Hey! It's me Yusuke.
I wanted to start an introduction about the sake immediately, but thought that you couldn't understand it when you didn't have knowledge about basic Sake. Then at first I decided to begin a simple sake lecture because it was unkind.
This time, I'll lecture you about a kind of the Sake and the difference. The sake has surprisingly various kinds. There are various things such as the thing that only hot, sweets, expensive, cheap, thing of the mass production, several hundred a year are made.
 |
| In a certain liquor shop in Kesennuma, Miyagi. Various Sake is exhibited. I seem to be troubled which I should buy. |
Therefore the Sake to introduce in this blog is the thing which is not known to many people from different countries for production in small quantities mainly. Because I'm not so rich, the price chooses the basically reasonable thing.
 |
| It produces Sake of enormous kinds in one place of Sake brewery. We can sample it in Kunimare-brewery in Mashike, Hokkaido. At first which shall we drink? |
I mention it later about it in detail, but therefore it is slightly difficult for a tourist to buy it as a souvenir willingly.
However, a lot of things of the simple size that can drink it up in the middle of a trip can easily drink depending on the mind.
Moreover, the bars where the Sake which worked of the mind was put increased recently.
I'm glad when you get into the world of splendid Sake if there is an opportunity.
 |
| It is the simplest method to drink with a delicious dish in a bar. Let's drink sake with a nice person! |
Sake's attribute and technical terms
1, Futsu-shu and Tokutei-meisho-shu
The sake is greatly classified in two groups. The special designation Sake (特定名称酒 "Tokutei-meisho-shu") is liquor divided into one of eight groups to show in the following charts, and a thing belonging to none of the group adversely becomes the Ordinary Sake (普通酒 "Futsu-shu").
In addition, there is it that raw materials and the manufacturing method meet a constant standard as a definition of the special designation Sake. The traditional Sake is originally made with only rice and malted rice and water, but the additive which is some very small amounts in the present age when the technique advanced is used. There is division about the addition of the distilled alcohol closely soon, and it corresponds to the middle part and thelower part of the chart. On the contrary, the Sake which a distilled alchol is not added in at all is sorted by higher part of the chart Pure rice (純米 "Junmai").
Among charts, "Rice polishing ratio" (精米歩合, "Seimai-buai") show the ratio of part which the surface of rice is polished in it, and was left. It is polished so as to be low if a number is low. When the Sake is made, rice bran and the starch in the surface of rice are trimmed because it is a too many part becoming smart.
Junmai-shu (純米酒, Pure rice) and Honjozo-shu (本醸造酒, Genuine brew) 70%,
Junmai-ginjo-shu (純米吟醸酒, Pure rice, Special brew) and Ginjo-shu 60% (吟醸酒, Special brew), Junmai-daiginjo-shu (純米大吟醸酒, Pure rice, Very special brew) and Daiginjo-shu 50% (大吟醸酒, Very special brew). As for them, a thing less than each numerical value is established. The Sake having low percentage is strong in a fragrance, but naturally, as for the gross weight, those prices become expensive so that it is polished because they decrease.
 |
| I was able to sample it by the festival in Yamanokotobuki-brewery in Kurume, Fukuoka. The liquor which I can sample forms a line in order of Junmai-daiginjo, Junmai-ginjo, Junmai from the left. They don't have the difference except the rice cleaning rate, but the difference in taste is obvious. |
In addition, the particularly superior thing of Junmai-shu and Honjozo-shu can be attached a name of Tokubetsu-junmai-shu (特別純米酒, Special pure rice) and Tokubetsu-honjozo-shu (特別本醸造酒, Special genuine brew) with the intention of the manufacturer.
Without a problem, you may transcribe Daiginjo-shu into Honjozo-shu even if you attach it freely if you follow the above-mentioned rule. However, it becomes the fraud when liquor equal to Honjozo-shu is pretended to be Daiginjo-shu adversely. Furthermore, the use of Tokubetsu-junmai and Junmai-ginjo and Tokubetsu-honjozo and Ginjo where a definition does not have many differences is decided by personal judgment of the breweries.
In addition, there is the Sake seasoned by a large quantity of additives or sweeteners in the cheap sake which was in the paper pack. The Sake is called compound sake (合成酒 "Gose-shu") and doesn't belong to Futsu-shu because they don't meet the condition that is Sake either. Such a thing isn't swallowed up directly and is used as a secret ingredient when we make Japanese food mainly.
2, Distilled alcohol
Sugar cane is used for the raw materials of the distilled alcohol (醸造アルコール "Jozo alcohol") mainly.It fermented, and a distilled thing becomes the alcohol. As previously described, the attribute of the Sake changes in having its addition or not.In the case of cheap Sake, it is used for a dilution purpose. However, quantity that it is used for is very few at the Sake brewery with the policy. In that case, it is used for the purpose of tightening the taste.
