Type
Fuji Shuzo (Yamagata) · Yamagata
Eiko Fuji Junmai Ginjo Origarami
$42.00
No sales tax — Oregon
Rice
Miyamanishiki
Prefecture
Yamagata
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.
DrySweetBalanced dry: reads as dry, with a little bit of softness, or maybe a fruit/brown sugar note that tempers the impression of dryness. Most people will read "2" 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.
SoftAcidicAbove-average acidity, an important part of this sake's character, but nowhere near sour/tart. Lift, refreshing. When paired with higher sweetness, it creates a juicy, ripe impression.
SubtleAromaticModerate aroma: noticeable from the glass. Most often, moderate intensity aromas are either ginjo-ka (fruit, florals) or koshu-ka (nuts, mushroom, brown sugar).
A lightly hazy, gently creamy sake with notes of rainier cherry, melon creamy soda, and ramune. It tastes a lot brighter and more acid-driven than it is, and it doesn't come across nearly as sweet as you might expect either. If a nigori were a rose, like if you closed your eyes and used your imagination and convinced yourself it was pink... that's where my mind goes with this Eiko Fuji gem: a warm-climate rose with florals and stonefruity notes, much like provence.
Origarami is a style of nigori (cloudy) sake which is very unique. It's hazy from the fine lees (ori) left over after pressing the sake clear. Usually what happens is, when the (porridge-like) sake mash is pressed, there are still some very fine rice particles left over in the almost-clear sake. Those fine particles are generally removed with gravity, by letting the just-pressed sake sit for 12-24 hours in cold storage, and then pulling the clean sake off the top as the particles settle to the bottom. What's left over at the bottom, softly hazy, is origarami-- and the term for that fine particulate is ori.
The result is a nigori (ish!) with a very silky, fine texture that just glazes the tongue: a style you usually only see (in very limited amounts, at local shops) in Japan during the bottling season, as each batch provides just a bit of origarami sake. It's really special!
Eiko Fuji's juicy origarami has a lovely bright acidity to it which is brightened further by its freshness and single light pasteurization, making the sake taste almost effervescent and crisp. It's undiluted (genshu) with lots of flavor, and aromatic with stonefruit notes typical of Yamagata KA yeast. The use of Miyamanishiki to me is telling: common in Yamagata and other cool-climate areas, Miyamanishiki has a richness and velvetiness to it that might make it my favorite sake rice (at time of this writing!) Miyamanishiki is like a cozy blanket and a warm hug. So happy to share this new nigori with you!
Your case:
$30 flat-rate case shipping (up to 12 bottles) — the more you add, the less per bottle. Per federal requirements, an adult (21+) with photo ID must be present to receive the delivery.
Sake Club members: $20 shipping (up to 12 bottles) with your club bottles About the clubs
Specifications
Region: Tohoku
Type: Nigori & Doburoku
Rice: Miyamanishiki
Rice-Polishing Ratio: 60%
ABV: 15
SMV: -3
Acidity: 1.4
Yeast: Yamagata KA
Size: 720ml
Shipping
Available nationwide to states and counties that permit alcohol. No sales tax (Oregon). Flat-rate case shipping; in-store pickup available.
Pick up in person
Shop open Tu–Sun. Order online and pick up at the shop — 107 SE Washington St. #121, Portland, Oregon.
