Gokyo 5 Blue Kioke Zukuri Kimoto Nama Junmai
A max-voltage array of tropical zebra stripe, Rambler seltzer, and fermenty-wild essence of buttermilk, offset with a deep "sake" taste that is unmistakably old school. Juicy, vivid, acidic, tropical, and very much alive, this sake is a brilliant testament to the creativity and skill of Gokyo’s team. It's giving me Aram*sa vibes, as if it were a fun, funky, locals-only Southern version of the hypebeast Northern brewery, and I say that with utmost respect. The Gokyo 5 series are expressions of sake brewed in kioke: that is, traditional large wooden barrels of 1-5000 L capacity, made from sugi (cryptomeria) wood. Utilized for >100 years in some cases, kioke don’t usually confer wood flavors (as in oak barrels), but do add unique character by hosting a unique microbial population in the pores of the wood & supplying oxygen during the fermentation. By preparing Blue with the ~350 year old kimoto method which utilizes wild bacteria to create acidity, Gokyo’s kioke evolve, and in turn, the “5” series as well.