Wednesday Lessons #30: Seasonality
WEDNESDAY LESSONS #30: SEASONALITY 3/20/2024
SAKE 1
RIHAKU Dreamy Clouds Namazake Bottle (720ml): $37
Shimane, Japan Rice: Gohyakumangoku Polishing: 59% Yeast: #901, SMV: +3, ABV 15% Unpasteurized
The Rihaku brewery was founded in 1882 in the town of Matsue in Shimane prefecture. The skill of its master brewers has enabled Rihaku to win gold medals for several years in a row. For some backstory, Rihaku (Chinese name Li Po), a brilliant and fruitful poet born in China in the 8th century, resided for years at the Emperor’s Court before falling from grace and wandering from inn to inn. He then explored the euphoria that comes with intoxication: “I drink a bottle and write a hundred poems,” he liked to say. He died at sixty-one years of age, drowned, according to legend, trying to embrace the reflection of the moon on the water. Shimane, known for its low population and abundance of natural resources. Their 5th generation president, Tanaka, also presides as toji brewer and is constantly researching new types of rice and yeast for sake. This Dreamy Clouds seasonal nama release is new to the US as of 2024.
SAKE 2-3
SHICHIDA Junmai Ginjo vs. JG Nama Bottle (720ml) $57
Saga, Japan Rice: Yamadanishiki, Saga no Hana Polishing: 55% Yeast: Proprietary (#10 relative) SMV: 0, ABV: 16% Unpasteurized vs. Single
Tenzan began as a water mill in 1861, producing flour and soba noodles and rice polishing services for neighboring sake breweries. In 1875, a neighboring sake brewery going out of business begged Tenzan to not only buy out their sake equipment but the brewery itself. Not being able to turn their neighbors down, Tenzan bought the entire business and thus Tenzan’s own sake business began. In 1959 they closed their water mill to focus solely on their sake brewing business. Today, Tenzan is led by the 6th generation of the Shichida family, and they continue to brew sake in Oji City, known as the land of good water and fireflies, and sell sake, shochu, and liqueur. The president is close friends with Portland Sake Samurai Marcus Pakiser, and his daughter attended university in Seattle!
SAKE 4
FUKUCHO Junmai Ginjo “Seaside” Bottle (500ml) $30
Hiroshima, Japan Rice: Hattanso, Nakate Shinsenbon Polishing: 60-70% Yeast: Hiroshima; Koji: mix ABV: 13%, Genshu Single pasteurization
“Try a hundred things, make a thousand improvements.” Imada Brewing Company lives by these words said by Senzaburo Miura, a local legend who invented the “soft water brewing method” now known as ginjo brewing. The town of Akitsu, where Fukucho sake is born, is a port on the quiet Seto Inland Sea with a view of the Seto’s many islands stretching out to the horizon. It has been a sake brewing center for centuries, with the many rice storehouses of the Edo period (1603-1868) Hiroshima lords serving local breweries. Imada Shuzo stands just next to Mitsu bay, where fishing boats plying the inland sea unload fresh bream, octopus, mackerel, and other seafood all year round. This area is famed for some of the Seto’s cleanest waters, making it an ideal oyster producer, as well. The mild climate and gentle, bountiful seas of Akitsu have been at the heart of the flavor that Fukucho sake brings. Fukucho is a tiny team of 4 brewers led by President and toji Miho Imada, who was also featured in our Women Toji Weds Lessons.
SAKE 5
DENSHIN Junmai Hiyaoroshi Bottle (720ml): $34
Kyoto, Japan Rice: Koshinoshizuku (Fukui) Polishing: 70% Yeast: proprietary ABV: 17% Single pasteurization
From the Ippongi Shuzo website, Denshin’s brand vision deeply seasonal: “Spring, summer, autumn, winter. The season of white is over, and light green and cherry blossoms are budding in the satoyama, the land that lies between hills and fields. The verdant rice paddies turn golden, and the reddish- orange of the trees burn out, Once again, the season of white silence. It transcends language and culture: a Japanese landscape that sinks deeply into people’s senses. The rich soil that nurtures Oku- Echizen, our land in Fukui. The ears of rice plants rustling in the autumn breeze. Snow falling in the satoyama, which is used as water for brewing sake. The “interesting” air that surrounds the brewery in the harsh winter. Denshin uses the colors, aromas, sounds, tastes, and textures of the climate and seasons as motifs, brewing sake that resonates with the scenery and appeals to all five senses.”
