Hatsumago Denshoukimoto Honjozo

Hatsumago is produced by Touhokumeijo in Sakata City, Yamagata, a brewery whose history in this historic port town stretches back more than 125 years. The brewery is one of relatively few in Japan that has maintained the kimoto method as its core approach, a centuries-old fermentation technique requiring brewers to physically grind the rice mash with wooden poles to encourage wild lactic acid bacteria, a process taking up to four weeks compared to the modern shortcut of adding purchased lactic acid. The Denshou Kimoto Honjozo polishes the rice to 70% and ferments at low temperatures, producing a sake with vinous complexity including notes of bruised apple, savory miso, and sour berry alongside a gentler rice-forward sweetness. The sake was awarded a gold medal at the 2018 International Wine Challenge in the honjozo category.