NV Ama No To Heaven's Door 750 ml

Crafted From Organic Rice in the Akita Prefecture

Our Saké expert, Certified Saké Professional and Judge in the U.S. and Japan and former global beverage director for Morimoto Group, Eduardo Dingler has selected this magical Saké.  

Of the sakés currently offered through our Store, this Ama No To "Heavens Door" surprisingly reminds us of a mineral-driven, pure-fruited Grüner Veltliner and our most accessible with a clean and defined mouthfeel. Central to the beautiful purity of this saké is the organic farming methods employed by Ama No To, who along with a handful of others are owning this category — it’s not common practice. But the result is a style that is compelling, enticing and layered. Not many sakés deliver this rollercoaster of aromas, and flavors. Their local rice strain, Gennesei, is a big contributing factor to this elegant saké bringing depth in the palate and stamina to the finish. Asamai Shuzo (brewery) responsible for this gem uses a local Akita yeast which gives it it’s mystical depth and generous nature.

A word on “Tokobetsu,” which translates to “special.” Like the term “Reserve” for a Napa Valley Cabernet can mean several things such as the best barrel, best vineyards and longer aging, the term “Tokobetsu” is used in saké to indicate similar unique traits, like: the use of special water, a blessed batch, but the most common meaning is a higher polishing of the rice than what is required for Junmai — meaning the Toji or brewmaster decided to take more of the outer layer of the rice to bring a different expression, but they didn’t want to classify it under Ginjo (the next elevated style) for a reason as simple as not wanting to compete with their own Ginjo production. But in short, it is a special bottling.