Type
Kokonoe Saika Jozo · Wakayama
Kokonoe Saika Junmai Daiginjo Yamadanishiki
$56.00
No sales tax — Oregon
Rice
Yamadanishiki
Prefecture
Wakayama
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.
LightFullLight: lean and easy, mellow, has enough flavor and umami to give it character but generally really easy to drink. This is the most common weight for junmai ginjo/ginjo sake.
SoftAcidicVery soft: gentle and mellow, almost no perceptible acidity. A "1" sake isn't flat or boring, but is balanced around overall subtlety and softness, using other characteristics to give it structure.
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
Battera, shiny bluefish oshizushi, sushi - especially salmon nigiri made with Kokonoe saika's red vinegar!
The platonic ideal of Yamadanishiki Junmai Daiginjo, brewed by a vinegar maker who always has food pairing on the mind. Plush soft texture with notes of wildflower honey, muskmelon & pillow mints. The IWC suggests it has fresh melon, custard apple and nougat notes and is light and lifted with a creamy rounded texture. That sounds about right!
This sake has been a Gold Award winner in the Premium Daiginjo category of the Fine Sake Awards for four consecutive years, in addition to winning gold in Kura Master twice as well as the National Kanzake Awards once. It's a rare junmai daiginjo that doesn't shy away from gentle warming, though I quite like it chilled.
The kasu (lees) of this sake are aged for over three years then brewed together with Junmai sake in a large 30-koku wooden vat to create Saika's Ginjo Akazu (red vinegar). The brewery recommends pairing the sake with salmon nigiri made using Saika akazu in the sushi rice!
Your case:
$30 flat-rate case shipping (up to 12 bottles) — the more you add, the less per bottle. Per federal requirements, an adult (21+) with photo ID must be present to receive the delivery.
Sake Club members: $20 shipping (up to 12 bottles) with your club bottles About the clubs
Specifications
Region: Kansai
Type: Junmai Daiginjo & Daiginjo
Rice: Yamadanishiki
Rice-Polishing Ratio: 40-45%
ABV: 16%
SMV: -1
Acidity: 1.6
Yeast: #1801
Size: 720ml
Shipping
Available nationwide to states and counties that permit alcohol. No sales tax (Oregon). Flat-rate case shipping; in-store pickup available.
Pick up in person
Shop open Tu–Sun. Order online and pick up at the shop — 107 SE Washington St. #121, Portland, Oregon.
