Ryujin - Dragon God 'Oze x Rose' Junmai Daiginjo Sake, Japan

Wild strawberry and red berry aromas meet a vivid sweet-tart profile in a naturally rose-colored sake with remarkable freshness. Ryujin - Dragon God 'Oze x Rose' Junmai Daiginjo Sake achieves its distinctive color without fruit or coloring agents, relying instead on an unusually delicate red yeast that is exceptionally challenging to manage during fermentation. Polished to Junmai Daiginjo standards and brewed under Ryujin Shuzo’s exacting production team, it turns a demanding technical process into a playful yet finely balanced expression of sake.

Product Details:

• Representative: Isao Kezuka
• Production Director / Toji: Hideki Horikoshi
• Toji: Hideyuki Endo
• Style: Junmai Daiginjo Genshu Rosé
• Rice-Polishing Ratio: 50%
• Yeast: Red yeast
• Color: Naturally rose-colored through red yeast fermentation, with no added coloring
• Sake Meter Value: -33
• Acidity: 3.3
• ABV: 12%
• Storage: Keep refrigerated

Sensory Description:

Wild strawberry and fresh red berries define the aromatic profile, joined by a delicate suggestion of melon and bright red fruit. The palate balances gentle sweetness against unusually vivid acidity, creating an energetic sweet-tart tension that keeps its fruit character fresh rather than heavy. At 12% alcohol, the texture remains light and fluid, while the high acidity defines the finish. Strawberry, tart red fruit, and a subtle rice-derived softness linger with a refreshing, clean persistence.

Producer’s Background:

Ryujin Shuzo is a historic brewery in Tatebayashi whose principal sake ranges include Ryujin and Oze no Yukidoke. Brewing is led by Production Director and Toji Hideki Horikoshi alongside Toji Hideyuki Endo, with the brewery maintaining an unusual two-Toji production structure. Ryujin places particular emphasis on handwork, careful koji production, low-temperature fermentation, and the exceptionally soft underground water available to the brewery. That soft water is central to a house style built around aromatic clarity, rice flavor, and a light, graceful finish. Oze x Rosé, known domestically as Roze no Yukidoke, pushes that philosophy in an unconventional direction. Its delicate red yeast naturally creates the sake’s rose color while presenting substantial fermentation challenges, requiring close control to achieve the balance of fruit, sweetness, and vivid acidity that defines the finished sake.

Serving Suggestions:

Serve well chilled at approximately 5 to 8°C in a clear wine glass to showcase both its naturally rose color and strawberry-led aromatics. Enjoy as an aperitif or alongside rich sushi, tuna, salmon, foie gras, creamy or soft-ripened cheeses, charcuterie, lightly spicy dishes, and strawberry-based desserts. Its combination of sweetness and high acidity also makes it particularly effective with salty, fatty, or gently spicy foods. Keep refrigerated before and after opening to preserve its delicate color and fresh fruit character.