Shirayuki Genroku Redux is history in a bottle. It was crafted using an old family recipe from 1702 in Japan's Edo Period. This is how sake was made before the invention of stainless-steel tanks, temperature control and modern technology. The Yamada Nishiki rice (considered the king of sake rice) is polished by hand using a waterwheel-driven grindstone. Using this old method, it's hard to mill away much of the rice grain. In this case, a polishing ratio of 88% is achieved, meaning that only 12% of each grain has been whittled away. This leaves lots of the rice protein behind, creating a robust, umami and gamey style. It was fermented using natural yeasts and lactic acid bacilli lurking in the wooden barrels, causing a rich, dark colour and a thicker viscosity than most sake. Back in 1702, Japan was rather isolated from the rest of the world, so sugar was hard to come by. Therefore, the people had to look for sweetness elsewhere, and the style of sake that evolved during that period was notably sweet. Shirayuki Genroku Redux 1702 is a masterpiece and a glimpse into sake's long history. The incredibly rich, deep and amber coloured liquid has an almost Madeira-like character to it, with notes of raisin, prune, dark chocolate, coffee bean, soy sauce, caramel, fig rolls, dried herbs, burnt orange peel, liquorice and dried flowers. With that combination of sweet and savoury, this divisive brew is not for the faint hearted. We consider it the Marmite of the sake world, which is why we sell it only in the 180ml bottles, so you can experiment and discover whether you fall into the"love it"or the"hate it"camp. Sip it chilled, on the rocks, warmed or at room temperature. Enjoy it straight up on its own, pair it with rich and umami dishes (think stews, game, pâté, wild mushrooms, Dandan noodles or anything made with lashings of soy, barbeque or XO sauce), or serve it alongside nuts, dried fruit, cheese and dark chocolate at the end of a meal. Konishi Shuzo was founded in 1550 and today it is the oldest sake brewery to still be owned and managed by thesame family. This historic producer can be found in Hyogo prefecture, to the west of Osaka and Kyoto. This populous region is sandwiched by the sea and bustling ports, and it's famed for its Kobe beef and Matsuba crab. As a result, the Konishi family's sakes - of which Shirayuki is the flagship brand - pair well with a wide variety of different foods.£6.11 per 100.00ml