Age has always been synonymous with the precious, the valuable, - and that's the case for much of our tipples. Wines slumbering away in cellars to be aged for decades? Or precious spirits from the 1920s that are stowed in large demijohns, away from the prying eyes of thirsty drinkers until the time is right? If a drink's alcoholic, you're certain there's an aged version of it that exists.

Source: sakegeek

So, given how widespread and beloved sake is, why aren't we seeing more aged sake around? Or moreso, why are we only seeing more of it now?

Ukiyo-e depicting sake making.

Let's travel back in time. Sake back in ancient Japan was still very much a premium beverage, with aged sakes or koshu (古酒), fetching even higher premiums due to the chances of the sake spoiling before reaching maturation and the time invested. Mentions of aged sake date as far back as the Kamakura period (1185-1333), with more historical records and mentions during the Edo period (1603-1868). The typical aged sake would have been three to five years old, with sakes being aged up to nine years (kunenshu) a particular hit amongst the aristocratic class in Edo Japan. 

A painting depicting the Russo-Japanese war.

However, the craft of aging sakes would see its time cut short. With the Meiji period came modernisation and industrialisation. Whilst the Meiji era brought forth lots of innovation and advances to the scientific understanding of sake making, not all was rosy for sake brewers. Even before the Meiji era, tax revenue from sake production was particularly lucrative. However, in the Meiji era, sake brewers had to pay more taxes to preserve their brewing licenses and rights, then taxed even more when producing sake. Amidst the Russo-Japanese and Sino-Japanese wars of mid-Meiji, sake tax accounted for up to 30% of total revenue, a large part being funnelled into the Japanese Army. (For comparison, liquor taxes account for 2-3% of revenue today.)

A photograph depicting sake making. Source: Sake Museum

In particular, it was the way sake tax was collected that almost drove the craft of aging sake extinct. In order to facilitate a quicker turnover of sake tax, the Meiji government made it so that sake was taxed the moment it was brewed. While that meant that the government got their tax earlier, this meant that sake brewers had no incentive to hold on to their stock of sake for long. Why would you delay the time you could recuperate your taxes, let sake sit idly in the brewery (where the tanks could be better used to store and brew sake), and risk it all to spoilage? Sake brewers sought to brew, bottle and sell their sakes fresh, and with changing consumer tastes (it was during this time that the clear, crisp style of shinshu sake was taking off), aged sake almost vanished.

Large porcelain bottles are sometimes used for aging sake. Source: Japan-food

Sometime in the 1940s post World War II, the Meiji taxation laws were overturned, and sake was to be taxed after it was bottled and shipped (which made the cash flow easier on the sake brewer's end). Still, that didn't mean that aged sake would become popular overnight - aged sake was still niche and had a distinct taste profile; apart from it being a premium on an already premium product. However, the craft of aged sake has been slowly revived, going through a renaissance that has been enchanting both sake brewers and connoisseurs alike. Today, koshu sake accounts for roughly 1% of the total sake produced in Japan, with a small but growing number of sake brewers producing this style of sake. 

Jun Ito is the current Secretary General of the Long-Term Aged Sake Research Group, a group that specialises in the research and study of aging sake techniques. Source: Sake World

Technicalities wise, there are no hard and fast rules for aged sake - by definition, any sake that has been aged for more than one brewing year can be considered aged sake. However, most brewers usually take the three to five year benchmark, where the Malliard reaction - the interaction of amino acids and sugar molecules - take place and give rise to caramelised, umami and saucy flavours often associated with the category. 

So... what are some aged sakes that are out there on the market? And how could you get some of these precious bottles that aren't always year round?

Sake World - a dedicated sake NFT platform that connects buyers, sake breweries, restaurants and distributors to one another, allows sake to be turned into NFTs. Sake could be made into an NFT and then listed by sake breweries and retailers on the platform, Sake World NFT, where a user could purchase a sake NFT from the marketplace and request delivery for the sake to be sent to them. The platform also allows users to bid for sake, as well as catch up on the latest sake news around the world. 

