Daruma Masamune 3-Year Koshu (180ml)
- In stock, ready to ship
One of the most highly respected koshu specialists in Japan. Throughout much of the industry, it's not an exaggeration to say that Daruma Masamune = koshu as they have been focused almost exclusively on aging since 1971. We're excited to be bringing in this one-cup example of their 3-year aged junmai.
From the toji & brewery owner:
"I thought sake was something you drink in a year~!
I am so happy when I hear people say, "Your koshu tastes so good!"
This Aged 3 Years Sake is a well-balanced blend of several types of our "Daruma Masamune" sake that has been aged for more than three years. As is typical for blended spirits, 3 years is the minimum found in this "3 year" blend.
It will surely please those who drink koshu for the first time or as a gift for those who love sake. It can be enjoyed at room temperature, chilled, warmed in cold weather, on the rocks in hot summer, or even refreshingly mixed with soda and garnished with lemon.
The first sip is mild and sweet, yet has a nice savory flavor. Once you start drinking it, it goes down so smoothly that you can't help but drink more and more. It is good for the whole family to drink together."
Shiraki Shuzo
Gifu City, Gifu, Japan
Classification: Junmai
Rice: Nihonbare
Polishing: 70%
Other: this sake is a blend, so the flavor profile is consistent year to year but other manufacturing details may vary, such as starter method, koji percentage, and so on. As a result, technical information is limited.
An excellent backstory has already been written by author and sake researcher, Jim Rion: https://yamaguchisake.com/2020/10/07/daruma-masamune-koshu-study/
I highly recommend giving it a read! Until I have the chance to do my own research, I'll be pointing in this direction.
A little cheese, nuts (nut-based cheese for that matter!) some charcuterie and a little aged sake, makes for a very nice happy hour.
From the brewery: "It is well-balanced enough to drink on its own, but because this sake is aged for three years, it is creamy, so it would be interesting to enjoy it with creamy chicken dishes or cheeses. In terms of Japanese cuisine, it also goes well with tempura and yakitori."
ANA airlines has also used Daruma Masamune in their Business and First class dishes, usually in applications where you'd usually see sherry or madeira, such as fond de veau. It's an excellent application for this sake, as the flavor is concentrated enough to really penetrate the dish with umami and caramelized notes.