170th Anniversary Riku 132
⏳ Drinking Window
Best enjoyed fresh within 1 to 2 years of release to appreciate its vibrant acidity, though it can be carefully cellared for up to 5 years under pristine, freezing conditions.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Sashimi of fatty tuna, grilled sweetfish, light poultry dishes with sansho pepper
✨ Technical Specifications
Released to commemorate the 170th anniversary of the legendary Aramasa Shuzo, founded in 1852, this highly limited sake is a masterclass in historical preservation and avant-garde brewing. The brew features Rikuu 132, a legendary heirloom rice variety developed in Akita in 1921, famously championed by the beloved poet and agricultural activist Kenji Miyazawa, who referred to it as the ideal rice for its resilience. True to Aramasa's uncompromising philosophy, this sake is crafted using the traditional Kimoto starter method, fermented in hand-crafted wooden casks (kioke), and driven by their proprietary Kyokai No. 6 yeast—the oldest active strain distributed by the Brewing Society of Japan, which was originally isolated at Aramasa in 1930. The result is a complex, deeply textured sake that bridges the past and the future, offering a vibrant acidity, delicate cedar nuances from the wood, and a pristine, mineral-driven finish.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 1852 by Uhei Sato in Akita Prefecture, Aramasa Shuzo stands as one of Japan's most revolutionary and revered artisanal producers. The brewery earned historic distinction in 1930 when its in-house culture was isolated as Kyokai No. 6, the oldest surviving yeast strain in active distribution. Under eighth-generation kuramoto Yusuke Sato, who took over in the late 2000s, Aramasa embarked on an uncompromising renaissance. Sato committed strictly to pure Junmai brewing, utilizing exclusively local Akita-grown rice cultivated without chemical pesticides, including over 30 hectares farmed in the Uyashinai district. Reviving traditional Edo-period techniques, all fermentations rely purely on indigenous lactic bacteria via the kimoto method and take place entirely in wooden cedar vats (kioke). Fermented using only pristine soft local mountain water and Kyokai No. 6, Aramasa's sakes—such as the iconic unpasteurized No. 6 series, the terroir-driven Colors collection, and the experimental Private Lab bottlings like Amaneko—are globally benchmarked for their electrifying acidity, pristine structural tension, and vinous elegance.
🍇 Grapes
Rikuu 132 (Rice)
🍷 ABV
13%