And thus Sake World has us here today to try a flight of aged vintage Sakes that are exclusively available via their platform and can't be found anywhere else - a literal taste of what Sake World has to offer!

This time, we're headed to Uo Haru to taste a line up of sakes - some that are at least three decades old! Without further ado, let's play some 1980s city-pop music and get to tasting some vintage. 

Sake Review: Assemblage Club 2024 01 CODENAME 'Taro', 15% ABV

If the name isn't a giveaway - this sake was an assemblage of different sakes. Assemblage, a winemaking practice often done in Champagne and Bordeaux, is when different wines are blended together - across varietals, vintage, terroir, and so on.

From left to right: Yukihiro Kitagawa, President of Kitagawa Honke; Junichi Matsuda, President of Matusda Tokubee Shoten; Jiemon Matsui, President of Matsui Shuzo, and Tokubee Matsuda, Chairman of the Assemblage Club. Source: sakeworld 

In this assemblage of a sake, three prestigious sake breweries hailing from Kyoto teamed up to blend their sakes together: Matsuda Tokubee Shoten which was founded in 1675 and owns the Tsuki no Katsura brand, Kitagawa Honke which was founded in 1657 and owns the Tomio brand, and Matsui Shuzo which was founded in 1726 and owns the Kagura brand. 

Matsuda Tokubee. Source: sakeworld

Eight sakes, some which are vintage, across the three breweries are blended together by 3rd Generation Matsuda Tokubee of Matsuda Tokubee Shoten, being the Master Blender of the Assemblage Club project. The sake, codenamed 'Taro', would receive a few awards, such as the Singapore's Best Award and Silver Award at the Singapore Sake Challenge in 2024 and the silver medal at Milan Sake Challenge 2023.

Tasting Notes

Nose: Green pears, nashi alongside warabimochi are the first aromas. After the initial fruity aromas, more floral aromas arise, such as freesia and hydrangeas. Peeling back the floral and fruity aromas, there is a slight nuttiness to the sake, like fried senbei crackers, rice puffs and slivered almonds. 

Taste: Fresh, bright and juicy at first. More nashi pears and peach comes through. Then, the nuttier, more savoury flavours arise, like walnuts, almonds and cooked long grain rice. 

Finish: Dry and nutty, with more long grain rice flavours. Has a bit of a dry zing here, with a slight astringency of raisin seeds and pith. Retronasally, there are aromas of caramel bites and sweet condensed milk come, though very subtle.

My Thoughts

This sake reads fresh and fruity, with a middle tone of strong savoury rice. I do appreciate that in this sake, hints of that aged sake come through in the form of nutty flavours and caramelised aromas. Overall, this sake leans to the fruity-rice profile, making this sake great for appetizers or a post-meal dessert.

Sake Review: Eikun Izutsuyaihei Iwaimai Sanwarigobunmigaki 5 Years Jukusei　英勲　井筒屋伊兵衛 祝米 三割五分磨き 五年熟成酒, 15%

Source: Saito Shuzo

This sake hails from Saito Shuzo (齊藤酒造), which was established in Fushimi, Kyoto since 1895. The ancestors of the Saito family originally established themselves in Kyoto and ran a kimono business at first, under the name Izutsuyaiehi, inheriting the business before moving to sake production. To commemorate the enthronement of Emperor Taisho in 1915, the brewery adopted Eikun as the brand name.

Iwai rice. Source: sakeexperiencejapan

This sake uses the highly coveted Iwai sake rice, originally cultivated by the Kyoto  Prefectural Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Technology Center when researchers were looking at the lineage of the Nohojo rice variety sometime in 1915. The sake rice was once popular and recommended for sake production in Kyoto, but then fell out of favour after World War II. Calls to revive it came in the 1950s, but difficulties in automating the harvest of the rice made it fall out of favour again. After much coveted efforts by the Fushimi Sake Brewers Assocation in 1988, the rice became researched on and is now used exclusively by Kyoto breweries.

