Back in Stock: Mana 1751, Shiokawa Cowboy, Ginga Shizuku Divine Droplets, Rihaku Origin of Purity Namazake
Shiokawa Yamahai Junmai Ginjo Genshu "Cowboy"
First discovered by Sake Cowboy Beau Timken, this brew strikes a rare balance between smoky/savory and smooth/silky. A sake that truly bucks Niigata’s reputational trend of producing sakes that are crisp and clean. Put this up against a Napa Cabernet with a slab of beef and see what wins!
Mana 1751 Tokubetsu Yamahai Junmai Muroka Genshu "True Vision"
The “Gentle Giant”! Beefy without being bulky, this sake that eschews nearly every finishing step of brewing sake is soulful and endlessly complex. Black pepper, buttermilk, and smoked brisket with a honeyed edge – this sake begs for pork chops with fennel, blue cheese with marmalade, and venison sausage.
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Toko Ginga Shizuku Junmai Daiginjo "Divine Droplets"
Call it Divine Intervention: this brew that we’ve proudly represented since the early 2000s had to shift hands due to climate change impacting the gravity pressing of this sake in an igloo in Hokkaido. Enter Kojima Sohonten! This brewery has been making sake for twenty-four generations, since the 1500s, and was at one point the sole sake purveyor for the Uesugi clan, the most prominent samurai clan in Japan. Tasked with satisfying the thirst of the samurai, the Kojima family knew a thing or two about making luxury sake for a broad audience, and as a result, we were able to bring this iconic elixir back to the US market. Plush and lively, this sake starts with white peach and lychee and dances on the tongue in a prickly way evocative of Szechuan peppercorns.
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Rihaku Omachi Junmai Ginjo Nama Genshu "Origin of Purity"
This late summer namazake from OG producer Rihaku Shuzo is back! Yuichiro Tanaka, 8th generation President and Toji of this brewery, took over at a very young age due to his father passing in a fatal accident in 2008. While under immense pressure to uphold the legacy his father created, he longed to make a sake that expressed his true sake philosophy, and this is it! Classically fat and fleshy in true omachi style, this sake also boasts aromas of blackberry, lime, nougat, pink peppercorn, and a chewy, malty finish. Take this one to Korean BBQ – it’s a heavenly pairing with yukhoe tartare.