Please note, this product is not available for shipping. It is available for free pick-up or delivery in Portland, OR.

There is so much goodness going on in this wild, brash, big, and lively sake. Where to start?

This is a full-bodied sake, with very lively acidity that slowly introduces itself with each sip. On the nose, it's toasty, grainy, and slightly lactic. On the palate, are notes of biscuit, cocoa, and citrus, as well as a good amount of deep savoriness. Texturally, the traits of acidity and bitterness play out in harmonious concert, pleasantly and evenly matched. 

The brewer's story...

One thing that makes this sake extra awesome, is that it's made the worlds' first woman brewmaster (toji) and brewery owner. Rumiko Moriki took over the roles of both manager and owner at her family's brewery after her father became ill. It was really difficult for her, being a mother as well. On top of being a mother, her family's brewery was struggling and she was pulling double-duty, both marketing the sake around to sake bars and izakaya, as well as working in the brewery. During this time, she found encouragement in a popular manga called "Natsuko no Sake", about a woman sake brewer. Rumiko took a lot of inspiration from the main character's struggles, and unwillingness to give up her dream of being a successful brewer. What struck Rumiko even deeper, is that Natsuko's fictional birthday was the same day as Rumiko's! 

Rumiko was so moved by the story and the profound coincidence of her shared birthday with Natsuko, that she wrote to the author of the manga. The manga's author, Akira Oze, was, in turn, moved by Rumiko's letter, and being fairly well-connected in the world of sake, helped her out by introducing her to a wider network of brewers, and even designing a sake label for her. With his help and Rumiko's talent in brewing sake, her first Junmai took off and Rumiko was able to establish herself as a successful toji and brewery owner!

Now on to the nerdy stuff

This sake is made from 100% Yamada Nishiki sake rice that's only lightly milled to 85% of its original size. The sake is Kimoto, which is the ancient method of brewing where the starter mash is mixed manually by long poles, and the lactic acid is cultivated gradually, from ambient lactobacillus. This sake is Arabashiri, which means it's made only from the sake that flows freely from the press before any pressure is applied. This sake is also unpasteurized and raw, AKA Nama. Unpasteurized sake is lively, bold, and full of enzymes. This sake is also undiluted, and not charcoal filtered.