NV Oka Japanese Bermutto Blanc Rice Wine, Kumamoto, Japan

Sake producers have a long history of adding botanicals to their products, much like wines such as vermouth and quinquina have been aromatized. Oka Kura fortifies with shochu, just as vermouths are fortified. Bermutto uses yomogi, a Japanese mugwort, as its primary bittering agent in addition to the Japanese citrus fruits yuzu and kabosu, and sansho peppercorn, a citrusy peppercorn which produces a mouth-numbing effect.