Wednesday Lessons: Kanzake
1. Eiko Fuji ‘Honkara’ Honjozo [$17 w/ class credit ($22)- 3 bottles available] - Yamagata Prefecture: known for its floral, ginjo sake - Karakuchi dry style (+10 SMV) with Haenuki (Yamagata table rice) polished to 60%, #10 (Ginjo) yeast, with alcohol added (Honjozo)
If you enjoyed this, you may also like… - Suigei Tokubetsu Junmai “Drunken Whale” $25 ($30) - junmai/dry - Takatenjin Tokubetsu Honjozo “Sword of the Sun” $24 ($29) - very similar - Akitabare Shunsetsu Nama Honjozo “Spring Snow” $25 ($20) - nama
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2. Taisetsu Himuro Junmai Ginjo [$26 w/ class credit ($31)- 3 bottles available] - Hokkaido Prefecture: hard local Ginpu rice, long winter, soft water from underground Source of Chubetsu R. (Mt. Taisetsu) & ice (himuro aging 100 days) - Ginpu table rice ($$, regionality) polished to 45% (technically junmai daiginjo) - Won Gold in a 2013 kanzake competition, junmai ginjo category
If you enjoyed this, you may also like… - Hakkaisan “Yukimuro” Junmai Daiginjo, $71 ($76) - aged 3 years in snow cave - Tedorigawa “Kinka” Daiginjo Nama, $38 ($43) - seasonally available
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3. Kokken Junmai Yamahai [$39 w/ class credit ($44)- 4 bottles available] - Fukushima Prefecture: highly varied terrain, 8 year gold award streak, robust Prefectural research programs - Southern Aizu mountains (60% consumed locally) - Aged 3 years, Yamahai starter method, Utsukushima Yume Kobo & Yume no Kaori rice (dream team), polished 60%
If you enjoyed this, you may also like… - Tengumai Yamahai Junmai- $25 ($30) - brothy, rich, brown sugar - Tamagawa Junmai “Heart of Oak” 2017 $23 ($28) - drier, more feral/earthy - Manatsuru Tokubetsu Junmai Yamahai MG “Mana 1751” $32 ($37) - stronger
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Optional add-ons: specialty styles 1. Choryo Junmai Yamahai Taruzake: $5 [$30 w/ class credit ($35)] 2. Heiwa Shuzo KID Umeshu: $4 [$27 w/ class credit ($32)]
Full bottles $5 off with tasting / half bottles $2.50 off/ one-cups $1 off / total discount = up to ticket price ❤
Terminology: Junmai: pure rice Muroka: unfined Genshu: undiluted Ginjo: 60% or less of the rice remaining Daiginjo: 50% or less of the rice remaining Honjozo: distilled alcohol added (up to 10% of the weight of rice used) to affect flavor, aroma, mouthfeel Yamahai: a warm brewing starter which lets ambient bacteria produce lactic acid for the mash Kimoto: a cool brewing starter (“pureed”) which lets ambient bacteria produce lactic acid for the mash Karakuchi: dry Taruzake: sake matured in/flavored by sugi (cedar) Umeshu: sake matured with/flavored by ume (plums/apricots)
| Japanese name | English name | Temperature | | :-: | :-: | :-: | | Tobikirikan | Very hot sake | 55C / 135F | | Atsukan | Hot sake | 50C / 122F | | Jokan | Slightly hot sake | 45C / 113F | | Nurukan | Warm sake | 40C / 104F | | Hitohadakan | Body temperature | 35C / 95F | | Hinatakan | Sunbathing temperature | 30C / 86F | | Jo-on | Room temperature | 20C / 68F | | Suzuhie | Autumn breeze temperature | 15C / 59F | | Hanahie | Spring flowers temperature | 10C / 51F | | Yukihie | Winter snow temperature | 5C / 41F | | Mizore-zake | Sake slushie | -5C/ 23F |
