Private Lab Amaneko
⏳ Drinking Window
Best enjoyed fresh, typically within 1 to 2 years of the bottling date to experience its vibrant acidity at its peak.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Fresh oysters, raw shellfish, soft goat cheese
✨ Technical Specifications
Part of Aramasa's experimental 'Private Lab' series, 'Amaneko' (meaning 'Heavenly Cat') is a groundbreaking sake that blurs the line between traditional Japanese brewing and fine white wine. Its defining feature is the integration of white koji (Aspergillus kawachii)—a mold traditionally used in shochu production—alongside the standard yellow koji. This technique yields high levels of natural citric acid, imparting a vibrant, zesty tartness that beautifully balances the sake's natural sweetness. Brewed in Akita Prefecture using the legendary Kyokai No. 6 yeast and fermented in traditional wooden casks (kioke), Amaneko is a testament to Yusuke Sato's revolutionary vision, offering a pristine, mineral-driven profile with notes of citrus and green apple.
🍾 About the Producer
Founded in 1852 in Akita Prefecture, Japan, Aramasa Shuzo is one of the sake world's most revolutionary and revered historic breweries. Under the avant-garde leadership of eighth-generation owner Yusuke Sato, the kura strictly champions traditional, natural brewing methodologies, utilizing only native Akita rice cultivars, wooden fermentation vats (kioke), and the time-honored kimoto method without additives. Aramasa is famously the historic birthplace of Kyokai Yeast No. 6, isolated here in 1930, which the brewery now uses exclusively across its entire production. Renowned for vibrant acidity, exceptional clarity, and wine-like complexity, Aramasa produces iconic cult expressions including the unpasteurized No. 6 series, the terroir-focused Colors collection, and the rare, boundary-pushing Private Lab series featuring labels like Invisible Pink Unicorn.
🍷 Alcohol By Volume (ABV)
13%