Wooden casks are loaded with steamed rice, both plain and inoculated with koji. Brewery workers pound and mix the rice by hand (a process known as yama oroshi) to form the starter batch, which is then left out in the brewery to allow ambient yeast to initiate fermentation. This yama oroshi technique creates an optimum environment for yeast to multiply, allowing the best strains to ferment the sake without having to suppress other microorganisms. The result is natural umami through and through with just the right level of acidity and a short finish, a kimoto junmai with the characteristic mildness of Matsunotsukasa.

Best Served: Delicious chilled all the way up to piping hot.

Food Pairing: Braised lamb, rib roast, hot pot.