However the Sake which the distilled alcohol is not used for because it's Junmai boom recently is more popular. I don't want to drink the liquor which the distilled alcohol was added in very much.
 |
| The local SakeBrewery gave a stand by the Chichibu nocturnal festival in Chichibu, Saitama. If anything, the human being who doesn't usually drink Sake very much tends to choose cheap Honjozo. A letter of Honjozo-Muroka-Nama-Genshu shakes on a hung label. |
3, Heat treatment
Sake is generally completed in a tank and a tree pail and it is squeezed and is done a bottle. Because yeast lives in the state that was just completed, it begins fermentation again when temperature rises, and bacteria deteriorating the Sake called the hiochi bacterium live in the Sake. It is usually heat-treated as twice to sterilize them, and to stabilize quality. In the case of common sake written in nothing, the processing has been already carried out. |
| Timings of the heat treatment are different, and the taste changes according to it each, too. |
I love them, and this blog is going to introduce it centrally. A unique fragrance and solid taste are left in it in that because it's never heated, and we can enjoy its good change because the yeast lives there. However, the safekeeping with the refrigerator becomes required because it is easy to deteriorate in a high temperature and sunlight weakly.
Namachozo (生貯蔵, Sake stocked raw) is a raw status and is saved in a tank, and only once is heat-treated when it is shipped. We can enjoy the unique matured fragrance because it's a raw state and is saved in a tank.
It's reverse to it, and, in Namazume (生詰, Sake bottled raw), heat treatment is considered to be it only once when liquor was completed, and it's shipped afterwards without being heat-treated. We can enjoy the Sake of the state of the fresh one after time passed because it was just made and is heat-treated.
 |
| This is the refrigeration showcase of Raifuku-brewery in Chikuse, Ibaraki. Namasake needs refrigerator preservation. It rots in a few days when neglected at normal temperature and becomes the vinegar. The important liquor will keep it carefully. |
4, Filtration
An ingredient precipitates the sake which was just made. I think that you don't understand that I don't explain a manufacturing method to you, but, please understand it when it's such a thing now. Therefore an upper transparent part is scooped, but a float or a pigment are mixed by all means.Filtration to remove them is filtered in a preservation purpose like heat treatment because it's easy to be corrupt when there are them in Sake. An activated carbon is used, and an extra ingredient and float, pigments adsorb it on this occasion. By the processing, it became hard to rot, and felt clear; taste it. It means that the sake written in nothing has been already filtered. The thing which is not filtered is written as Muroka (無濾過). In addition, the Sake which did a bottle in the state that left some cloudiness is called Origarami (おりがらみ).
 |
| This Sake is Takachiyo in Minami-uonuma, Niigata. This is Sake of Orrigarami. It is normal Sake visually, but, in fact, a white ingredient precipitates at the bottom. The taste is so thick. |
# Nigoriszake (にごり酒, Muddy sake)
In famous Nigorizake, an ingredient collecting below daringly is mixed, and a bottle is done Sake having cloudy.
 |
| This Sake is Sakagurano-toramazu in Maesawa, Iwate. This is a kind of Nigorizake called Doburoku. It is muddy like yogurt white so as to understand it at first glance. The taste is awfully thick. Its food feeling is not drink, but eating. |
5, Add water
Soon after having been completed, the sake is uneven in the alcohol percentage. The normal Sake is increased water to adjust to become around 14%. The thing which omitted this process is called Genshu (原酒 Undiluted). As a matter of course, the Genshu has many things having high alcohol percentage.
 |
| This Sake is Kikubunme in Tojo, Hiroshima. This Sake is alcohol frequency a little less than 20% in Genshu of no, adding water. It is recommended to drink such a Sake with a chaser like whiskey little by little in turn. |
6, Sokujo and Kimoto and Yamahai
This is still a story of the first person made with Sake. A lactic acid bacterium is added to the sake so that other various germs don't propagate at a production stage of the yeast called Shubo (酒母, The cause of the sake). It's called Sokujo (速醸, Fast brewing) then to add the lactic acid bacterium which has been already completed. The thing which nothing is written is it.Kimoto (生もと, Natural lactic acid) and Yamahai (山廃, Omitted yamaoroshi) are classic and traditional manufacturing processes. Naturally there was not the technique to keep a lactic acid bacterium for the old days, and a natural lactic acid bacterium inhabiting the wooden building waits to get and multiplies it. It's with the liquor which taste is very strong in because the yeast strongly grows up after time in the process. Sokujo takes ten days from one week, but the double time hangs over Kimoto and Yamahai.
 |
| This Sake is Yamamoto in Hachimori, Akita. This Sake is Yamahai, and sexy acidity adds an intonation to taste. The liquor of Yamahai has many that acidity and a sharp taste are strong, but this Sake insists on the sweetness there and gets overall balance. |
There is work to grind Shubo called Yamaoroshi (Yamaoroshi) in Kimoto. Saccharification of the starch of rice is promoted, and this work promotes fermentation.
