Any discussion of Terada Honke has to be prefaced with an explanation of this brewery's philosophy, which is one-of-a-kind in the sake world: totally committed to sustainable (even rejuvenative) farming practices, including the nutritional value of microorganisms and whole grain rice.
Katori 90, like all year-round, native yeast fermented sake, varies tremendously from batch to batch. As a 2023 Winter bottling, this round of Katori 90 is much fresher, fruitier than the previous, which landed in November 2021. The cold weather during fermentation and bottling prevented bacterial growth and encouraged the strongest yeasts to survive. The result is a very lovely Katori 90.
Stats:
- Brewery: Terada Honke
- Location: Chiba
- Rice: Koshihikari table rice (Chiba, organic), Yukigesho (organic)
- Polishing: 90%
- Yeast: Natural
- Starter: Kimoto
- ABV: 21%
In the past, I've seen fireworks pairing this sake with sweet potato tacos doused in smoky salsa. The low degree of polishing--only 10% of the rice removed-- means high umami, rich, almost tannic texture, and fantastic complexity. This is as far as we get from the calculated daiginjo of Dassai.
With 3 bottles of our meager, 12 bottle allocation going to cellar, and one for the menu, only 8 bottles remain for sale. If you find one in your basket, well...enjoy it thoroughly.