| Brand | Imayo Tsukasa |
| Region | Niigata, Japan |
| Spirits Type | Sake |
| Spirits Style | Junmai |
| ABV | 16% / Rice Polishing: 65% |
Product details
Founded in 1767 in Niigata’s historic Nuttari district, Imayotsukasa Sake Brewery has spent more than 250 years perfecting the art of sake-making. Yet while many breweries have embraced only modern stainless steel tanks, Imayotsukasa felt a deep responsibility to preserve the endangered craft of traditional wooden barrel brewing. To revive this technique, the brewery commissioned two enormous 4,000-liter cedar barrels, and their brewing team personally took part in their construction—learning directly from master coopers whose skills are now rare in Japan. The result is Hito to Ki to Hitotoki Junmai, a name that poetically translates to “man and tree and a moment in time.” Its distinctive label captures this spirit with an almost three-dimensional woodgrain motif that also reveals the sake’s faint golden hue—a visual echo of the cedar barrels that shaped it.
On the nose, this Junmai sake offers a soft, fragrant bouquet of honeysuckle, straw, apricot, coconut, and vanilla, accented by a gentle freshness of cedar. The medium-bodied palate is layered and textured, gradually unfolding flavors of brûléed peach, umami richness, and delicate sweet grain, all balanced by a clean, dry finish that lingers with graceful subtlety. While the fermentation in wood imparts a quiet undercurrent of cedar, the brewery has carefully restrained these notes so the pure character of the rice can shine through. Best enjoyed slightly chilled or at room temperature, this calming and elegant sake pairs beautifully with shellfish, grilled white fish, vegetable tempura, or simply steamed rice, offering an experience that honors both tradition and innovation in every sip.
