How can you achieve the flavor of oden soup in sake without doing the obvious? Essentially, by creating dashi within the sake itself. Applying this idea to doburoku brewing, katsuobushi and kombu, the two cornerstones of dashi, were steeped in the brewing water. That dashi-fied water, combined with an all-koji recipe (for creamy robustness) and 90% polished Yamada Nishiki rice, resulted in a super rich, smoky, and savory moromi.

Umeboshi was added in the later stages of fermentation, for salty and sour accents that balanced out the katsuobushi, inspired by irizake, a traditional Edo period seasoning and the predecessor to soy sauce.

Irizake and its ingredients - Sake, salt, umeboshi, katsuobushi and kombu.
Image Credits: Yamamoto Honke

The Taste Test: Does it Soup?

Pulling the bottle straight from the fridge, let’s try it cold first. As it pours into the cup, it’s thick, chunky, and unmistakably full of rice—almost like a tiny bowl of rice pudding or porridge. The aromas are intriguing, with hints of bacon and camembert, a consistent theme amplified on the palate. Savoury notes of smoky ham and soft-ripened cheese fills the mouth, mingling with creamy rice bits you’ll find yourself chewing involuntarily.

The experience of the Dashi Soup Punch Doburoku at 15°C or colder is thoroughly, radically enjoyable for any lover of funk. However, I reckon it’s probably more appropriate to warm it up as the logical thing to do.

Grabbing a chirori and the nearest pot of hot water, the warming process begins. I was recommended by the brewer to achieve a target temperature between 50°C to 55°C, though, I was told that a thermometer wouldn’t be all that necessary. Boy, were they right. As the sake came up to temperature, the chirori began to emanate a thick, rich dashi soup. As that smell deepened and became more and more pronounced, the doburoku was absolutely ready to be enjoyed.

Man, what a souperb aroma that was.

Imagine the heartiest, most powerful oden broth ever. You begin to wonder if it’s sake even, with such rich savoury smells in the air from a cup that looks like porridge. Taking a big sip, the creamy flavours of this doburoku envelope the whole palate. A prominent sense of familiarity and comfort from memories of every oden had. Additionally, a mild nutty cheesiness underscoring the midpalate with soft chewy rice bits layering all that flavour lengthily while accents of pickled plum dots the i’s and crosses the t’s above the richness.

To appreciate the Dashi Soup Punch, one should cast aside all prior knowledge of sake or doburoku. It cannot be measured in sweetness or dryness, or any sake scale for the matter. This is beyond all doubts, a soup. It’s almost akin to a chowder and should be enjoyed as such while the calm, mellow alcohol sensation reminds you from time to time that you’re experiencing quite the revelation in craft sake.

A Gold Award at the Tokyo Sake Challenge

For the first time in a global competition, Craft Sake and Doburoku debuts as awarded categories aside from traditional sake.