Hakkaisan, "Yukimuro", Junmai Daiginjo

In the world of sake, the conventional wisdom is that all sake should be drunk within a year of production. But as with all rules, there are caveats, and the "Yukimuro," Junmai Daiginjo from the Hakkaisan is a truly exceptional exception. The Hakkaisan Brewery, located at the foot of Mount Hakkai in the Niigata prefecture, is one of the few sake kuras (breweries) to master “snow aging,” a process in which a finished sake is aged in of a mountain of snow stored in an insulated room, known as a “yukimuro”. The brewers keep their Junmai Ginjo Genshu, a pure-rice sake, at 3 degrees C for 3 years, which gives the finished product an umami-rich, smooth mouthfeel with notes of Asian pear, melon, and custard and a slightly nutty, unctuous palate. Enjoy warm or chilled, and pair with washed rind cheese, beef short ribs, and snowy mountain scenes.