Type
![[2021 CAVISTE/READY] Akishika Okarakuchi "Super Dry" Junmai Ginjo Muroka Nama Genshu](http://sunflowersake.com/cdn/shop/files/AkishikiOkarakuchi_530x_2x_1_0d77791a-81fb-46bf-b31b-7c4f392ab6c9.png?v=1692897332&width=1000)
Akishika Shuzo · Osaka
[2021 CAVISTE/READY] Akishika Okarakuchi "Super Dry" Junmai Ginjo Muroka Nama Genshu
$72.00
No sales tax — Oregon
Rice
Yamadanishiki
Prefecture
Osaka
Flavor profileEach scale is our tasting-room read on where this bottle sits between two extremes — dry to sweet, light to full-bodied, soft to acidic, and subtle to aromatic. These are subjective, however, and will shift with food, serveware & temp.
DrySweetBone dry: crisp and clean, almost no perceptible sweetness. Everyone will read "5" as dry.
LightFullLight: lean and easy, mellow, has enough flavor and umami to give it character but generally really easy to drink. This is the most common weight for junmai ginjo/ginjo sake.
SoftAcidicSoft: the most common degree of acidity for sake. A little bit of acidity to give it structure and keep the flavor refreshing, but acidity isn't an important part of its identity.
SubtleAromaticSubtle aroma: if you stick your nose in, you'll get a few quiet notes of fruit, grains, nuts & rice. Aroma isn't a big part of this sake's character. An aromatically quiet sake can still have a powerful flavor, though.
The dry, dirty martini of the sake world. Like a spiced gin distilled with clove, almond and grains, the mid-palate brings a resonant, rich intensity while the finish ends sharply-- a crisp, briney clarity. Faint, unassuming aromatics of soft pear, white pepper and rice bran give way on the palate to deep, ricey umami: kombu dashi, five spice and apple chip. In addition to being super dry (SMV +15), this nama is also undiluted: high in flavor intensity as well as ABV, and also high in acidity (2.6): roughly double your typical junmai. An overwhelmingly crisp, refreshing bottle which is equally delighftul on ice as it is warm.
Pairing:
If you enjoy a dry martini, especially a real dirty one, this is a great sake for you. It's excellent with any rich cuisine (fried food, duck pancake wraps, fried chicken) but also pairs very well with bright, briney seafood, especially raw bar items like oysters, caviar and mussels, or salty gravlax. As a rule, it loves anything salty.
Pairing:
If you enjoy a dry martini, especially a real dirty one, this is a great sake for you. It's excellent with any rich cuisine (fried food, duck pancake wraps, fried chicken) but also pairs very well with bright, briney seafood, especially raw bar items like oysters, caviar and mussels, or salty gravlax. As a rule, it loves anything salty.
Backstory:
Most sake brewers buy their rice – some from contracted farmers, most from unknown sources. “From our own fields to bottle” is the motto of Akishika Shuzō, where 6th-generation kuramoto Oku Hiroaki made a decision to take the brewery as close as it gets to being self-sustained for rice production.
At present, the brewery farms 25 hectares of biodynamically grown rice, sacrificing high yields for superior quality and taste. Breaking with the production methods of postwar Japan and going against the trend of the time, Oku-san was one of the initial pioneers of junmaishu, sake made without any additives; and in 2009, he achieved the goal of the brewery’s entire production being made that way. Akishika ages a big part of their production until it reaches perfect drinking condition, allowing them to offer an unrivaled variety of matured sake.
Using their unique fermentation method of dissolving a very high portion of the fermentation rice into the brew while maintaining low amino acid levels, Akishika’s sake is medium-bodied yet very flavorful, complex, and layered.
Ground shipping is $25 to $40, free at 12 bottles.
Free pickup at our Portland shop. An adult (21+) with photo ID must be present for delivery.
Specifications
Region: Kansai
Type: Junmai Ginjo & Ginjo
Style: Koshu: Aged
Rice: Yamadanishiki
Rice-Polishing Ratio: 60%
ABV: 18%
Size: 720ml
Shipping
Ships to most states, not Alaska, Hawaii or Utah. No sales tax (Oregon). Free Ground shipping at 12 bottles. Pickup at our Portland shop is free.
Pick up in person
Shop open Tu–Sun. Order online and pick up at the shop — 107 SE Washington St. #121, Portland, Oregon.
