Rihaku Tokubetsu Junmai Nigori Namazake "Dreamy Clouds"
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Not your mama's nigori. Dry, fizzy, ricey, with notes of yuzu, just-ripe banana, blueberry and tart yogurt. Only a touch of ricey haze (that is, not a thick or sweet nigori) & tons of personality. A fleeting herbal and dry finish reminds me of gin. Dreamy Clouds Nama is a surprisingly serious, dry nigori with higher than usual acidity: the perfect accompaniment to warm weather!
Brewery: Rihaku Sake Brewery, 李白酒造
Est. 1882
Location: Matsue, Shimane Prefecture
Brand: Rihaku
Classification: Tokubetsu Junmai Nigori
Rice: Gohyakumangoku
Polish: 59%
Yeast: #901
ABV: 15%
Water: soft
Though established in 1882, the brewery didn't receive the name Rihaku until 1928, when it was gifted by then Prime Minister Wakatsuki Reijiro, who was born and raised in Matsue. Rihaku is the Japanese name for Chinese Tang Dynasty poet Li Po, who was famous for drinking copious amounts before writing his poems.
From Sunflower Monthly Club writeup:
As described by sake brewer Andrew Russell of OriginSake.com, “although Rihaku produce a wide range of different styles, in general, their sake can be described as being soft and mellow with gentle umami…perhaps this is the result of its historic ties with its neighbouring prefecture [Okayama], whose Bitchu Toji guild provided them with their first two master brewers in the form of a father and son succession. As Haruo Matsuzaki recently pointed out in an article of Sake Today, Bitchu Toji typically produce sake with a soft texture to the flavour, whereas the local [Shimane] Izumo Toji...often have more dense or robust flavours.” Thus while Rihaku sake is not set in stone, it does have a widely recognized style and flavor profile: soft, mellow, and gentle. This is the legacy inherited by Yuichiro Tanaka, 5th generation president of Rihaku.
