éks KAISEKI - EDITION No.1

KAISEKI

EDITION No.1

Food: KOHAKU

Sake: KOKURYU

KAISEKI

EDITION No.1

Food: KOHAKU

Sake: KOKURYU

For Japanese cuisine, where the flavour of the dashi broth is the core of the dishes, sake with a gentle aroma and a full-bodied, matured flavour is the perfect match. The determining factor in this pairing is the gentle enveloping power that allows the sake to softly intergrate into the dish.

Sake does not interfere with the flavour of the broth, which is at the heart of the taste of Japanese cuisine, or with the flavours of seasonal ingredients, but gently envelopes and harmonises with them. Our aim was to create the ultimate sake for enjoying throughout a meal, which is versatile enough to be paired with a wide range of cooking methods and flavours, from sashimi to simmered, grilled, fried and steamed dishes, and that has not only a beautiful taste, but also a deep, layered and complex flavour that is created through ageing. By devoting all our efforts to managing the maturation of the undiluted sake, and by taking the time to perfect it, a new sense of value in sake has been born.

KAISEKI

EDITION No.1

KAISEKI

KOHAKU

SAKE

KOKURYU

Concept １

Japanese cuisine places great importance on the flavour of the ingredients and the umami of the dashi broth. The sake that complements both has a harmonious, rounded taste, with no one flavour dominating more than another.

"Dashi broth is the foundation of Japanese cuisine. It has a light taste, but it forms the backbone of dishes and harmonises with the ingredients to amplify their flavours. The method of making dashi broth varies from restaurant to restaurant, but at our restaurant we use only water, kombu (kelp) and katsuo (bonito), and pay close attention to the temperature and extraction time on a daily basis to bring out the rich aroma and umami so that there is no bitterness or other unwanted flavours. If the dashi is good, only a little salt or light soy sauce is needed to bring out the best in the ingredients. I have always felt that the perfect pairing for such delicate dashi broth is a sake that is soft, well-balanced and clear on the palate, with no overpowering sweetness, acidity, umami or bitterness."

"Kokuryu Shuzō's philosophy of "making good sake" has been passed down from generation to generation. 'Good sake’ can be defined in many different ways, but the aim has always been to create a refined taste that complements and enhances food, in other words, “shinmi wa tadakotanaru” [An expression that meanings, "Rich drinks, fatty, spicy and sweet foods are not 'true' flavours. True flavour is found deep within in the lightest of tastes.]. Therefore, the undiluted sake is made in a rather subdued way and stored for several months to a year to give it a rounded, gentle and elegant taste. Based on these characteristics of our company, the key point was how to express in a balanced and elegant way not only the beautiful taste, but also the multilayered and complex flavour that deeply resonates with the flavour of the dashi broth that forms the foundation of Japanese cuisine."

Concept ２

Sake that has an elegance and all-round inclusiveness that can be served at any point in a Japanese course, regardless of the season or the cooking method.

"In Japanese cuisine, seasonal ingredients, such as seafood and vegetables, play a leading role, with flavours and textures changing throughout the year. There are also a wide range of cooking methods, such as boiling, grilling, steaming and deep-frying, as well as a variety of seasonings, including salt, soy sauce, vinegar and miso. Our aim in developing éks KAISEKI was to create a sake that encompasses all these flavours, transcends all seasons, ingredients and cooking methods, and has the capacity to accompany any season, any ingredient and at any time during a course. To achieve this, we thought it necessary to create a sake with a rounded balance and gentleness, but also a dignified elegance that envelops and expands the taste of every dish."

"Ageing is also the key to achieving an all-round inclusive taste. The undiluted sake is created with a subdued flavour to ensure transparency, and the sake is then matured in a temperature-controlled storage environment after filtration. The changes in flavour are repeatedly tasted and the temperature and maturation period are adjusted to create a softness and roundness in the mouthfeel and depth of flavour, while maintaining a gentle ginjo aroma. We consider maturing to be an important process in creating flavour, and we always imagine our sake to be a 'dining sake' that complements food, but this was the first time we had focused on Japanese cuisine. It was worth the challenge."

Taste

"It draws out the delicacy of the dashi broth and ingredients, gently harmonises with them, and expands the range of flavours of the dishes as well as the enjoyment of sake. A wonderful sake not only for customers, but also for chefs."

"The mouthfeel is clean and soft. The aroma gently enhances the flavour of seasonal ingredients and compliments the delicate dashi broth that supports the flavour of dishes without overpowering them. The sake not only broadens the range of flavours of the food, but also expands the possibilities of how to enjoy sake thanks to its mellow and harmonious taste, which is the essence of Kokuryu Shuzō's maturing process. I am always thinking of new ways to express myself at Kohaku in order to give customers an experience they have never had before, and éks KAISEKI is exactly the kind of flavour that will assist them in discovering and experiencing deliciousness. It is a wonderful sake not only for the customer but also for the chef."

"The direction of the flavour profile of Kokuryu Ishidaya, Kokuryu Nizaemon, Kokuryu Daiginjo and Kokuryu Shizuku is to enhance the flavour of the dashi and ingredients, so the aroma is restrained and the sake has a clear mouthfeel and, initially, no prominent sweetness or umami. However, through maturation, the sake has a depth that embraces various flavours, and in the mouth it harmonises with the food, enabling the flavours to complement each other and enhance the overall taste. At 10-15°C, the aroma opens up considerably. The result is a sake that can be enjoyed throughout a course of Japanese cuisine, while also slowly savouring the aromas that develop as the temperature changes."

TASTING NOTES

Aromas of Japanese citrus and floral nuances, with a hint of fresh banana and rice flour.
Smooth and soft on the palate, with a well-defined, transparent flavour that gently expands and lengthens.

FLAVOUR CHART

FLAVOUR

Soft
Well-balanced
Expansive
Smooth
Clean

AROMA

Lemon
Banana
White Flowers
Rice Flour

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

Hanabie (around 10°C)

FOOD PAIRING

Dishes with a light and gentle flavour are more delicious when combined with other light and gentle flavours, as is the case with sake, because this creates a reciprocal synergy of flavours.
Dishes with a warm, gentle flavour, such as steamed sea bream with turnip and shrimps, or cold dishes with a thickened texture and flavour, such as lily bulb tofu paste with cold vegetables, are also very good textural companions.