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[Kakurei RAW Junmai-Ginjo Yamada-Nishiki 50]
Among the Kakurei RAW series, the most popular is this Yamada-Nishiki 50 Junmai-Ginjo. When we tried last year’s R5BY, I thought the style had changed quite a bit, but with this current R6BY, that direction continues while the quality has improved, making it feel like a completely different product compared to the Yamada-Nishiki 50 from five years ago. Of course, the earlier versions were also very good, which is why it was the most popular, but it’s impressive how dramatically they have transformed it. In particular, the skill required to craft nama genshu with such a refined flavor is truly impressive.
This sake is made from 100% Yamada-Nishiki rice, with a polishing rate of 50%, and is classified as Junmai-Ginjo. It is a RAW type: unpasteurized and undiluted. Rich and sophisticated.
Yamada-Nishiki 100 Years.
The sake rice well known as the finest ingredient for making Ginjo-shu was born in 1923 by crossing Yamada-ho as the mother and Tankan-Wataribune as the father, and it was named “Yamada-Nishiki.” Since Yamada-Nishiki was officially registered as the recommended variety in 1936, this king of sake rice has kept its position for more than 80 years. Yamada-Nishiki boasts the largest production volume in Japan today.
Yamada-Nishiki grows to about 130 cm tall, making it prone to falling over in the wind. It takes time to mature and is vulnerable to diseases and pests, so it is difficult to cultivate. However, for sake producers, it is easy to handle and considered the ideal rice. It is well-suited for high polishing rates, meaning it is perfect for making Ginjo type. Since the appearance of Yamada-Nishiki, sake brewed with this rice has come to dominate the top ranks in the National New Sake Appraisal. In the mid-80s (the late Showa period), among sake brewers, a phrase called “YK35” became popular, meaning that using Yamada-Nishiki (Y) as the sake rice, Kyokai No. 9 yeast, also known as Kumamoto yeast (K), and polishing the rice to 35% or less would result in excellent appraisal scores.
Competition for high quality intensified especially at the top tier, leading to the creation of many renowned sake made from Yamada-Nishiki. Aoki Shuzo is a brewery in Niigata, and while they are naturally the best when brewing with Koshi-Tanrei rice, their highest-grade brand is made using Yamada-Nishiki from the Hyogo Special A district.
Kakurei 鶴齢 - 300 years
Established in 1717 in an area with the heaviest snowfall in Niigata Japan, Aoki-shuzou has been brewing classy sake. Their Daiginjou is one of the top-ranked artisanal authentic sake in Japan, and their popular editions are most loved at home and at restaurant in Niigata as a premium brand.
Pioneer of "Raw Type" - Unfiltered, Unpasteirized and Undiluted
Generally, sake is pasteurized twice to stabilize the quality, added some water to make the texture smooth, and filtered to make sake clear. However, thanks to the development of transportation technology and improvement of sake making, today Raw type(unfiltered, unpasteirized and undiluted) sake is getting popular in Japan and even in foreign countries. Actually, Aoki-shuzou is well known as a pioneer of this Raw type. In the 90’s, it was still difficult to distribute Raw type in the market, but Aoki-shuzou had successfully set about commercialization of it in 1998. Then, in mid 2010's Aoki-shuzou's Raw Sake had achieved kind of perfection.
Go Further
Sake is made by the finest techniques among all fermented products in the world. "Parallel multiple fermentation", "Distilled alcohol added", "Pasteurization", "Adding water"... all these traditional techniques have been refined continuously since 8th century. Needless to say, Aoki-shuzou possesses all these traditional techniques. Although they have played the role of top runner of Raw type sake making for these 20 years, now they go back to the basics yet again and are trying to integrate traditional skills and modern techniques to make higher level of sake. Obviously Kakurei is getting more preciseness and delicacy year by year. Aoki-shuzou never stops, and Kakurei goes further.
Snow Cellar
Today many breweries implement temperature control by refrigerator or air-conditioning for their cellar. But, those electric systems cannot provide stable temperature. The temperature goes up and goes down in cycles with noise and vibration.
Aoki-shuzou built "snow cellar" to store sake without electricity. This eco-drive snow cellar is an ideal facility for long-term and low temperature ageing. The cellar is kept at 5℃ throughout the year stably, then Kakurei is polished calmly and little by little without any stress, and unnecessary factors are shaved off from sake. Niigata is an area of heavy snowfall, and Aoki-shuzou cleverly utilizes this unlimited nature's bounty with free of charge, and feedback to the collaboration between nature and human, called sake.
WAGO - Harmonization
Sake brewing cannot be completed alone. There is the chief brewer and young brewers devoting great time and effort, farmers growing rice crops carefully and respectfully, liquor shop and restaurant keepers full of passion and thoughtfulness and the habitual Kakurei Drinkers. We cannot have done it without the “wago” (harmonization) of all of the people above. It has been almost 300 years since Aoki-shuzou has started brewing Kakurei. We highly appreciate all the constant patronage that has helped us continue to brew sake every year for this long without closing for even a year. We will do our utmost to brew good sake to meet your expectations in the years to come. We wish you happiness from the mountainous Uonuma and hope you will be able to continue enjoying great sake. (by Aoki-shuzou)
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