Koueigiku Tasogare "Twilight" Orange Muroka Nama Genshu
- In stock, ready to ship
A juicy, complex, full-bodied sake with mandarin orange notes, orange julius, sharp acidity and an undulating finish filled with dense umami. Made with a rare Saga-specific sake rice, Saga Biyori, with undisclosed polishing and methodology typical of Koueigiku.
Koueigiku Shuzo; 光栄菊酒造
Established 2019
Location: Ogi-shi, Saga Prefecture
Rice: Saga Biyori
Polishing: Undisclosed
Yeast: Proprietary
SMV: N/A
Acidity: N/A
ABV: 15%
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.
The sweetness, acidity, and umami of tasogare are by no means subtle, so dishes that fit a similar profile shine here. Something like elote or tangsuyuk (Korean sweet and sour pork) comes to mind. Had this with a tangy achari paneer and I could swear they were made for each other. -Molly
