The number one question I get asked as a Sommelier is if expensive sakes and wines are better than the cheaper ones. It’s a very good question! Maybe you have even wondered this yourself. The answer is more than a yes or no. I will say that the more expensive ones tend to be significantly more complex and intense in aromas, flavours and taste. As you read on, I hope you get a better understanding of what I mean about that. There is a 277 year old brewery in Japan and I am going to talk specifically about two of their sakes, the ingredients and techniques that are used to make both, and what makes them so different.
The Hakutsuru Sake Brewing Company, founded in 1743, is one of the largest sake breweries in Japan and is located in the Nada region in Kobe. Let’s look at the Superior Junmai Ginjo and the Junmai Dai Ginjo Hakutsuru Nishiki. The word ‘Junmai’ means “pure rice”, meaning, no additional alcohols or sugars were added in the making of the sake. The Superior Junmai Ginjo Sake is made with high quality rice, the local spring mineral water referred to as Miyamizu and koji. This is a clear-colored sake at 14.5% alcohol with good minerals and has faint floral notes of cherry bud and kumquat. It is a straight-forward, quaffable sake that can be enjoyed with lighter fare dishes, such as sashimi or grilled vegetables. Drink chilled or at room temperature. I prefer it chilled, but you might try it both ways to see how you like it.
Read the rest here!
Originally posted on Sake Social on November 29, 2020
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