Omachi is known for producing sake with medium to full body and velvety, rich texture. Flavor notes are unique in the sake world, often including powerful florals (rose, violet, orange flower water), fresh herbs (mint, lemon balm, pine, sweet cicely), wood (balsa wood, birch, fresh cut wood), and stonefruit (nectarine, white peach, rainier cherry). Omachi can also be aged, in which case it loses some of its "prettier" fresh floral and fruit notes, and gains textural, earthy characteristics.
Omachi is an heirloom rice variety which means it was discovered in the wild, rather than bred or developed in a laboratory. It is strongly associated with Okayama Prefecture where it was first grown in 1859 by a traveling farmer. Okayama now grows the majority of Omachi rice, with Akaiwa Omachi being the most highly prized. Because it's very difficult to grow, low yielding and expensive, Omachi is rare. Okayama and Hiroshima breweries often use Omachi as an expression of regionality, but aside from this only daring and "geeky" brewers elsewhere are willing to take the risk. As a consumer and Omachi lover, I always think it pays off!
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Rice varieties can have a huge influence on style, flavor, price, and storytelling for sake. While most rice varieties have a subtle impact on flavor --far less than grape variety in wine-- the variables you don't see or taste directly, can play a part in making the sake what it is. Omachi is unique however in having a distinctive taste. It might be the only sake rice variety that you can reliably train yourself to identify blind a majority of the time.
