Azumarikishi Nigori Kassei Nama Genshu (720 ml)

Shimazaki Sake Brewery, founded in 1849 by Hikobe Shimazaki in Nasukarasuyama City, Tochigi, built its identity on richness and depth — a deliberate counter-position to the delicate, aromatic ginjo orthodoxy that dominates premium sake. This nigori kassei nama genshu sits at the most uncompromising end of that philosophy: unfiltered (nigori), actively fermenting (kassei), unpasteurized (nama), and undiluted (genshu), meaning no water has been added post-fermentation to reduce ABV. The result is a sake bottled at its natural fermentation strength, retaining live yeast and residual CO₂ pressure. The brewery's water source — subterranean groundwater from the foothills of Mt. Nasu, fed by the Naka River — is notably soft, promoting slow fermentation and amplifying the naturally sweet, rice-forward character that defines the house style. Rice is drawn from Tochigi Prefecture cultivars and nationally recognized sake rice, with approximately half sourced within 50 km of the brewery. Kassei (active) nigori is a category transgression: the live yeast continues secondary fermentation in bottle, building gentle effervescence and evolving the profile over time — a dynamic that pasteurized nigori cannot replicate. Serve cold and open cautiously; the bottle is pressurized. Drink young to capture peak effervescence and fresh rice-cream character.