Kusudama Junmai Daiginjo Nama Genshu
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Soft, billowy, like a precious delicate smooth bubble on the tongue. Soursop, honeysuckle, green apple and strawberry, a bit of anise, fleshy, pastry cream, vanilla, pandan, a butter emulsification, luxurious, velour, flavored meringue, rice crispies, cereal marshmallows. The finish shifts into an astringent, satisfying, crisp and quick end that cleanses the palate and begs for another nibble of something salty. A dry but soft little sake, with a hidden umami richness typical of Gifu and the local Hidahomare rice.
Brand new to the US, this junmai daiginjo nama– highly polished, top class, unpasteurized sake– immediately struck Molly and I as unique. From its super-soft texture to its complex, tight finish, its generous tropical and floral aromas, this sake is really something.
It reminds me a little bit of the “Grand Voyage” space yeast junmai daiginjo from Kameizumi because they’re both tropical, slick on the palate, and have a very out-of-the-ordinary aromatic profile. But Kusudama is different…it’s more round and soft, like a silk pillow. And it has these very lofty aromatics, which it turns out are typical for the ethyl caproate-producing Abelia flower yeast it's fermented with, contrasted by a tight astringent note on the finish that begs for a food pairing. It suggests the bitter cold of the mountain, as well as the wild Spring vegetables and gently bitter ayu, river sweetfish, famous in Hida-Takayama. Or anyway, that’s what the brewery owner recommends to pair with it.
Japanese name: 久寿玉 - (有)ĺąłç€¬é…’é€ ĺş—
English name: Hirase Shuzo, est. 1623 (15th generation)
Brand: Kusudama
Location: Hida Takayama, Gifu
Rice: Hidahomare (Gifu), a local sake rice adapted to the mountain cold, “slightly bitter and astringent, crisper mouthfeel than others”
Polishing: 50%
Yeast: Abelia flower yeast
SMV: +1 (neither dry nor sweet)
Acidity: 1.9 (on the high side, especially for a JDG)
ABV: 15.5%
Water: Very soft subterranean Japan Alps water
Brewer website: kusudama.co.jp
Abelia yeast, a wild yeast isolated by Tokyo University’s Hanakobo research society from Abelia flower nectar, contains lots of Ethyl Caproate/Caproic Acid (which is where that generous bouquet and lightly astringent finish come from) as well as malic acid, the same acidity present in green apples.
Hida Takayama is located 570 meters above sea level at the foot of the Northern Alps. Hirase Shuzo, located in Hida Takayama, has a history of over 400 years and is located in the corner of the stately town where the skills of Hida's craftsmen thrive even today. The sake brewed during the harsh winter season is a dignified, rich, dry sake. The name "Kusudama" comes from "Yakudama," which means "medicine ball," and the name "Kusudama" is derived from the wish to ward off evil spirits.
This is a namazake. We recommend keeping it in the refrigerator, and enjoying within 6 months. If you open it 6 months from now, just know that it will be a little different (usually softer, a touch sweeter) than it is when it’s younger, due to the ongoing action of koji enzymes in the bottle.