Akabu Junmai Ginjo "Hisui"
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With a lighter aromatic impact than Akabu's year-round Junmai Ginjo, Hisui glides across the nose like a waft of Summer flowers. It has an almost addictive aroma-- tropical flowers, Fun Dip, Sanrio Gum, strawberry puffs-- and the palate boldly leans in, apologizing for nothing and delivering purely on this aromatic promise. It is clean, pure, impeccable-- unsurprisingly, the absolute favorite in the Summer pack.
Acidity is a little higher than usual: you need it to balance out that lush and tender strawberry note!Ā
Called Hisui (jade) in reference to its glossy shine and translucence, AkabuĀ
wanted to evoke the clear, refreshing flavors and aromas of young leaves andĀ
flowers in early Summer with this bottling. This is one of two Summer sake forĀ
Akabu and the newest, an updated vision of Summer: ethereal but with body andĀ
grape skin-like astringency. Their commitment to Iwate prefecture is evident inĀ
the use of local Ginginga rice and Iwate Kobo yeast, developed at the local research
center. Polished to 50% and brewed to a light 13% ABV, we could call this junmaiĀ
daiginjo but Akabu always exceeds the minimum, one reason why they are soĀ
highly awarded after barely a decade post-reopening.Ā
Akabu Shuzo 赤ę¦é
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Location: Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture
Rice: Gin Ginga (Iwate)
Polish: 50%
Yeast: Iwate Kobo
Water: Underground water from the Kitakami River
SMV: ā
Acidity: ā
ABV: 13%
Leading the Sake industry in Japan out of Iwate Prefecture is Akabuās 6th Generation, the young and talented Master Brewer, Ryunosuke Furudate. Guided by their passion, Furudate and his team harness every bit of their soul to evolve sake production as we know it. Established in 1896, the original brewery was devasted by the Tohoku earthquake in 2011 and suffered complete destruction. It was in 2013 that the new brewery was built in Morioka City, and in 2014 the current era of Akabu was born. Despite the youth of this new generation, within their first few years, Akabu was awarded the Gold Prize in the Annual Japan Sake Awards 2016, followed by the distinction as the #1 ranked sake producer in all of Iwate.
The original Akabu Shuzo was built in Otsuchi Town in 1986, but during the Tohoku Earthquake of 2011ā the one that destroyed the Fukushima Daiichi reactorā it was completely leveled. The new, 6th generation president Furudate Ryunosuke, working with his father Furudate Shuho, oversaw a total rebuild and rebranding: a new brewery in fashionable Morioka City (2013) and a young, enthusiastic, co-ed team with NO prior brewing experience. The breweryās main brand, Hama Musume, had come to be associated with the disaster. So a new AKABU brand was born of toji Ryunosukeās desire to create something refreshing and modern that he and his staff would want to drink themselves. AKABU became the flagship brand of the āMorioka Revival Brewery.ā But after a strenuous two years brewing solo day and night, Ryunosuke found himself burnt to exhaustion with no energy to fine-tune the brews and avoid careless errors. Realizing this wasnāt the path forward for a brewery embracing modernity, Akabu Shuzo implemented a non-traditional work schedule. The six brewer team works regular hours 5 days a week, year round, and aside from the things that absolutely must be done by hand, the brewing work is partially mechanized to foster an environment anyone could work in. The result? Awards and global recognition: Akabu is one of the most sought-after brands in Japan.
This beautifully lighthearted sake tastes like fond memories of childhood Summer: The nose is light and floral, the mid-palate has an innocent confected quality, and the finish is fresh and brisk, like a cool breeze. Either drink on its own without overthinking, or consider foods with a light sweetness. Scallop crudo, Alaskan halibut w/ egg-miso, or if you can find it, raw amaebi or poached spot prawns. Salmon w/ fresh creamed corn, melon & pancetta, steamed veg w/ saikyo miso & orange aioli, or fresh tomato & peach salad with basil!