Kojimaya Untitled #01
This exciting release from Kojima Sohonten should be seen as a counter-reaction to the contemporary categorization system for sake, based on the rice polishing ratio. We do not know the polishing ratio of Kojimaya Untitled #1. As the name “Untitled” suggests there is an openness intended to shift our thinking away from a rigid notion of sake ranking as we know it. At the same time, the brewery draws inspiration from its nearly five-hundred-year history in the development of Kojimaya Untitled #1.
Using the Yodan-Shikomi (four-stage) brewing method, the brewery creates its own interpretation of the historic Kijoshu style, in which sake is added instead of water in the third and final stage. For Kojimaya Untitled #1, rice and water are added in the first three stages, after which sake is added in the fourth and final stage of the brewing.
The result is a complex, rich, and light sake containing only 13% alcohol. The brewery’s aim was also to create a flavorful sake with lower alcohol content that can be enjoyed in the same way sake was historically consumed before industrialization, when the alcohol content was significantly lower. This is a truly special sake that will surprise most experienced drinkers and a sake that always creates a lot of excitement at our sake tastings.
Color: Hazy, bluish tint
Aroma: Koji rice, creamy, fresh, beeswax
Tasting notes: White grapes, sweet spice, vanilla, mineral tingle, menthol at the back of the mouth, lush, rounded sweetness, mild
Food pairing: Enjoy Kojimaya Untitled as a digestif after a meal, or with soft cheeses such as
Serving temperature: Best served slightly chilled, around 12 degrees. Since this sake is on the sweet side, we recommend letting the flavor unfold slowly in the glass by serving it chilled.
- Volume: 720 ml
- Alcohol: 13%
- Polishing ratio:
- Rice variety: Dewasansan (locally harvested)
- Yeast type: Yamagata KA
Brewery: Kojima Sohonten, Yamagata Prefecture