Ymahai Jikomi Jyunmaishu (1.8 L)

Tedorigawa's yamahai jikomi represents a deliberate return to pre-industrial sake fermentation. The brewery, located in Akita Prefecture in northern Honshu, sources local Omachi and Gohyakumangoku rice varieties, milling them to junmai specification (≤70% remaining grain). The yamahai method—a natural, slower inoculation process using wild lactobacillus—requires extended koji cultivation and extended fermentation timelines, typically 30–40 days compared to 14–21 days for modern sokujo methods. This extended contact with koji enzymes and wild microflora generates deeper amino acid profiles and umami compounds.

The jikomi designation indicates multiple koji additions staged across fermentation, a technique that sustains enzymatic activity and prevents stalling in the cold Akita climate. The result is a sake with pronounced earthiness—mineral undertones from the rice itself, not from added water—and a textural weight that reflects the unrefined grain. Yamahai sakes age gracefully; this expression develops complexity over 2–5 years, with oxidative notes deepening into dried-fruit and toasted-grain territory.

Vintage: Current release. Optimal drinking window: immediate through 2028.