat grape and a slight grassiness fill the
glass. On the palate it is tart and mouth coating, but with a refreshing acidity.
The light prickle of CO2 remaining in the liquid heightens the impression of
the sake as it leaves your palate.
Koueigiku Shuzo; 光栄菊酒造
Established 2019
Location: Ogi-shi, Saga Prefecture
Rice: Shunyo (Niigata)
Yeast: Proprietary
ABV: 14%
While producing a TV program about sake for NHK, two sake industry outsiders bonded over a desire to take their love of sake further and brew themselves. With toji Yamamoto Katsuaki on board, they just had to find a shuttered or dormant brewery to set up, as its difficult to obtain a new brewing license. The original Koueigiku Shuzo closed in 2006, and the name was kept to express a sense of revival for the local community.
Yamamoto trained under Nanbu and Noto toji, and was known at his previous brewery for brewing sake with bold flavor and crisp acidity. As toji at Koueigiku however, his goal is to produce bright, spritzy, quaffable sake that appeals to a younger generation of drinkers.
We'll be honest- Harujion's low umami and high, tropical acidity proved a challenge to pair. Matching like with like, and complementing with a bit of fat is where we found our greatest successes. Think a karashi-laden Japanese potato salad with pickled cucumber and ginger, kimchi fried rice with a runny fried egg and mayo, or carnitas with grilled pineapple.
70.0 YPR