However, this work was very severe while it was cold by hard labor to be performed in forgetting food and sleep.
The thing which omitted it is Yamahai (山廃、山卸廃止, omitted Yamaoroshi)
 |
| Now and the bygone days of Yamaoroshi. This great work was carried out in old days in Sake brewery of any place. |
7, Rice
The taste of the Sake varies according to a kind to be used of rice. Yamada-nishiki (山田錦), Omachi (雄町), Gohyakumangoku (五百万石) are popular, and they are so characteristic each. Yourself accept your preference of rice, and let's decide it!Some policies which rice use for Maine by a Sake brewery exist, but various rice is used impartially in one place of brewery. However some scenes that they mix it, and are used are irregular.
 |
| These Sake are Yamayu in Akita-city,Akita. Sake of two of them looks like the same thing, but, in fact, both are different things, and, as for the left thing, some labels do pinkness. The specifications except the use rice were the same, and these were things made with a concept to taste a difference of rice. As for the left thing, Kairyo-shinko is used, and, as for the right thing, Akita-sakekomachi is used. The left thing was the taste that I drank well, and sweetness and balance of the acidity did not get tired of. Conversely, I felt some right thing to be strong in acidity. |
8, Yeast
The taste varies according to the yeast which is added when it ferments. In the case of an wood and old building of Sake blewery, the natural yeast which settled down in the wooden building is in it. When it is a strange example, Flower yeast extracted from a flower is popular recently, and, as for the Sake which they were used for, there is a unique gorgeous flavor. | |
| This Sake is Amabuki in Miyaki, Saga. As for this liquor, yeast extracted from the gillyflower is used. I want to imagine it when I hear it with flower yeast when a fragrance will be very good, but do not right betray the expectation. A gorgeous fragrance to hark back to a banana gets wide to my nasal cavity. |
Finally, I explain a season. It begins to be generally made with the Sake in late fall and is completed at the end of the year. The Sake which was just completed is called Shinshu (新酒 New Sake) then. It is the taste that various taste fights and are complicated, and is interesting.
Then time goes by for a while, and the taste calms down when it is made to mature a little until spring and summer. The difference is remarkable in the Namasake drink in particular.
 |
| This is Hachinohe brewery in Hachinohe, Aomori here. Shinshu being shipped and cedar ball which can hang at the entrance for the same period are renovated. It is the signal that Shinshu was completed. Made cedar ball is bright green and becomes gradually brown whenever time passes. |
Viewpoint of the label
By the way, let's really watch a label of the Sake if you understand the meaning of words. There is the thing which is hardly displayed by the intention of the brewery if there is the thing listed like the following images finely.However, the commentary about each numerical value lists below me in a label first because the numerical value that I have not yet explained to you is written.
1, Alcohol content
As can be seen, this shows the alcohol frequency of the Sake. The explanation to you about it will be unnecessary.2, Sake meter (日本酒度, "Nihonshu-do")
This is numerical value of the specific gravity of the Sake and the pure water.In the case of the measurement, the measure called the Sake degree meter is used. When numerical value rises, the specific gravity of the sake is light and gets heavy when numerical value falls. The real nature of the weight is the sugar which melted into Sake. Therefore Sake with negative numerical value is the sweet which a lot of sugar was included in.
So this numerical value becomes the criterion of "sweet or dry". A thing near "+2" becomes the moderate taste. It's the Sake which is hot if this numerical value is high basically. On the contrary, It's the Sake which is sweet if numerical value is low. However, it shouldn't put too much confidence in you because it is not absolute.
The method for measurement is listed in the following homepages. Please come to reference.
http://www.kikumasamune.co.jp/toshokan/05/05_06.html
(Kikumasamune brewery, Used Japanese language)
3, Acidity meter (酸度, "San-do")
This is rarely listed than Sake meter, but sometimes see it.These showed quantity of various acid contained in Sake such as lactic acid and succinic acid and citric acid and malic acid. It's not sour because it is acid.I have a feeling that taste is tightened if this numerical value is high. About it, it will be the thing which you don't need to regard as important like that, I think.
A series of explanation is the end in the above.
 |
| From above-mentioned mention, I understand that it is Muroka-Nama-Genshu which is considerably high in a Sake meter. Therefore, in used Oseto of rice, taste and acidity are stronger properties. Thus, I can expect that it is thick dry liquor of the taste. However, this Sake is one with many mentions, and there are almost many things which there is not of the information. |
The explanation became very long, but is all right even if I understand none of these. Many Japanese don't understand it, and this is because it buys them without thinking about anything. However, it becomes easy to choose the Sake of the oneself preference when you know it. Please look at an article about Sake of Wikipedia if you think that you want to know it more.
From the next time, I'm going to introduce the Sake which is a purpose of this blog. See you.
No comments:
Post a Comment