Kenbishi : Kuromatsu

Characteristics and tasting advice for Kuromatsu by Kenbishi

Tasting

Appearance
This traditional sake stands out for its light golden hue.

Nose
The nose unveils a complex profile with notes of toasted rice, mushroom, cheese, and crushed nuts. Ripe, delicately toasted aromas reflect the blend of aged sakes.

Palate
The palate is full and powerful, with a creamy texture enhanced by spicy notes. The palate shows a fine balance between the pronounced umami of the rice and a hint of acidity that brings subtlety. Milk-candy aromas enrich the tasting. The long, persistent finish reveals notes of bittersweet chocolate. When served slightly warmed, the sake becomes softer and smoother, with umami fully expressed while the acidity turns mellow and discreet.

Food pairings and tasting occasions
This sake pairs perfectly with meat dishes in sauce, grilled fish, duck, chicken, or lamb, as well as stews and tartares. Mushroom-based dishes and cheeses also make excellent pairings. It particularly elevates dishes with a high concentration of miso or soy sauce such as teriyaki, sukiyaki, or miso hot pot, as well as preparations enhanced with truffle.

A traditional blended sake from the Nada region

Kenbishi, one of Japan’s oldest sake breweries

Founded in 1505 in Itami, Japan, Kenbishi is now based in the Nada region of Kobe (Hyōgo Prefecture), and led by Masataka Shirakashi. For over five centuries, the House has perpetuated a unique ancestral method, starting from the desired final taste to craft its blends. Its process is based on a seventy-seven-day maturation and the blending of three hundred sakes from different origins and vintages. Using the noble rice varieties yamadanishiki and aiyama, Kenbishi makes its own traditional tools and trains its artisans in-house, thus embodying the excellence of an authentic, timeless Japanese sake.

Kuromatsu: a traditional blend of aged sakes

Kuromatsu embodies the House of Kenbishi’s ancestral blending philosophy. This traditional sake is made according to the Yamahai method, a technique preserved for centuries by the brewery. It is the result of a blend of sakes aged for a minimum of one to four years, lending richness and complexity to the whole. The noble rice varieties yamadanishiki and aiyama form the raw material for this cuvée. The balanced, rounded character of this sake, combined with its ability to reveal even more flavors when slightly warmed, makes it an ideal companion for traditional Japanese gastronomy as well as more Western cuisines.