Kenbishi Junmai Koshu "Zuishou"
- In stock, ready to ship
The ultimate aged release from Kenbishi, available in very limited quantities. Like all Kenbishi sake, Zuishou is a blend of aged sake made using the yamahai method, which adds acidity, complexity, and deep savory undertones. Using a blend of sake aged 5-15 years, Zuishou is a masterful representation of the best characteristics of koshu: notes of toasted grain, malt, honey, chocolate, plum, and black tea, in a rich golden liquid.
Kenbishi is deeply committed to traditional tools and techniques, so much so that they became the only sake brewery in the world with an in-house cooperage providing Kenbishi with ancient tools that no longer have public craftsmen.
Kenbishi Shuzo, 剣菱酒造
Prefecture: Hyogo (Nada)
Rice: Yamadanishiki (Toku A Rank)
Polishing: undisclosed-- blend
Grade: Junmai genshu
Yeast: Likely ambient. Typically, Kenbishi pitches their house yeast into the first batch of the season, then relies on ambient inoculation afterward, for the remainder of the season.
Starter method: Yamahai
ABV: 18%
Acidity: 2.2
SMV: +0.5
A singular, historic Hyogo brewery, which is utterly committed to its recipes and tradition. Kenbishi tastes like Kenbishi...it's a house style, blended, the junmai is aged an average of 8 years, from an unknown combination of rice, polishing ratios and techniques (except yamahai-- we do know it involves yamahai!)
In order to preserve their traditional methods, Kenbishi has played a significant role in keeping the local cooperage and forestry industries alive. At one point, because of the widespread use of stainless steel and fiberglass, Hyogo prefecture was down to one elderly master cooper with no apprentices. Now, with the support of Kenbishi, a 3-person cooperage is flourishing and encouraging tojis to return to the old ways.