Tengu no Doburoku Mountain Warrior Doburoku (BTL 720ml)

On the label is a kame (pot) in which doburoku used to be made, and the face of a tengu (a demon from Japanese folklore) who was said to jump with joy when drinking doburoku. Koyama Honke is located in Saitama, and Ryuta Nakashima of the brewery tells us that it has access to four wells that provide water for sake-making. Coupled with the use of domestic rice, this doburoku exhibits the sweetness and texture of soy milk, and has a slight bitter finish of sake kasu. Try making a Doburoku Sour by mixing 100ml of doburoku and 150ml of soda water over ice for a hot weather refresher. Taking a page from Nakashima-san, I paired this doburoku chilled with mapo tofu (Fuschia Dunlop’s recipe!) and it was one of the most satisfying pairings I’ve had in recent memory.

Doburoku is considered one of the oldest styles of sake. It is a simpler style of fermentation where there is not the usual three-step addition of rice, koji, and water (sandan jikomi) to the starter. The result is a very thick brew, thicker than nigori, and lower in alcohol than your typical sake. Nakashima explains, “Doburoku has a long history, dating back to rice cultivation in the Yayoi period. From the Edo period to the Meiji period, doburoku was loved by Japanese people, as handcrafted doburoku was made in private homes and farms, and used to celebrate the rice harvest and for rituals at shrines. However, in 1899, home brewing was prohibited under the Liquor Tax Law, and once doburoku brewing declined, it disappeared from the public eye.” One way the government defined home brewing was to require fine-filtered pressing when making sake. Therefore, even the nigori that you see with a cloudy texture has actually been passed through a filter. 

Nakashima-san demystifies why we are seeing more doburoku on the market, “More than 100 years after its abolishment in 1899, Doburoku Special Zones were created in 2002. Scattered throughout Japan, these zones are authorized to make doburoku, and farmers who primarily grow rice which is the raw material for doburoku, started making it again.” These DSZs were created to help breathe life back into local agriculture and small farms. 

Nakashima-san describes doburoku as, “a nostalgic sake that your grandparents used to make in the countryside once upon a time. It reminds you of the old days.” Because none of the ingredients are wasted in the pressing and filtration, the sake is thick and sweet. However, it may surprise you that some of these doburokus have quite a clean finish. If you prefer a more refreshing style of enjoying this sake, make a Doburoku Sour by pouring equal parts soda water and doburoku over a tall highball glass of ice. When I lived in Japan, I couldn’t get enough of these during the summer!

The sweet and sometimes tart characteristic of doburoku opens up more unusual doors for food pairing than your usual clear, refined sakes. Nakashima-san suggests trying doburoku with spicy dishes like Mapo Tofu, while Jin suggests having it with a simple bowl of fruit.

Features

• Brewed in Saitama, Japan by Koyama Honke Shuzo
• Style: Doburoku
• Seimaibuai (rice kernel remaining): N/A
• ABV: N/A, SMV: N/A, Acidity: N/A
  
• 24 fl oz (720ml)