Gozenshu Tokutou Omachi 2.2 marks a very contemporary way of looking at sake production: caring as much about the provenance of the rice used to make the sake as the actual brewing process. With this sake, Tsuji Honten, and the Okayama farmers who are part of the “Tokujou Omachi Project”, have taken it a step further by striving to grow and use the best possible Omachi rice from the most prestigious Omachi rice-growing areas in Japan.
Bright, layered with luscious aromas of muscat, watermelon, cantaloupe, green apple, peach & pear, and a hint of citrus lime peel and gorgeous, creamy fudge. Velvety in texture with a generous mouthfeel, medium+ intensity & body, and beautiful grape, melon, green apple and fudge flavours. Gozenshu Tokutou Omachi 2.2 is a sweeter-style sake that is expertly balanced with refreshing acidity (from the Bodaimoto brewing technique), integrated umami and a long finish. Structured with the finesse and expertise befitting rice of this calibre.
Fabulous enjoyed by itself but, equally, subtle enough not to overwhelm fish and shellfish dishes such as oysters, while with enough body and complexity to stand up to fuller flavours such as game, paté, terrine, fois gras. Despite it’s poise it actually makes a very versatile and foody-friendly sake!
To fully appreciate what has been achieved we must first understand a little bit about rice.
Sake rice for Premium Sake (indeed all rice) is graded for quality. There are a variety of criteria, for example minimum weight, minimum % of ‘flawless’ grains, etc. The ranking is strict and results in five grades.
Togai (un-graded) is a sixth grade, you can make Futsu-shu from it but not Premium Sake.
For the past few years Gozenshu have been working with Okayama Prefecture farmers and the Seto-cho Omachi Group under a project called the “Tokujou Omachi Project” to produce the highest quality Omachi rice, Tokujou, in some of Okayama’s most prized rice fields.
Rice varieties like Yamada Nishiki produce more Tokujou-level rice but YN is significantly easier to grow than the fickle Omachi (still the overall yield of Tokujou YN is very small). In 2019 there was no Tokujou Omachi grown but the Okayama farmers managed to grow some Tokutou Omachi (only 6% of the total Omachi harvest). It is easy to under-estimate the level of dedication and skill required to grow this rice.
Additionally, while the Tokutou is normally screened with a 2.1mm mesh for grading, Gozenshu screened it with a 2.2mm mesh (thereby resulting in larger grain selection and adhering to a stricter standard, selecting only the plumpest grains). The 2.2mm mesh was specially prepared for this purpose (that’s why the sake’s name has 2.2 in it). That puts the ratio at just 0.9% of the total harvested. Gozenshu Tokutou Omachi 2.2 is the first sake to ever be made with this exacting standard of Tokutou, only 500 bottles produced and released in 2020.
This represents sake brewing at its best. Expert care taken at every step resulting in a sake that is wonderfully dynamic and superbly drinkable. The presentation is also fantastic with each bottle coming in it’s own, specially crafted box (made by a famous Okayama craftsman).
Ingredients: water, rice, koji, yeast
FOOD PAIRINGS
Fish, oysters, fuller flavours such as game, paté, terrine, fois gras
MASTER SPECS
16%
40%
-3
1.6
1.2
Okayama Tokutou Omachi
Gozenshu Tokutou Omachi 2.2 marks a very contemporary way of looking at sake production: caring as much about the provenance of the rice used to make the sake as the actual brewing process. With this sake, Tsuji Honten, and the Okayama farmers who are part of the “Tokujou Omachi Project”, have taken it a step further by striving to grow and use the best possible Omachi rice from the most prestigious Omachi rice-growing areas in Japan.
Bright, layered with luscious aromas of muscat, watermelon, cantaloupe, green apple, peach & pear, and a hint of citrus lime peel and gorgeous, creamy fudge. Velvety in texture with a generous mouthfeel, medium+ intensity & body, and beautiful grape, melon, green apple and fudge flavours. Gozenshu Tokutou Omachi 2.2 is a sweeter-style sake that is expertly balanced with refreshing acidity (from the Bodaimoto brewing technique), integrated umami and a long finish. Structured with the finesse and expertise befitting rice of this calibre.
Fabulous enjoyed by itself but, equally, subtle enough not to overwhelm fish and shellfish dishes such as oysters, while with enough body and complexity to stand up to fuller flavours such as game, paté, terrine, fois gras. Despite it’s poise it actually makes a very versatile and foody-friendly sake!
To fully appreciate what has been achieved we must first understand a little bit about rice.
Sake rice for Premium Sake (indeed all rice) is graded for quality. There are a variety of criteria, for example minimum weight, minimum % of ‘flawless’ grains, etc. The ranking is strict and results in five grades.
Togai (un-graded) is a sixth grade, you can make Futsu-shu from it but not Premium Sake.
For the past few years Gozenshu have been working with Okayama Prefecture farmers and the Seto-cho Omachi Group under a project called the “Tokujou Omachi Project” to produce the highest quality Omachi rice, Tokujou, in some of Okayama’s most prized rice fields.
Rice varieties like Yamada Nishiki produce more Tokujou-level rice but YN is significantly easier to grow than the fickle Omachi (still the overall yield of Tokujou YN is very small). In 2019 there was no Tokujou Omachi grown but the Okayama farmers managed to grow some Tokutou Omachi (only 6% of the total Omachi harvest). It is easy to under-estimate the level of dedication and skill required to grow this rice.
Additionally, while the Tokutou is normally screened with a 2.1mm mesh for grading, Gozenshu screened it with a 2.2mm mesh (thereby resulting in larger grain selection and adhering to a stricter standard, selecting only the plumpest grains). The 2.2mm mesh was specially prepared for this purpose (that’s why the sake’s name has 2.2 in it). That puts the ratio at just 0.9% of the total harvested. Gozenshu Tokutou Omachi 2.2 is the first sake to ever be made with this exacting standard of Tokutou, only 500 bottles produced and released in 2020.
This represents sake brewing at its best. Expert care taken at every step resulting in a sake that is wonderfully dynamic and superbly drinkable. The presentation is also fantastic with each bottle coming in it’s own, specially crafted box (made by a famous Okayama craftsman).
Ingredients: water, rice, koji, yeast
Food
By Itself
Fragrant
Fruity
Rich
Special
Sweet
5-10°C, 10-15°C
FOOD PAIRINGS
Fish, oysters, fuller flavours such as game, paté, terrine, fois gras
