Time Machine is made with methods recorded in 1712. In those days before sake was mass produced, brewing took much longer for much smaller yields. Typical modern fermentations last about three weeks: Time Machine bubbles away for close to twice as long. Even before the main fermentation, it takes a month just to make the yeast starter relying on the native yeasts living in our brewery. Modern koji is made in a 45-hour cycle: we work to the historical 72-hour protocol. The result is a sweet but strangely moreish sake.
From day one, it is clearly different from conventional sake. Normal sake is almost colourless when pressed, but Time Machine has a rich amber colour which would take five-to-ten years for normal sake to reach. From this extreme starting point, the “Reserved” version is matured for several years at room temperature. Along with the colour, the aged version welcomes notes of dried fruits, caramel and soy sauce into a complex new harmony. From appearance to methodology, this is the most extreme of sakes, but it is unexpectedly user-friendly, performing delightfully but with varying nuances at a huge range of temperatures and with a huge variety of food choices.
