This “brown rice” (milled only to 85%) aged sake has an exciting nose filled with herbs, cooked citrus, wet wool, dried cherry and pepper elements. Talk about juicy but not being super sweet, this old brew has layers and layers of flavors from dried fruits to candied apricots all dancing with earthy elements such as crushed damp leaves and cooked chestnuts. Soft, rich, fat and gooey – all balanced perfectly on a solid fluid that has a long gentle tail. So smooth for such a low polished Koshu. A perfect Koshu for warming, and look for more fruit at room temp. WORD: Soft WINE: Red and White Burgundy BEER: Big Belgians FOODS: Smoked meats and cheeses, large pasta dishes, cigars.