Colors Viridian
⏳ Drinking Window
Typically best enjoyed within 1 to 3 years of the bottling date, though its robust Kimoto structure allows it to develop gracefully for up to 5 years when stored under optimal cellar conditions.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
roasted duck, grilled sea bass, creamy mushroom risotto
✨ Technical Specifications
Representing the green of the forest, Viridian is a jewel in Aramasa's 'Colors' series, which showcases the unique terroir of Akita through single-variety heirloom sake rice. This expression is brewed exclusively from Misato Nishiki, a rare and difficult-to-cultivate rice variety that is a cross between Yamada Nishiki and Miyama Nishiki. True to Aramasa's uncompromising philosophy, Viridian is crafted using the ancient Kimoto starter method, fermented in traditional cedar wooden casks (kioke), and powered solely by the historic Kyokai No. 6 yeast, which was discovered on-site in 1930. The result is a sake of exceptional structure and elegance, boasting a vibrant, wine-like acidity, deep mineral undertones, and a velvety texture that reflects the pristine nature of northern Japan.
🍾 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
Misato Nishiki sake rice
🍷 ABV
13%