Sake “Kuroushi” Junmai

Description

A pure rice sake (junmai) brewed by Nate Shuzoten. Kuroushi or “Black Bull” is an excellent member of the ultra-local or ji-zake sake family. Hailing directly from the rural Wakayama Prefecture, it’s full-bodied, dry, and has lovely flavors of grain and cooked rice. A true local sake, as drunk in the Japanese countryside. We highly recommend it as an accompaniment to any meal, from iodized shellfish to slow-cooked meats.

It’s worth noting that Kuroushi is brewed with Yamadanishiki, the benchmark rice for great fruity sakes known as daiginjo. If you want to discover the profound differences that can result from different brewing techniques applied to the same rice, we suggest you order a Dassai 45 with the Kuroushi Junmai… The comparison will be enlightening.

Storage:

This sake should be stored in a cool place, between 2 and 5°C. As with all sakés, we recommend protecting it from light. For longer storage, it’s best to store the bottle upright in a dark place. Laying the bottle down brings the sake into contact with the cork, which can be damaging.

Ingredients:

Water, rice, koji rice (alcohol: 16%).

Shelf life:

Before opening and under the right conditions (as described above), this sake can be kept for years. After opening, it’s a matter of taste: the “classic” shelf life is about ten days in the fridge, but some aficionados let their bottles mature in the fridge for three to four weeks, or even longer. It all depends on your taste for oxidized sake.

Serve at any temperature:

Sake can be served chilled (8-10°C), at room temperature (13-16°C), or warm (30-55°C). Each of these serving temperatures will shed new light on its aromatic profile.

For hot tasting, we recommend that you heat only the amount of sake you wish to enjoy hot. Purists use a small bottle called a “tokuri” and heat the sake in a bain-marie. Viveurs put the sake in the microwave. Honestly, both work. Serve in a wine glass or sake cup.