Japan's Sake Hundred Enters U.S. Market Elevating Sake Drinking Experience

LOS ANGELES - June 20, 2022 - PRLog -- Sake Hundred, the newest sake entrant in the US market, is set to elevate the sake drinking experience to rival that of a fine wine or high-end Japanese Whisky, leading to a new class of sake buyers.  First founded in Japan in 2018 by sake connoisseur and founder of Japan's Saketimes, Ryuji Ikoma, the new brand's mission is to reshape people's perspective of sake globally and expose drinkers to the most outstanding examples of Japan's national drink, showcasing its many styles and sophisticated complexities that allow it to pair with a myriad of cuisines well beyond that of simply sushi.

"Our collection of sakes will take drinkers through a journey of both culture and taste, two elements that are closely intertwined in sake making. You can taste the personality of the sake brewer in our sake, just as you can taste the terroir of a fine wine," noted Ikoma.

The flagship of Sake Hundred is Byakko Bespoke ($380), a balanced sake made from the "king of sake rice," Yamadanishiki, at the Tatenokawa Brewery, 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 percent, requiring over 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, using Yamadanishiki rice polished to 18 percent and aged in Japanese mizunara oak. The resulting sake is fresh and creamy with an underlying toasty, smoky profile and a long finish.  Amairo ($270), a dessert sake, is made at the Miyoshino Brewery 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.

In addition to these unique sakes, Sake Hundred will release the limited edition Gengai ($3,100), 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. With what can now only be described as incredible forethought, Sawanotsuru decided to age it to see if perhaps it could "grow" into a beautiful sake. Holding onto hope, the brewmasters tasted the aging "sake" each year with disappointing results until 25 years after the earthquake, when what is now Sake Hundred's Gengai took on luscious flavors of caramel and chocolate over two decades of unanticipated aging. Not only was it finally ready, the flavor profiles were unlike anything they could have originally imagined.

Sake Hundred is now available via sakehundred.com.