Hatsumago Junmaihonkarakuchi Makiri

Tohoku Meijo, founded in 1893 in Sakata, Yamagata, and IWC Sake Brewery of the Year 2018, is one of only three breweries worldwide that brews exclusively by the ancient kimoto method: lactic acid bacteria cultivated naturally from the environment, a starter three times slower than modern techniques, and a depth of structure that shortcuts cannot replicate. The Makiri, named for the fisherman's knife of the Sakata port, is the brewery's truly dry (honkarakuchi) expression: Miyama Nishiki at 60% polish, with light fruity fragrance, a rich and smooth body, and a bone-dry, sharp finish as precise as the blade it is named for.