Product Information:
Oka Kura Bermutto is a uniquely Japanese take on the category of vermouth made from aromatised, shochu-fortified sake. Technically it's not a vermouth because it is not wine-based, but it works in cocktails as a vermouth should—as a botanically-infusing, low ABV modifier— that bridges a gap between sake, shochu, and vermouth.
Oka Kura Bermutto is essentially a dry vermouth. There are four botanicals used in the production of Oka Kura: Yuzu, Kabosu, Sansho peppercorn, and Yomogi. Yuzu is an acidic aromatic citrus as acidic as a lemon with a flavour that's reminiscent to lemon, grapefruit, and Mandarin orange. Kabosu is a very high-acid citrus profile and flavour similar to yuzu and lime. Sansho peppercorn is a peppery and slightly citrusy peppercorn that's relative Sichuan peppercorn only it produces are milder, numbing sensation on the palate. Lastly there's Yomogi – A Japanese wormwood, also known as Japanese mugwort.
FYI: Bermutto is a Japanese phonetic spelling of vermouth. The Japanese language has no “v” sound, so the v's in foreign words are written and pronounced with “b” instead.
Maker:
Founded by Yuno Hayashi and named for her grandfather, OKA BRAND offers a growing range of distinctly Japanese spirits and liqueurs made from local rice spirits, Junmai sake, and hyper-regional botanicals. Each expression provides not only endless drinking possibilities, but a gateway to Japanese flavors and traditions.
Distillery:
OKA BRAND spirits and liqueurs are produced by the legendary Tsutsumi Distillery in the Kumamoto Prefecture in Kyushu, Japan. Tsutsumi has been producing shochu for nearly 150 years in the Hitoyoshi Basin just 5 km from the Kuma River, the longest river in Kyushu. It is one of only 28 distilleries certified by the World Trade Organization as a Kuma Shochu producer, a designation similar to the protected designations of origin of Scotch, tequila, and Cognac. The Kuma River is renowned for its reputation as the clearest stream in Japan, lending itself to crafting fine sake and shochu, all from rice grown within the Kuma River system.
Influenced by the fortified, aromatised wine producers of Europe while drawing on Japanese tradition, OKA BRAND took the cocktail world by storm with the introduction of their flagship expression, Bermutto. A yuzu liqueur and sweet, ume-based formulation of Bermutto followed, and now with the introduction of rice-based vodkas and gin, OKA offers an even wider range of exceptional products for use in cocktails by the world’s most discerning bartenders and mixologists.
Nose - Yeast, Tropical Fruits, Lavendar
The nose is fruity and yeasty with notes of grapefruit, peach, guava, lavender, and plum.
Palate - Rice, Faint Plum, Piquant Peppers
On the palate, the sake base is immediately evident with base notes of rice, yeast, and faint plum. Yuzu and sansho peppercorn brighten things up.
Finish - Yuzu, Grapefruit, Pleasant Bitters
An undercurrent of yomogi provides earthy grapefruit from beginning to end.
Altogether, Oka Kura is reminiscent of a grapefruit shochu highball, layered with herbal complexity and a slightly bitter finish. It pours a faint yellow, with some sediment left over from sake filtration, and leans toward the weight and profile of a dry vermouth—albeit with notes of yuzu, grapefruit, green apple, pear and peach. With its heavy citrus backbone, Oka Kura plays well in a White Negroni or a Bronx and complements the flavor profiles of Japanese gins in a 50/50 Martini. - Punch.
The Finer Details
Style - Sake
Country - Japan
Bottle Size - 720ml
ABV - 18%
