Amabuki Junmai Daiginjō Aizan

Amabuki Junmai Daiginjō Aizan (天吹 純米大吟醸 愛山) is made of Aizan rice milled to 40%. Aizan is a rice variety grown in Hyōgo Prefecture, inheriting the lineage of Yamadanishiki and Ōmachi. It is a challenging variety to cultivate, although it has large grains and a large shinpaku (referring to starch in the centre of the rice).

This sake is the successor of Amabuki's Daiginjō Aizan, which was brewed only in 2023. Sake brewed with Aizan has a sweet and juicy flavour and is also known as the 'sake rice diamond'. This time, the rice is polished to 40% by in-house milling, brewed with flower yeast, and only the nakagumi (中汲み) is bottled. Nakagumi is the middle part, which is the most well-balanced: in the very last step of the brewing process, the moromi is put in the meshed bag and pressed to squeeze the liquid sake out.

Amabuki Junmai Daiginjō Aizan has a perfect balance of rich, mellow aroma, full flavour, and a soft, lingering aftertaste. The difference between Daiginjō and Junmai Daiginjō is that the former uses brewing alcohol to adjust the flavour in addition to rice and kōji.

Amabuki Brewery, situated in Saga Prefecture, lies southwest of Mount Amabuki (天吹山). The brewery derives its name from the majestic appearance of the mountain. With a rich history spanning 300 years, Amabuki is a renowned sake brewery. Here, they utilize sake rice harvested from the fertile Saga Plain, draw upon the mellow subsoil water sourced from the Sefuri Mountains, and employ a unique yeast strain known as "flower yeast." The skilled brewers, who have inherited their craft over the years, wholeheartedly dedicate themselves to the art of creating exquisite sake.