SAKE 6- BONUS
AKISHIKA Junmai Ginjo Hiyaoroshi 2023 NFS (Suitcase)
Osaka, Japan Rice: Yamadanishiki (organic) Polishing: 70% Yeast: #7, ABV: 18% Starter: sokujo Single pasteurization
Most sake brewers buy their rice – some from contracted farmers, most from unknown sources. “From our own fields to bottle” is the motto of Akishika Shuzō, where 6th- generation kuramoto Oku Hiroaki made a decision to take the brewery as close as possible to being self- sustained for rice production. At present, the brewery farms 25 hectares of biodynamically grown rice, sacrificing high yields for superior quality and taste. Breaking with the production methods of postwar Japan and going against the trend of the time, Oku-san was one of the initial pioneers of junmaishu, sake made without any additives; and in 2009, he achieved the goal of the brewery’s entire production being made that way. Akishika ages a big part of their production until it reaches perfect drinking condition, allowing them to offer an unrivaled variety of matured sake. Using their unique fermentation method of dissolving a very high portion of the fermentation rice into the brew while maintaining low amino acid levels, Akishika’s sake is medium-bodied yet very flavorful, complex, and layered.
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 offers affordable, biweekly Wednesday sake classes. Thank you so much for joining us tonight!
New Sake 新酒 Hatsushibori 初しぼり Shiboritate しぼりたて・新酒 Risshun Asashibori 立春朝搾り Usunigori うすにごり Peach-colored nigori sake 桃色にごり酒 Natsuzake 夏酒 Hiyaroroshi ひやおろし, Akiagari
PAGE 2
"Hatsu Shibori", "Shiboritate", "Risshun Asashibori". Hatsu Shibori refers to sake made from rice harvested in the fall and pressed for the first time. Shiboritate Shinshu "Shiboritate" (new sake) is not pasteur- ized and not watered down. Risshun Asashibori "Limited time only Shiboritate Shinzake" pressed and bottled early in the morning on February 4th. Light nigori, full of flavor, cloudy and reminiscent of snow Pink-colored sake with a low alcohol content of around 10 A term created in recent years, there is no fixed definition for sake made for summer. Sake that is ready to be sold when the outside air reaches the same temperature as hiya (room temperature). Typically namachozo: single pasteurized, matured afterward.
SPRING SUMMER FALL WINTER
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 春 夏 秋
Shiboritate Usunigori Pink nigori Sparkling Hatsushibori Shiboritate Natsuzake Hiyaoroshi Kanoroshi [?: Kanzake] Usunigori
odekonone.com
Spring: Hinamatsuri: amazake, peach blossom viewing Hanamizake: cherry blossom viewing Styles: Shiboritate, usunigori, pink nigari [?: nigori], muku no sake (lightly matured nama)
Summer: Hoshimizake: star viewing sake Tanabata & Hatsunomikiri: barrel selection, shrine praying, shrine pilgrimages Umeshu making (June) BY (Brewing Year) end/start on 6/31-7/1 Styles: Summer namazake, summer single pas- teurized, low alcohol, sparkling, iced, fruity, dry, mizorezake (frozen slushy)
Fall: Tsukimizake (Sept): moon viewing sake Kikuzake (Sept): Chrysanthemum sake Momijizake: autumn leaves viewing sake Nihonshu no Hi: World Sake Day (10/1) and the official start of the Kanzukuri brewing season Sugidama hanging: first batch pressed Styles: Hiyaoroshi, akiagari, hatsushibori, live nigori, doburoku (Shinto harvest festivals), mizu- moto, Hatsushibori, kanzake
Winter: Yukimizake: snow viewing sake Shogatsu, toso: New years celebration sake, herb infused sake/mirin/shochu Styles: Shiboritate, Hatsushibori, Risshun asashi- bori, usunigori, umeshu (February), kanzake
Printed on the sheet as #30; sequenced here by date.
