Wednesday Lessons #15: Sake 101 According to Andrew Lamb of Highwater Sake

Wednesday Lessons #15: Sake 101 According to Andrew Lamb of Highwater Sake

SAKE 1

YUKI OTOKO Honjozo Niigata

Bottle (720ml): $21 ($26)

Rice: Gohyakumangoku (local), Koshi Ibuki (local) Polishing: 65% Water: Soft (well) Yeast: unspecified

Honjozo are typically light bodied (think NF milk), easy drinking. versatile with temperature, more durable, and more aromatic, than their junmai equivalent.

Yuki Otoko is the drier, crisper line of sake produced by Aoki Shuzo, founded and located in Minamiuonuma, Niigata.

HONJOZO Criteria: Rice: Santou grade or better Polishing: 70% or more Koji content: 15-99% Permitted ingredients: rice, water, koji, yeast, lactic acid, distilled alcohol (as 100% alc), up to 10% of rice weight, before pressing; after pressing: CO2, water

SAKE 2

YUKI OTOKO Junmai Niigata

Bottle (720ml): $26 ($31) Rice: Miyamanishiki (local) Polishing: 55% Water: Soft (well) Yeast: unspecified

Junmai are typically medium to full in body (think 2% to whole milk), rich in savory/ricey/umami flavors, versatile with temperature, brewed for palate intensity rather than aromatic intensity, and occasionally with a coarse (not smooth) texture in the mouth.

For the Yuki Otoko line, their junmai is the brand flagship and also available in 180ml cup format.

JUNMAI Criteria: As with honjozo, plus: Polishing: unspecified (1-100%) Permitted Ingredients: before pressing: yeast, lactic acid; after pressing: CO2, water

SAKE 3

AKABU Junmai Ginjo Iwate Bottle (720ml): $40 ($45) Rice: Gin Ginga (local) Polishing: 50% Water: Soft (well) Yeast: Iwate Kobo

All else equal, junmai ginjo and ginjo (JG/G) sake are typically more refined, delicate, smooth, and aromatic than junmai or honjozo, with a lower acidity and more subtle umami. Alcohol-added ginjo are lighter-bodied and often more aromatic than their junmai ginjo equivalents.

Akabu is brewed in Iwate by a very young team, who completely rebuilt the brewery following the 2012 Tohoku earthquake. They have received numerous awards for their sake in recent years.

JUNMAI GINJO Criteria: As with junmai, plus: Polishing: 60% or more Other: "flavor and aroma particular to ginjo-zukuri", & "particularly good color and clarity," are also implied in a sake labeled ginjo.

GINJO: As above, but alcohol is added per honjozo specifications.

SAKE 4

AKABU Junmai Daiginjo Iwate Bottle (720ml): $73 ($83) Rice: Gin Ginga (local) Polishing: 40% Water: Soft (well) Yeast: Iwate Kobol [?: Kobo]

All else equal, junmai daiginjo and daiginjo (JDG/DG) sake are typically even more refined, delicate, and smooth than JG/G. A well-made JDG/DG is the height of the brewer's craft, with a perfect balance of umami, sweet, sour, umami, and mineral. Rather than having any particular characteristics, JDG/ DG exemplifies the absence of imperfection, and should be perfectly synchronous/harmonious (according to its maker) while demonstrating personality, flavor intensity, and complexity. Examples of asynchronous character would include a lack of acidity, an alcoholic bite, or a lack of umami.

JUNMAI DAIGINJO Criteria: As with junmai ginjo, plus: Polishing: 50% or more

DAIGINJO: As with junmai ginjo, but alcohol is permitted according to honjozo specifications.

SAKE 5

RIHAKU Tokubetsu Junmai "Dreamy Clouds," Shimane Bottle (720ml): $29 ($34) Rice: Gohyakumangoku Polishing: 59% Water: Medium (city) Yeast: Kyokai Kobo #9

Nigori is cloudy sake, made opaque by the inclusion of sake lees: the rice solids leftover from brewing. There are no rules for the amount, thickness, or opacity, and the grade of the nigori must represent the grade of the sake it was made with. Texture and consistently vary widely: nigori can be as thick as coconut milk, or as thin as clear sake, with only a light haze. It can be coarse, chalky, smooth like custard, or pulpy like coconut water (with the pulp).

Rihaku is brewed in Shimane prefecture, the mythological origin of sake. They are famous for a dry, herbal, mineral style.

NIGORI: Nigori grade depends on the sake used. Consistency, style, and texture vary widely.

TOKUBETSU: Lit. "special." Made with sake- specific rice, 60% or more polishing, or a special brewing characteristic. Can be junmai or honjozo.

SUNFLOWER SAKE

Sunflower Sake is a retail shop, tasting room, and educational center in Portland, Oregon, focusing on craft sake from around the world. Sunflower ships year-round and is available for private classes and events. Thank you so much for joining us tonight!

Andy: @highwatersake / @sunflowersake F&B/Hospitality discount 10%: advise at register RR code [?: QR code]: 2154 $5-10 off class bottles

Printed on the sheet as #15; sequenced here by date.