The unaged (left) and aged (right) version of the same sake. 

For this sake, Iwai rice is polished down to 35%, and then matured for five years in a dedicated refrigerated storage. According to Saito Shuzo, due to the high polishing rate of the sake, much of clarity in colour and the aromas are preserved despite the long aging time. Only 50 bottles of this aged sake are produced each year, with the non-aged version available as well. 

Tasting Notes

Nose: The initial aromas are fruity - pear, nashi, peach and nectarines. Freshly pounded mochi comes next, followed up by freshly cooked short grain rice as the sake sits for a short while. Letting it sit a little while more, fresh jasmine aromas arise.

Taste: The general profile of the sake reads both sweet and savoury. The initial flavours read peach and nectarines, with cooked short grain rice following up. The flavour takes on a more ricey spectrum, reading of glutinous rice syrup and freshly pounded mochi, before coalescning to plain warabimochi.

Finish: Hints of fruit accompanied by rice-sweet flavours, initially reading of just ripened cantaloupe. Some umami flavours of cooked long grain rice arise, before tailing off. The sake ends with a slight minerally taste that has accents of sliced red apple. 

My Thoughts: 

What I really like about this sake is how it showcases the rice's sweetness! Despite having a relatively deep and dense palate in the form of sweetness, the fruits and rice flavours don't get cloying or sickly. It's quite remarkable how the sake has achieved this balance of different sweet flavours despite not having much in percievable acidity, and overall feels refreshing and light. This is a great easy going sake that I could see being served as a dessert to be accompanied with fruits (or perhaps, an aperitif as well).

Sake Review: Suwa Izumi Junmai Koshu "A Journey Through Time" Vintage 1989 諏訪泉 純米古酒 時の旅 Vintage1989, 18% ABV

Our next vintage sake takes us back a few decades - as vintage as it gets. 

Suwa Shuzo（諏訪酒造）was established in 1859, within the town of Chizu, Tottori Prefecture. The brewery got its name from the nearby Suwa Shrine, with the sake brand being called Suwaizumi　諏訪泉. 

The homepage of the Suwaizumi website. 

Suwa Shuzo upholds the philosophy of "There is no perfect sake under heaven 天のない酒造り" (**see the end of this article for a discussion on this bit). According to the brewery, a head brewer once told his disciple that there is no perfect sake under heaven - in other words, there was no such thing as a perfect sake. Whilst seemingly fatalistic at first, the philosophy was meant to show that sake making was an ever-perfecting craft, and that the sake brewers within Suwa Shuzo should strive to better themselves and their craft every day, not becoming complacent. 

The final page of Natsuko's Sake: Volume 12 Chapter 131 "Toji's Homeland".

This particular saying was also featured in the manga "Natsuko's Sake 夏子の酒" by Akira Oze, that ran from 1988 to 1991 with a television adaptation in 1994. The same saying 天のない酒造りwas handed over to Natsuko and her brother Yasuo when it was their turn to take over the sake brewery. 

In the sake brewery's retail shop, volume covers and artwork of Natsuko's Sake is displayed by Akira Oze is displayed. Source: Suwaizumi

Suwa Shuzo has a series called "A Jounrey Through Time 時の旅", where different vintages of sake is aged. The series has vintages with 1989 being the oldest, and the most recent being the 2004 vintage. Whilst it is not written or mentioned what rice varieties were used for this sake, the Suwaizumi website mentions that Yamadanishiki rice from Hyogo Prefecture and Tama rice from Tottori Prefecture is used in Suwa Shuzo's sakes. 

Tasting Notes

Nose: Powerful, with lots of nut skins of almonds and walnuts. The aromas are rich in umami, like soy sauce, malt syrup, molasses and dried tea tree and Wuyi mushrooms. On the back of the aromas, there is some black garlic as well. Letting the sake sit, more soy sauce comes out, before coalescing to toasted mochi and nut brittle. 

