The rare, 27-year-old Gengai is one of four unique sakes, but the flagship of Sake Hundred is Byakko Bespoke, a $380 balance sake made from the “king of sake rice,” Yamadanishiki, at the Tatenokawa Brewery in Yamagata, Japan, which is known for high polish ratios and for making Junmai Daiginjos, the highest sake grade designation.
With a rare polish-ratio of just 18%, requiring more than 200 hours of meticulous milling, Byakko Bespoke has delicate aromas of white flowers, stone fruits and a particularly rich flavor. Shirin ($435) is the brand’s oaked-aged sake, created by the Ouijiman Brewery, also in Yamagata, using Yamadanishiki rice polished to 18 percent and aged in Japanese mizunara oak for about two weeks. The resulting sake is fresh and creamy with an underlying toasty, smoky profile and a long finish. On the other end of the spectrum is Amairo ($270), a dessert sake made at the Miyoshino Brewery in Nara by replacing a portion of the brewing water with sake, resulting in the drink’s sweetness and umami flavors, along with tart and savory notes.
The $3,100 Gengai is a 27-year-old sake originally conceived in 1995 by the Sawanotsuru Brewery in Hyogo, which was subsequently destroyed by the Kobe earthquake leaving the process unfinished.