Kenbishi Koshu "Zuishou"

Made with Yamadanishiki brewing rice and aged between 5 to 15 years. The nose on this gloriously looking brew is a fabulous collection of caramel, butter, bonfire, marshmallow, soy sauce, sea salt, seaweed, maple syrup, stewed peaches, raisin, and bacon aromas. Round, smooth, velvety, rich and almost full-bodied, this “Koshu” drinks light for the amazing color. In a word, this is a very user-friendly aged sake that is a great starting point on your path to understand why brewers age sake. Look for hints of crème brûlée, black sugar, Hawaiian sweet roll, honeycomb, cocoa, white mushroom, smoked pickles, honey baked ham, chicken broth, sesame seed, and salted egg flavors that flow on a silky fluid with a very tasty savory finish. This is not a powerful Koshu sake, but rather it is full-flavored with a rich and not too heavy feeling which is appealing to those looking to explore aged sake. With an 18% ABV, it is also a very food friendly brew that takes sake to new complex, rich, and challenging cuisines. When warmed, this sake is like drinking liquid amber. WORD: Rich Light WINE: Complex Reds/Heavy Whites BEER: Amber Ales FOODS: Smoked meats, fish, and cheese, steaks and chops, cheese plates, turkey, pheasant, duck, holiday meals.