The Ota family founded their sake brewery in 1847, and have been committed ever since to the philosophy of local production and consumption. Their sakes are named after their famous ancestor, Samurai warrior, poet, and monk Dokan Ota, and are made with organic rice from the familys own farm in Kusatsu City. This plum sake (umeshu) is made by infusing one year old sake with green ume fruit from Wakayama and Fukui prefectures along with a small amount of korizato rock sugar. (Native originally to China, more than 350 distinct varieties of Prunus Mume are now cultivated in Japan. Although ume is often referred to as a plum, it is actually more closely related to the apricot, and has much more acidity, lending it its characteristic tangy, complex flavor.) After a six month long maceration process, the sake is bottle-aged until release. Subtly yet simultaneously sweet, tart, and complex, with delicate marzipan notes on the finish.