@supportsake Natsuzake Flight
@supportsake NATSUZAKE FLIGHT
Natsuzake, the compounded form of natsu 夏 (summer) & sake 酒 is a modern invention dating from only 2007. It was devised as a marketing initiative to help sake during its lowest-performing months. While other seasonal sake arises from kanzukuri, the ~400 year old tradition of Winter brewing, natsuzake is entirely by design. This gives brewers the freedom to interpret natsuzake however they please. Fruity and juicy, light and astringent, spritzy and cloudy... sometimes frozen to a slush (mizorezake), on the rocks, highball, or even warmed: natsukan (summer hot)!
1. HARADA “80” Junmai / Yamaguchi ($36/ 720ml) Rice: local Yamadanishiki Polishing: 80%, ABV: 15%, SMV: 3, #601 Recommended: ice, chilled, room, warm Storage: cool/dark, enjoy within 12 mo.
Summery notes of peach rings, mango, cherry pit, vanilla, creme brulee, nutmeg, and full, rich rice umami, harken to a really good peach iced tea on a hot day. Their motto is “Brewing sake for every season, for everyone: Japan’s sake is a gift of nature and all its subtle shifts. It reflects the changing of the seasons, and tastes like the moment of its creation.” Nothing nicer than cool Harada on a moody Summer evening.
2. HANEYA “KIRABI” Junmai Nama / Chiba ($41/ 720ml) Rice: local Gohyakumangoku Polishing: 60%, ABV: 14%, SMV: 5, #1401 Recommended: chilled, warm Storage: refrigerator, enjoy within 6 mo.
Haneya is the flagship brand and uses competition sake-- the best-- as the inspiration for all of its products, including this junmai ginjo nama. Using only the middle (naka) fraction of the pressing, and always sourcing high quality Toyama rice, Haneya’s sake brewing process is extremely time consuming. This gem of an unpasteurized nama-sake is pressed in early Spring to be enjoyed in the heat, reminiscent of a vanilla-melon cream soda.
3. KID “NATSU NO SHIPPOU” Junmai Ginjo Nama / Wakayama ($38/ 720ml) Rice: Gohyakumangoku Polishing: 50-55%, ABV: 15%, SMV: 4 Yeast: #901, 10, 14, 1801 (blend) Recommended: chilled Storage: refrigerator, enjoy within 6 mo.
“Natsu no Shippu” means summer’s strong wind, and KID is- as usual- on point with this bright and refreshing seasonal release. This year has a little more sweetness at first, and a crisp astringency on the finish which reads dry. The sake is made with a blend of 4 yeasts to achieve the perfect balance of aroma and body.
