Kikkawa Jozo Co., Ltd., a member of the Shimada Group, is selling "AFURI Akatsuki ~AKATSUKI~" for a limited time and in limited quantities starting Wednesday, May 24, at the Japanese Sake Section on the B1 floor of the Isetan Shinjuku store.
It is attracting attention as a sake product cold-aged in red wine casks.
Let's take a look at the details.
About Kikkawa Jozo Co., Ltd.
"AFURI Akatsuki ~AKATSUKI~" was crafted by Kikkawa Jozo Co., Ltd., founded in 1912 (Taisho 1) in Isehara City, Kanagawa Prefecture.
It is a popular brewery that takes on the challenge of brewing sake unrestricted by existing sake conventions, offering low-polished sake with minimal rice milling, low-alcohol sake, and sake brewed using flower yeast or ancient rice.
It boasts numerous awards, including a Gold Medal at the International Wine Challenge (UK), a Platinum Award at Kura Master (France), and a Gold Medal at the CINVE International Wine & Spirits Competition in Spain.
It is one of the breweries that wine lovers should definitely keep an eye on.
About "AFURI Akatsuki ~AKATSUKI~"
"AFURI Akatsuki ~AKATSUKI~" is a sake produced by Kikkawa Jozo Co., Ltd. utilizing the mizumoto brewing method dating back to the Muromachi period.
"Mizumoto" is a starter-making method developed in the Muromachi period that is older than "kimoto," characterized by the use of acidic water called "soyashimizu" produced by soaking raw and steamed rice for several days to undergo lactic acid fermentation.
This time, aiming for a crisper and more modern quality of sake, they used "rice koji" and conducted the brewing using clean soyashimizu under a long-term, low-temperature environment.
Furthermore, in addition to regular yellow koji, they partially incorporated white koji, which produces citric acid, resulting in an even lighter, smoother profile.
Then, "AFURI Akatsuki ~AKATSUKI~" was refrigerated and aged for 120 days inside red wine casks acquired from a winery in the Médoc region of France.
It has an exceptionally rare finish, where the vivid ruby hue and rich aromas of red wine are reborn into sake.
As a sake rich in anthocyanins, which are expected to have antioxidant properties, it is also recommended as a Father's Day gift.
If you are interested, why not check it out?
Reference
"AFURI Akatsuki ~AKATSUKI~"
Quantity: Limited to 300 bottles
https://kikkawa-jozo.com/
Price: 5,000 yen (tax included)
Sales Period: May 24 (Wed) – May 30 (Tue) 10:00–20:00
Location: Isetan Shinjuku Store, Japanese Sake Section (Main Building B1F)
3-14-1 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0022
Kikkawa Jozo