Akishika Junmai Ginjo Muroka Nama Genshu "Okushika" 2019
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Akishika's flagship, a junmai brewed from organic rice and aged a minimum of 3 years in mountainous inland Osaka, about 45 minutes outside of Kyoto.
As we can always expect from Akishika, this "fresh" (well...) Okushika vintage has a completely distinct character: still with that deep roots, earthy, complex yet intense duality, but more koshu character in 2019... I want to warm it up much more than I did for 2018, to bring out the goat caramel/cajeta, gjetost and tangy cheese, fenugreek, vanilla, white pepper and quince paste notes, set off by a minerally spine that will keep it aging well into the 2030's. This is a vintage you'll pair with pork agrodolce, spiced game-- think goat massaman curry, seared venison, chanterelle and vadouvan soup, and and other spiced-land foods (or, you know, a nice piece of charred albacore...)
With a texture of velour, the comfort of a weighted blanket and a persistent finish... Okushika is really a marvel and a work of art.
Location: Nose, Osaka
Style: Junmai Yamahai Muroka Nama Genshu (aged from 2019)
Rice: Yamadanishiki (house grown, organic)
Polishing: 60%
Starter method: Yamahai
Water: Soft, well water
SMV: +7
Acidity: 2.7
ABV: 17.5%
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.
Enjoy Okushika with a dairy or vegan cheese plate (think lots of miso-rich, aged and umami-dense cashew cheeses) + quince or fig paste, beef and burdock nabe, miso keema curry (also, so good). 2019 in particular you'll pair with pork agrodolce, spiced game-- think goat massaman curry, seared venison, chanterelle and vadouvan soup, and and other spiced-land foods (or, you know, a nice piece of charred albacore & good shoyu wouldn't hurt too...)Think deep flavors, lots of umami & lots of salt.