Description
Hasko says: “Personally, I love sake. I find myself drawn towards the ‘weird and wacky’, where flavour and some funk is central—the antithesis to the purity that most associate with sake. The dish has a nutty character, some sweetness and a savoury finish: very much complementary flavours to aged sake, particularly the Natsu No Omoide which was brewed in 2000 with a yeast strain that’s 1,000 years old. The sake has a touch of sweetness, with a refreshing acidity. This really pushes the boundaries on most people’s definition of sake. It’s a great conduit between natural wine lovers and the world of sake.
It’s not everyday that you see a 20-year-old sake. I’m a huge fan of the producer, who is one of the first female Master Brewers in Japan—when she was just in her early 20s! Their sakes are very much about complexity, balance and versatility. Not many sake can be two decades old and still going as strong, fresh and vibrant as this.”
Mukai Shuzō is an ancient brewery that has maintained its familial tradition and practice since 1754. The owner’s eldest daughter, Kuniko Mukai, became one of the first female Master Brewers in Japan at 22, and her ascension to Toji marks nearly 275 years of continual family lineage.
Production remains small, with a constant drive to challenge and improve things. Kuniko’s quest for quality has led to a demand amongst sake aficionados that far outweighs production.
Natsu no Omoide (meaning ‘Memories of Summer’) was brewed for the turn of the millennium and is one of Kuniko’s first brews as head brewer. It uses Gohyakumangoku rice polished to 70% and a unique 100-year-old yeast strain. Most sake would be well and truly dead at 20 years of age, but this one demonstrates a complex blend of nutty, woody, floral and a strong backbone of acidity. Truly, one to sip and savour as it unfolds itself.
