Colors Earth
⏳ Drinking Window
Typically best enjoyed within 1 to 3 years of the release date to appreciate its vibrant acidity and fresh profile, though it can gracefully develop deeper earthy complexities over 5 years when kept under professional cellar conditions.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
grilled pork belly, roasted duck, aged hard cheeses
✨ Technical Specifications
Aramasa's 'Colors' series is a vibrant exploration of Akita's agricultural heritage, with 'Earth' (also known as Rikuba) serving as a liquid tribute to one of Japan's most historic rice strains: Rikuu No. 132. Developed in Akita in 1921, this legendary heirloom rice was famously championed by the beloved poet and agriculturalist Kenji Miyazawa, who dubbed it the 'rice of hope' for its resilience. Aramasa resurrects this heritage grain using ultra-traditional, low-intervention methods: 100% organic local farming, the ancient Kimoto starter method, fermentation in traditional Japanese cedar casks (Kioke), and the historic Kyokai No. 6 yeast, which was originally isolated on-site at Aramasa in 1930. The resulting brew is a masterpiece of complexity, balancing a deep, earthy umami with a bright, wine-like lactic acidity and a pristine mineral finish that beautifully reflects the terroir of Akita.
🍾 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
None (100% Rikuu 132 Sake Rice)
🍷 ABV
13%