Arkansas Rice (May 2025)

Arkansas rice being harvested. Photo courtesy  of Dassai USA.

Ever since 2010, when I was working at Takara Sake’s tasting counter, I’d been hearing about Arkansas sake rice. My supervisor, Izumi Motai, was telling me that Takara had been working with Isbell Farm in Arkansas to develop Yamada Nishiki for their daiginjo. Over a decade later, I saw more breweries using their rice, including: Brooklyn Kura, Moto-i, Origami, and Dassai Blue. Curious to learn more about why brewers choose to use Isbell Farm’s rice over Japanese or California produced rice, I set my theme around Arkansas Rice and reached out to the brewers behind their motivations and experiences with Isbell Farms’ rice.

Dassai Blue’s vice president, Fumiya Miura’s motivation behind using Arkansas rice is tied to the brewery’s overall concept, which he says is, “Leaving Japan’s Dassai behind and heading to the new brewery in New York, I aim to make a sake that surpasses Japanese Dassai while using all American ingredients. We want to convey that sake can be made deliciously, regardless of the country where we make it.” For Justin Potts, the director of brewing relations at Origami, this drive is to highlight Arkansas as a sake destination, “As the rice-growing capital of the U.S. and an incredible landscape of natural resources, Origami is working to turn Arkansas into a true destination for sake outside of Japan. We also want Origami to be a meaningful contributor to the livelihood of the rice-growers of Arkansas.”

The exchange of cultural knowledge between the two countries is key to making better sake in the U.S. year to year. Both brewers have roots in Japan. Asahi Shuzo, who makes Dassai in Japan, started in 1948 in Yamaguchi, and is now one of the most recognizable daiginjos in the world. While Justin Potts of Origami lived in Japan for two decades working for breweries including Kidoizumi in Chiba before moving his whole family to Arkansas in 2022. Striving for improvement is front of mind for many brewers here. Miura says, “Isbell Farms takes advice from Japanese farmers into account regarding rice and we feel that the quality of the rice is improving every year looking at the appearance and fermentation process.” However, it’s also a common theme for brewers in the U.S. to celebrate their differences. “Having worked with both (Japanese and U.S. grown Yamada Nishiki rice), they’re certainly ‘different,’” says Potts, “not necessarily “better” or “worse,” but unquestionably different.”

Please read my full interviews on our blog with Dassai Blue’s Fumiya Miura, and Origami’s Justin Potts to learn more. They are fascinating, and make sipping on this month’s sake all the more enjoyable! 

Kanpai.

Yoko (Co-Founder, Umami Mart)

Thousand Cranes Junmai

Origami Sake Brewery (Hot Springs, AR)

Seimaibuai: Yamada Nishiki 70% , SMV: -7, Acidity: 2.5, Yeast: AK24

This junmai balances the umami and sweetness of koji with an acidity that lends structure and a satisfying finish. Potts tells us that they created Thousand Cranes as, “a sake that encourages you to return for another sip.” We enjoyed this sake best chilled in a slightly flared thin-lipped glass. Notice a pale yellow color thanks to it being muroka (un-charcoal filtered). We get aromas of amazake, cookies, and cream. This is a junmai-lover’s sake with plenty of umami, fresh mushroom, and acidity that gives it body. The strength of this sake is in its ability to pair with food. My favorite pairing was with spicy pad thai. The pad thai enhanced the creaminess and umami of the sake. The runner up for this pairing was hayashi rice. The sake revealed notes of raisin with the demi glace sauce, especially at room temperature. 

Dassai Blue 35 Junmai Daiginjo

Dassai USA (Hyde Park, NY)

Seimaibuai: Yamada Nishiki 35%, SMV: -3, Acidity: 1.5, Yeast: Kyokai

Of all the sakes produced at Dassai Blue, the 35 was the first to be made with all Arkansas rice. Miura of Dassai Blue says of all of their sakes, “Type 35 has the best balance of aroma and flavor, making it easy to consistently produce great tasting sake. That is why we started using American rice with 35 at first.” What impresses me about this sake is that it retains the Dassai-ness of Dassai Japan. Get aromas of melon, rice, banana, and cucumber. Upon first pour, the freshness is apparent, with a slight effervescent texture. The flavor gives us BGE (Big Ginjo Energy) full of fuji apples. Enjoy a complex but clean finish. Have chilled in a wine glass. This sake goes well with shellfish like shrimp as it will enhance the umami of the seafood. My favorite pairing was a simple salad of little gems, carrots, and cucumbers with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and a drizzle of yuzu vinaigrette. The salad pairing brings out the freshness of the sake and green lettuce.

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