Takacho Junmai Bodaimoto ★★★★☆

Takacho (Yucho Shuzo) [Nara Prefecture]
<Drunk in May 2020>

What is Bodaimoto, you ask! It is the history of sake itself.

I first drank sake from this brewery in Kyoto, specifically at a ryokan in 'Miyazu,' the Kyoto of the sea. When I left the choice of sake for dinner to them, they served this brewery's 'Kaze no Mori' with sashimi. I still cannot forget the shock of it—the slight effervescence, and that aroma and flavor despite a rice polishing ratio of 80%!

Countering the 'Kaze no Mori' brewed with cutting-edge technology is the 'Takacho' I am enjoying this time. Its defining feature is the 'Bodaimoto.' Actually, Nara Prefecture is said to be the birthplace of refined sake. And it seems that 'Takacho,' the brand using this Bodaimoto, is a revival of the brewing methods from that era. I will leave the detailed explanation of Bodaimoto to others and proceed with my own biased and prejudiced review!

First, the aroma. If you were blindfolded and made to smell this... I think your reaction would be, 'Wait, is this sake?' It has the scent of fully ripened tropical fruit, with no graininess. It's a scent that flies would probably love (is that a strange thing to say...?). Every time a breeze blows, the aroma wafts up from the glass on the table.

Next, when poured into a glass, it is yellow—a yellow with a reddish tint closer to a Satsuma mandarin orange. I take a sip, and 'What on earth is this!' Various flavors explode in my mouth, a feeling like a water balloon suddenly expanding, a 'whoosh.' The sweetness comes first, followed by acidity and, for some reason, a spicy richness, and then the aroma of fully ripened fruit like raisins drifts through my nose. My goodness, I was reminded once again of the wide range of sake. It's an amazing drink; I am impressed that they have both Kaze no Mori and Takacho in their lineup.

I feel like it would go well with hearty, oily, and spice-heavy dishes like spare ribs. Oh, I also think washed-rind cheese would be a good match. Also, though it might be considered unorthodox, I feel like it would work well chilled to the bone or even with ice floating in it (I haven't tried it, so this is just my imagination). Even though it is supposed to be a revival of ancient sake, it is a brand that stirs up strange imaginings.

Brand: Takacho Junmai Bodaimoto 2019BY
Alcohol content 17%
Rice polishing ratio 70%
Sake meter value -30
Acidity 3.6
Amino acid content 2.6
Uses 100% Hinohikari rice from Bodaisen-cho
Rating: ★★★★☆
Sweetness 5, Acidity 4, Bitterness 2, Umami 5, Aroma 5
Price: 1,650 yen (720ml) Cost performance: ◎