A rare treat for the adventurous, Kuro Kabuto Muroka Junmai Daiginjo is brewed using 100% Black Koji (Kurokoji) instead of the usual Yellow Koji (Kikoji), contributing to a very unique and interesting flavor profile. The brewers forego the usual carbon filtration, allowing the natural qualities nurtured during koji production to remain, and send it straight to bottling for cold storage. Kuro Kabuto has a ripe strawberry nose and a full body. It's flavor zips around the palate with a puckering, fruitlike acidity, refreshing the senses and engaging the mind.
"When you try to hold back the acidity on an aspergillus Kawachii fermentation, there is a chance the enzyme balance will collapse and fermentation won't progress smoothly. Precise control of the moisture, humidity, and temp is even more essential with black koji than it is with the standard yellow koji."
Stats:
- Location: Fukuoka
- Producer:
Ikekame Shuzo
- Rice: Yamada Nishiki
- Polishing: 50%
- Classification: Junmai Daiginjo
- Yeast: Proprietary
- SMV: -2
- Acidity: 2.0
- ABV: 15%
Background:
Ikekame Shuzo was stablished by sword master Genzo, a forward-thinking early entrepreneur, in Meiji Year 8 (1875) on the banks of the Chikugo River, whose water is soft, pure, and well-suited to sake production.