Created in 2019 by the former Chef de Cave of Dom Pérignon, Richard Geoffroy, the 4th Assemblage of IWA 5 was recently released on the Singapore market. The sake has been produced at Shiraiwa, the permanent home of IWA 5. Shiraiwa, meaning “white rock,” is located at the foothills of Tateyama in the Toyama Prefecture (a five-hour drive from Tokyo).
– Featured image credit: Konstantino Blokbergen –

Designed by renowned architect Kengo Kuma, this state-of-the-art brewery is home to each assemblage produced by Richard Geoffroy. The sake is created by blending three different rice varieties (Yamada Nishiki, Gohyakumangoku, and Omachi) with five classes of yeast.
Why IWA 5? “Iwa” means rock and “5” represents the universal number of balance and harmony – a symbol of union and quintessence, which is what this sake aims to embody.
Tasting Notes
Enjoy peach, hazelnut, and floral aromas with elegant viscosity and layered depth. Rounded and lush on the palate, the finish is clean and elegant, making for an easy sip. The Assemblage 4 pairs well with our Chinese meal, particularly complementing the dumplings in chili oil.


Do feel free to enjoy the sake now. However, Richard intends for it to be aged, allowing for evolution and refinement to occur in the bottle. The team at IWA 5 is still determining the exact peak aging period and anticipating the sake’s ongoing transformation.
A recent tasting of the four assemblages gave IWA 5’s customers a chance to experience the evolution of time, so feel free to keep some bottles in your cellar. Assemblage 4 is aged for 18 months before release.

With its sleek matte black bottle designed by Australian industrial designer Marc Newson and a stylish logo created by Japanese graphic designer Hidekei Nakajima and calligrapher Mariko Kinoshita, IWA 5 has become a common sight on dining tables.