Inspired by his love of nature and his desire to use elements from his environment in his brewing, Yosuke Tanaka created this distinctive craft sake incorporating the Japanese herb Kuromoji which is sometimes called the Tree of the Mountain God. He had been introduced to a scented pink Kuromoji tea and was immediately struck with the possibilities of infusing a sake fermentation with this native aromatic tree found in Honshu, Japan. Kuromoji is part of the Lauraceae family and produces polyphenols such as Linalool which give it a very distinctive scent, familiar to many Japanese, and it is associated with calming and relaxation properties. Kuromoji literally means ‘black letters’ and this relates to the black patterns that cover the tree branches.
The Kuromoji was harvested from a forest in a mountainous area of Niigata, and this was a strenuous task. The branches were then dried and prepared for incorporating with the rice in the fermentation tank. The wood imparted a distinct herbal / botanical aroma to the sake along with some smoky paprika and white pepper spice notes. The dusky pink coloured sake produced has some soft fruity sweetness with a light body and bright acidity on the finish. The sake is very refreshing served chilled and it could also be served on the rocks with some Vietnamese mint for an uplifting.
- Brewery: LAGOON SAKE BREWERY
- Classification: Craft Sake made with infusion of herbaceous wood Kuromoji
- % ALC/VOL: 16%
- Net Volume: 720ml
- Rice: Gohyakumangoku
- Rice Polishing Ratio: 70%
- SMV: -11
- Serve: Cold
- Matching Food: Cheese Board, Pizza Bread, Charcuterie, Sausages, Vietnamese Stir-fry
Heigo Australia is Australia's official importer and distributor of Lagoon Sake.