Gokyo 5 Kioke Zukuri Kimoto Nama Junmai

Generous tropical notes of mango, pineapple and strawberry, but offset with a deep "sake" taste that is unmistakably old school. Juicy, vivid, acidic, tropical, and very much alive, this sake is a brilliant testament to the creativity and skill of Gokyo’s team. It’s so good you’ll probably just drink it all before dinner, but if you pair, know that delicate cuisine can get lost. A test batch of karaage with sansho pepper & lemon was absolutely brilliant. Working with the fat & salt angle, classic broiled mackerel w/ lemon and a big side of soy sauce-laden fresh grated daikon, or korean fried chicken/ cauliflower. Pop it out for lazy sipping, or the same meals you’d want a tiki drink.

The Gokyo 5 series are expressions of sake brewed in kioke: that is, traditional
large wooden barrels of 1-5000 L capacity, made from sugi (cryptomeria) wood. 
Utilized for >100 years in some cases, kioke don’t usually confer wood flavors (as 
in oak barrels), but do add unique character by hosting a unique microbial
 population in the pores of the wood & supplying oxygen during the fermentation. 
By preparing Blue with the ~350 year old kimoto method which utilizes wild 
bacteria to create acidity, Gokyo’s kioke evolve, and in turn, the “5” series as well.