Taste: Surprisingly light on the texture - not as viscous as you would suspect from the colour and age of the sake. On the palate the sake was slightly sweet comparable to a slightly more charred creme brulee at first, with the astringency of dried shiitake and Wuyi mushroom stalks coming in quick succession, tannic and slightly oaky. Afterward, deep nuttiness of candied almonds and manzanilla sherry take over. 

Finish: The finish turns slightly sweeter and ricey, with an initial note of toasted white bread. Then, senbei, crisped claypot rice and toasted walnut flavours arise, with a mild sweetness coming from candied nuts. Interestingly, there is a bit of baked jackfruit retronasally. The finish tails off to unspiced apple pie filling. 

My Thoughts: 

Now, this sake has lots of contrast going on. There's a plethora of flavour ebbing in and out throughout the tasting of this sake - though, the profile is largely astringent, umami, slightly bitter and nutty flavours. The strong points of this sake come from its olfactory sensations - especially in the form of mushrooms and even dried fermented tea leaves. 

This sake is probably best when paired with cuisines that boast equally strong flavours,.

Sake Review: Chigonoiwa Daginjo Koshu Shinsui 千古乃岩酒造　大吟醸　古酒　心酔、17.5% ABV

Our next vintage sake hails from Chigonoiwa Shuzo 千古乃岩酒造 from Toki City, Gifu Prefecture. 

Chigonoiwa Shuzo was established in 1909, originally named Owariya Shoten. The brewery named their sake brand after a peculiarly giant rock in the area named Chigonoiwa 稚児岩. The aspiration for the brewery was to create sake for "a thousand years", with the sake brand also named Chigonoiwa. The brewery also renamed itself to Chigonoiwa Shuzo in 1954.

The Chigonoiwa rock, along the Hida river and underneath the bridge, spans 18m wide and 18m tall. The stone can be found on Google Maps, being a local landmark. Source: Chigonoiwa Shuzo

The sake brewery was originally a soy sauce and miso manufacturer two generations before sake production started proper. The brewery prides itself in using ultra-soft water (山伏流水), pumped from 45m below ground which was naturally filtered by the clayey soil of the area.  The brewery uses sake brewing techniques that bring out the mellowness in their sake.

The Chigonoiwa sake brand logo, inspired by legends of how the rock appeared at the river. Source: Chigonoiwa 

The Shinsui sake was made with Yamadanishiki rice that has been polished to 35%, and brewed in 1987 using Yeast No. 9, which then underwent an aging process for over 30 years. 

Tasting Notes

Nose: Sweet, raisin-esque aromas come through at first. Golden raisins, skins of white grapes are the mainstay aromas at first, before giving way to mild peach and nectarines. As it sits, a light caramel, brown sugar aroma arises from the sake, which then evolves and tapers off to ripe musk melon.

Taste: The sake reads quite sweet on the palate, toned by a mild acidity and nuttiness. Nuttiness of fragrant fried peanuts and roasted macadamias come through, then accentuated by a sweetened chrysanthemum tea flavour. Towards the end, a dried fruit flavour of dried figs and golden raisins emerge. 

Finish: Mild floral astringency comes through towards the end - again, that chrysanthemum tea flavour. More ricey aromas come through here as well, like freshly cooked short grain rice. After a while, more floral notes of jasmine and marigold, with a slight astringency, tapers off the finish on the palate. 

My Thoughts 

I really like how soft this sake is textually! This sake starts out somewhat intense at fist, but mellows quickly with soft fruits, florals and caramelised sugar being the main stay aromas and flavours. 

Despite the age, there isn't very strong umami or astringent notes in this sake. I really particularly like that floral aroma of chrysanthemum tea in this sake - which to me, evokes a sense of nostalgia and refreshing -ness both at the same time. This sake strikes a great balance, being easy drinking whilst complex and thoughtful, and is a definite crowd pleaser.

Sake Review: Hirata Sake Brewery SUIO 平田酒造場 SUIO, 18% ABV

The beginnings of Hirata Sake Brewery from Gifu prefecture trace back to 1769, being an oil and candle merchant within Takayama City. In 1895, the business got into sake making, officially been converted to a brewery by the 5th generation owners. The brewery mainly brews with Hidaminori rice, Yamadanishiki rice and Isehikari rice.

