Aiyama is a Hyogo prefecture rice, chiefly cultivated north of the Rokko Mountains. Since its development in the 1940s, brewers have enjoyed working with this slightly challenging strain. The “shimpaku” (starchy white core) is very large, which leads to challenges in polishing, and it dissolves quickly in the brewing process, requiring a steady hand and a skilled eye. The payoff? It can produce a sake with rich depth and a little more sweetness than Omachi rice.