Takacho Bodaimoto Junmai Muroka Genshu Sake

Takacho Bodaimoto, Junmai Muroka Genshu sake, is brewed by Yucho Shuzo in Nara, Japan, where a famous flagship brand, Kaze no Mori is also brewed.

Takacho Bodaimoto is a sort of time machine. It is made with a traditional method employed by the Buddhist monks that date back to the 1400s. The technique utilizes natural microbes in the temple with raw rice to create lactic acidic water for the starter preparation. This process is time-consuming and can take up to 40 days, whereas the new method would only take 14 days.

But as the saying goes, good things come to those who wait, and this analogy certainly applies to this incomparable sake.

On the nose, it’s a mixture of apples, ripe loquat, salted caramel, and steamed rice. And a strong presence of cultured lactic acid like yogurt and mascarpone cheese.

The texture is sumptuous and weighty on the palate resembling Icewine. Many sweet-savory flavors are present such as candied ginger, tangerine rind, yeasty bread, white soy paste, and granny smith apples.

The big surprise here is that the nose prepares your palate for something intensely sweet, but the sake has bright acidity, making it a food-friendly, versatile drink that pairs well with various food dishes.

Lastly, Takacho Bodaimoto has been aged for over three years unpasteurized, and this sake continues to evolve in the bottle as it awaits its moment to reveal its diverse characteristics in your glass.

It was an exceptional historical journey to taste the kind of sake Samurais drank in the Muromachi period.

Rice: Hinohikari
Rice polish: 70%
Yeast: Shinryaku-ji temple in Nara, Japan
Grade: Junmai
Other: Genshu-undiluted, Muroka-unfined