Enamel tanks. Source: SUIO

SUIO was a vintage sake that was brewed back in 1994 and became the brewery's first aged sake, made with Hidaminori rice from the Gifu prefecture. Once brewed, the sake was aged in enamel tanks shielded away from light and air exposure. 

Source: SUIO

The sake bottle's label and design was meant to capture the "perfection of imperfection" - signifying the endless journey of maturation without completion. The triangle signifies regeneration and regrowth, the squares represent balance, and the circle (as itself) represents perfection and (with the triangle superimposed on it) imperfection. In 2014, the sake won the highest award among 725 entries in the sake category of the International Wine Challenge. As of this article and tasting, SUIO has been aged for 29 years.

Tasting Notes

Nose: Deeply sweet, nutty and filled with a perfumey muskiness. At first, it gives cooked marmalade and stewed oranges, followed by a very mild spice of cassia and Ceylon cinnamon. A deep, caramelised rice aroma of claypot rice comes through next, followed by dry Fino sherry with its slight funk and nuttiness. 

Taste: Velvety on the texture. At first, candied chargrilled bananas coat the palate, followed by candied walnuts, honey toast, honeyed chrysanthemum tea and grilled mochi with molasses syrup. A slight bitterness hangs at the back palate, reminiscent of floral teas and a multiple-washed green tea.

Finish: The finish ends very clean - after swallowing, the palate is left with a lingering flavour of freshly pounded plain mochi at first. More umami flavours arise here, with toasted rice senbei, grilled mochi and sweetened soy sauce, though very subtle. There is a mineral-esque acidity that develops at the end, rounding off the sake with a saline and slightly lactic quality, like yogurt whey. 

My Thoughts:

This sake is an exercise of balance and subtlety. Even though the sake is quite pronounced on the nose, there are many elements and nuances that come through as a whole orchestra, making it difficult to pick out individual flavours yet coming together in one tight, well choreographed symphony. On the palate especially, the flavours all amalgamate into a united profile of sweet, slightly umami and mildly lactic, with surprising elements of tropical fruits. 

This sake is best enjoyed in a quiet room as a special occasion, as it commands lots of attention to its subtle elements and almost tightrope balance. When enjoying the sake, it's easy to miss out the hints and pops of nuaced flavours beyond the front facing sweet and nutty profile.

The Final Cut

Now, for the folks who love complexity in their drinks, or those who find themselves craving a tipple of fortified wines and sherries, I wholeheartedly giving aged sakes a try! Amongst the tasting today, my favourite came out to be the Shinsui from Chigoniwa Shuzo - with how floral, soft and easy going the sake was, it tastes and feels so much like a fresh sake, yet with subtleties that indicate much more beneath the surface. My second favourite was the SUIO - with so much character, body and complexities that truly unlocks a different dimension of what sake could be. 

With that said, there is as much variation and flavours in aged sake as there is in your freshly made brews - and for the curious palate there is much to enjoy in the category. Don't pass up the opportunity to taste some!

@vernoncelli

**

Here's where I'll like to get into the discussion of the saying from Suwaizumi "天のない酒造り". Admittedly, I have not found a good direct translation nor do I have the literary prowess with my limited Japanese to fully capture the nuance of this saying. The Suwaizumi website explains the never-ending process of creating the perfect sake as the main takeaway of this saying, hence I took some liberties to transpose the along the veins of "There is no heavenly sake," just made more literal for clarity sake. 

In the Natsuko's Sake manga, in page 218 of Volume 12 Chapter 131, some translators contextualised the saying to refer to a guide that made the perfect sake, as **spoiler warning** the head brewer has passed on and left a sake making guide to Natsuko and Yasuo (at least from what I gathered - I haven't read the manga myself and it has been added to my to-read list). 

In short, I apologise if some nuance was lost in translation, and would be more than happy to receive a more apt translation or feedback!