Koueigiku Tsukikage Kimoto Muroka Nama Genshu “Moon Shadow”
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Wow! That is such a fun and unusual flavor. I write this as I taste Shinriki Tsukikage for the first time, and I'm so stunned by the unique beauty of it. I think I'm going to struggle to write tasting notes, only because I can't do it concisely!
The flavor of this sake can really be separated into 4 experiences for me. First, the aroma: ostensibly nothing too unique...yummy orchard fruit, some fresh cream, cultured butter notes... but I get the distinct smell of some of my favorite local Oregon Chardonnays with just a touch of that indulgent oak-buttery vibe (locals: think Martin Woods or Crowley!), an alluring quality that leaves me sniffing as much as sipping.
Next, there's the palate. To start, a pretty typical nama-ness, full orchard fruit, peach, a little bit of mango, tropical, a little buttery and caramelized. Off-dry, higher than average acidity, super well balanced, really grounded. Then, the mid palate comes in with this really unusual...something. It's an umami quality, but it's not like anything I've had before. There's a sense of golden fields of grain, chamomile tea, and the sweet resinous quality of white sage. Smudge stick sake? Anyway, it's different.
The finish is lingering....that's the last part. Because it lingers, it invites you think about this whole experience.
Anyway, I love it.
I could not be more proud to introduce our third Shinriki sake. One of the rarest, ancient varieties of rice in Japan!
Koueigiku Shuzo; 光栄菊酒造
Established 2019
Location: Ogi-shi, Saga Prefecture
Rice: Shinriki
Polishing: N/A
Yeast: Proprietary
Starter: Kimoto
SMV: N/A
Acidity: N/A
ABV: 15%
While producing a TV program about sake for NHK, two sake industry outsiders bonded over a desire to take their love of sake further and brew themselves. With toji Yamamoto Katsuaki on board, they just had to find a shuttered or dormant brewery to set up, as its difficult to obtain a new brewing license. The original Koueigiku Shuzo closed in 2006, and the name was kept to express a sense of revival for the local community.
Yamamoto trained under Nanbu and Noto toji, and was known at his previous brewery for brewing sake with bold flavor and crisp acidity. As toji at Koueigiku however, his goal is to produce bright, spritzy, quaffable sake that appeals to a younger generation of drinkers.