Rich, warming, autumn spice, a light sweetness, brown butter and umami. What a beautiful, unique sake!
This brew is fermented in traditional wooden kioke: large barrels, which allow the sake to gently oxygenate over the course of fermentation, and add some subtle texture/flavor notes from aromatics in the wood itself and from microorganisms that live in its fibers.
From this unique sake, I get a beautiful range of Wintry notes on the palate: cinnamon, vanilla, brandy, eggnog, cocoa, peach jam, Pannetone, sprouted wheat berries, toasted buckwheat, apple chutney, and sweet potato. A lovely balance of sweet/savory with pronounced aromatics (when served ~95F) and a concentrated palate, permitting me to sip slowly and let the flavors coat my mouth. Weighty, soft, unctuous and comforting.
This is a nice warm blanket on a chilly December morning.
** Accolades: won Gold in Japan's largest national hot sake contest in 2019!
From this unique sake, I get a beautiful range of Wintry notes on the palate: cinnamon, vanilla, brandy, eggnog, cocoa, peach jam, Pannetone, sprouted wheat berries, toasted buckwheat, apple chutney, and sweet potato. A lovely balance of sweet/savory with pronounced aromatics (when served ~95F) and a concentrated palate, permitting me to sip slowly and let the flavors coat my mouth. Weighty, soft, unctuous and comforting.
This is a nice warm blanket on a chilly December morning.
** Accolades: won Gold in Japan's largest national hot sake contest in 2019!
Stats:
Prefecture: Yamaguchi
Grade: Junmai Kimoto
Rice: Yamaguchi table rice
Polishing: 70%
Yeast: n/a
Water: Underground soft water from Nishikigawa
Handling:
- Storage temp: cool, dark place up to ~1 year without much evolution, more if you don’t mind it evolving
- Service temp: room temp to 120F
- Serving vessel: I would only avoid a wine glass, which can make the texture less enjoyable and can enhance the ‘wrong’ aromas, in my experience.
Super versatile with savory cuisine. Anything you’d pair a red wine with, really– think earthy, autumnal, wintery, umami rich food. Pasta with gruyere, broccolini and butternut squash; hot soba or ramen in a rich, porky broth; roasted meats or vegetables; mushroom risotto, 5 spice fried rice.