Type
Sakai Shuzo · Yamaguchi
Gokyo Arabashiri Junmai Muroka Nama Genshu
$51.00
No sales tax — Oregon
Rice
Nihonbare (local- kakemai), Yamadanishiki (local- koji)
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.
LightFullFull: rich and mouth-coating, lots of presence and intensity, usually higher in sweetness, alcohol, age, and/or umami. A powerful sake you can't help but notice.
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.
SubtleAromaticAromatic: aroma is a big part of this sake's character and design. Perfume fills the glass. Usually "4" aroma is coming from ginjo-ka (fruit, florals).
Gokyo Arabashiri is a damn powerhouse. It explodes on the palate with brash, fizzy rainier cherry, fluffy cotton candy, and early nectarine, finishing with a salty, margarita zip, filled out in the middle with an umami weight that reminds me of creme fraiche.
Look out for high acidity here-- atypically high even for a namazake-- which makes it refreshing and cuts through the bold, sweet-savory notes. As a genshu (undiluted) release we have that extra concentration to thank for this intensity as well as the higher alcohol. The texture on the palate is fuzzy and weighty yet it finishes super clean, letting only the sensation of umami linger-- very classic Yamaguchi.
Arabashiri essentially means "free run" and is the sake that pours out of the press first, before any pressure is applied. There's an interesting distinction here, too-- free run is considered to be lower quality than the middle fraction of the pressing because it is more...shall we say, astringent, brash and youthful, while the middle fraction is considered more subtle, soft, and approachable. But there is a charm to this free run, arabashiri sake too-- especially when it is left unpasteurized. Arabashiri has a powerful, dense core of energy and flavor-- complex in a wild and chaotic way. To me, it possesses the mad energy and beauty of Spring snowmelt rushing through mountain valleys on a warm day. A little dangerous but also compelling and beautiful.
Try it on ice or mixed with a little pocari sweat/ ramune/ or fizzy water. Because of the strength of its flavor, I really recommend looking to equally powerful flavors for pairing. In Japanese cuisine this might be miso glazes, braised short rib, curry rice or yakiniku-- while in other cuisines you might find inspiration in Calabrian cuisine, cacio e pepe, herb roasted chicken, a mild tikka masala or similarly spiced cuisine. When paired with more subtle flavors, it's likely to overshadow them.
Finally, when tasted after being open for about a month, I'm getting a pretty different profile but one I might even enjoy more. The sake has settled into itself, the astringency and even sweet notes have mellowed-- it has a lot more soft breadth on the palate rather than just weight and brashness. Less zingy, more umami, a bit of a witbeer thing going on too. Leave it to Gokyo to make something this evolving and dynamic!
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
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Specifications
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.
