Type
Sakai Shuzo · Yamaguchi
Gokyo 5 Blue Kioke Zukuri Kimoto Nama Junmai
$49.00
No sales tax — Oregon
Rice
Yamadanishiki (Yamaguchi)
Prefecture
Yamaguchi
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.
LightFullMedium: a bit of richness or creaminess, heft, more flavor intensity, more presence, sometimes higher alcohol or sweetness. A lot of namazake sits here.
SoftAcidicAcidic: bright, zippy, noticeable sourness, very often balanced by higher sweetness. Acidity is a key part of this sake's character, and might be heightened with special techniques, yeasts, koji, or CO2 gas.
SubtleAromaticModerate aroma: noticeable from the glass. Most often, moderate intensity aromas are either ginjo-ka (fruit, florals) or koshu-ka (nuts, mushroom, brown sugar).
Pairs with
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.
A max-voltage array of tropical zebra stripe, Rambler seltzer, and fermenty-wild essence of buttermilk, 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 giving me Aram*sa vibes, as if it were a fun, funky, locals-only Southern version of the hypebeast Northern brewery, and I say that with utmost respect.
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.
Ground shipping is $25 to $40, free at 12 bottles.
Free pickup at our Portland shop. An adult (21+) with photo ID must be present for delivery.
Out of stock. Get an email when it's back
We'll email you once when it's back in stock.
Specifications
Poured at our Wednesday Flight
- Weird Ones Vol 3, Aug 6, 2025
Shipping
Ships to most states, not Alaska, Hawaii or Utah. No sales tax (Oregon). Free Ground shipping at 12 bottles. Pickup at our Portland shop is free.
Pick up in person
Shop open Tu–Sun. Order online and pick up at the shop — 107 SE Washington St. #121, Portland, Oregon.
