The post Dassai 23 Junmai Daiginjo appeared first on Sake Hub.
]]>Sake approaches art in a bottle of Dassai 23. Produced in the Chuoguku region of Yamaguchi Prefecture, Dassai 23 is a premium junmai daiginjo sake. The claim to fame of this world-class sake is its near-impossible rice polishing ratio. Its premium Yamadanishiki rice is milled down to a painstaking 23% of its original rice grains. The feat is unmatched by any other commercial sake brewery in Japan.
And the extra effort is well-worth it. Today, Dassai 23 is known as one of the absolute best sakes in the world. The extensive rice milling process opens up a world of possibilites in aroma & flavor profiles in this ultimate junmai daiginjo sake.
Upon opening this high-grade sake, a flurry of floral aromatics slip into the nostrils. You may also catch hints of melon and honey in the nose.
The fragrant aromas open up to a smooth, rich body. As it cascades over the palate, Dassai 23 releases subtle juicy stone fruit flavors like peach and plum. At the fringes, soft brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutty notes linger. The finish is long and dry with a slightly crisp minerality.
Serve chilled to let the flavors of this complex sake shine. Although it's best to enjoy Dassai 23 on its own, this elegant sake also pairs wonderfully with food. Light fish & seafood dishes and appetizers are a good match.
Dassai 23 has a sake meter value (SMV) of +4 and an acidity of about 1.3. This well-balanced sake leans more towards rich & sweet than light & dry.
Dassai 23 is best served chilled between 40ºF and 60ºF. To bring out the full flavors in this sublime sake, you want want to use a wine glass instead of a traditional ochoko vessel.
Common flavors & tastes noted include peach, plum, melon, and pear.
Dassai 23 is brewed in the Chuoguku region of Yamaguchi Prefecture by Asahi Shuzo. After retooling their table sake brewery to craft high-quality premium sake, Dassai has become one of Japan's top sake brands for sake lovers.
Dassai 23 is brewed with premium-quality Yamada-Nishiki rice polished down to 23% of its original rice kernel.
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]]>The post Kikusui Junmai Ginjo appeared first on Sake Hub.
]]>With its eye-catching blue bottle, Kikusui Junmai Ginjo ends up as an introduction to premium Japanese sake for many future sake drinkers. And while we hesitate to recommend choosing sake based on its aesthetics, this junmai ginjo is more than a pretty face: It's one of the best sakes from Japan for beginners and seasoned vets alike.
Kikusui Junmai Ginjo opens to a fresh & nutty cataloupe melon nose dipped with citrus and banana hints. The medium body is well-balanced, neither too sweet nor too dry. It leaves a creamy touch in the mouthfeel, teasing at forthcoming fruity flavors. In the palate, you'll sense dips of orange, pear, and persimmon.
The finish is drier & lighter than its first impression lets on. Still, it manages to hold onto a hint of sweetness that captures its junmai ginjo flair. For white wine drinkers, this Kikusui sake is an especially apt introduction to sake.
Thanks to the crisp acidity, Kikusui Junmai Ginjo is the perfect power-up for savory meats and fruits. It shines with mildly spicy chicken, pork, and seafood dishes.
Kikusui Junmai Ginjo has a sake meter value (SMV) of +2. It leans more towards light & dry than rich & sweet.
Kikusui Junmai Ginjo is best enjoyed cold at a drinking temperature between 40ºF to 60ºF. It's also enjoyable at room temperature (about 70ºF).
Kikusui Junmai Ginjo tastes include melon, orange, pear, and persimmon. You may also detect rice-like flavors and slight minerality in the aftertaste.
Kikusui Junmai Ginjo sake is brewed by Kikusui Brewing Company in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. Kikusui has been brewing sake for over 130 years.
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]]>The post Wakatake Onikoroshi Junmai Daiginjo "Demon Slayer" appeared first on Sake Hub.
]]>With a name translated to "Demon Slayer," it's hardly surprising that Wakatake Onikoroshi Junmai Daiginjo is one of Japan's most famous sake exports. We'd estimate that the moniker was a marketing ploy by the Omuraya Brewing Company rather than a reflection of the texture or taste of this top-rated junmai daiginjo sake.
Despite an alcohol content of 16.5%, Wakatake Onikoroshi Junmai Daiginjo "Demon Slayer" is surprisingly sweet and fruity. (Doesn't exactly conjure images of samurais piercing swords through evil spirits, does it?)
The aromatics are subtle yet noteworthy, unleashing delicate plum, peach, and lychee scents upon opening. Serve in a wine glass instead of an ochoko and the aromas bloom even further.
At first sip, you'll sense a perfect balance between sweetness and dryness, as its sake meter value (SMV) of ±0 predicts. Many of its aromas come to life through the silky and creamy texture. You might catch hints of peach, pear, apple, melon, and even marshmallow or vanilla. The finish is crisp, adding a dash of citrus structure to the juicy fruit flavors.
Wakatake Demon Slayer sake pairs well with a variety of meat and fish dishes. Besides usual Japanese food choices like sushi and sashimi, try this junmai daiginjo with spicy & savory grilled meat dishes like bulgogi.
Wakatake Onikoroshi Junmai Daiginjo has a sake meter value (SMV) of ±0. It's neither too sweet nor too dry, offering an excellent balance.
Wakatake Onikoroshi Junmai Daiginjo is best served cold, at about 40ºF to 60ºF. To fully experience its strong aromatics, serve in wine glass instead of an ochoko. You can also serve Demon Slayer sake warmed to 85ºF to 115ºF.
Wakatake Onikoroshi Junmai Daiginjo showcases semi-sweet fruit flavors including melon, peach, and lychee.
Onikoroshi is a Japanese word that roughly translates to "demon slayer" or "demon killer."
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]]>The post What Is Sake Meter Value (SMV)? appeared first on Sake Hub.
]]>Sake meter value is a standard measure of sake sweetness and dryness. When choosing between sweet or dry sake, the SMV is often the first point of departure.
That's not to say it's the end-all-be-all of determining sweet (辛口) versus dry (甘口) sake!
Let's dig a little deeper into sake meter value and how it affects the taste of sake with this quick guide.
Sake meter value (SMV) measures how dry or sweet a sake is. More specifically, SMV calculates a sake's specific gravity (relative density) at 15ºC based on a modified Heavy Baume scale. (A value of zero compares to the gravity of pure water at 4ºC.)
The Japanese term for sake meter value, nihonshu-do (日本酒度), translates roughly to Japan Alcohol Degree in English. The definition loses something in translation though.
The SMV measures how much sugar and alcohol is left in the sake after brewing. It works on a balanced scale from -15 to +15. An sake with an SMV of 0 would be considered neutral, neither sweet nor dry. A lower negative SMV indicates a sweet sake with less alcohol. A higher positive SMV points to a dry sake with higher alcohol content.
Most sake labels will list the SMV. Average SMVs for the different types of sake include:
There's more to sweet sake versus dry sake than just the SMV. To get a clearer picture, you also need to look at sake acidity.
Now's not the time for a sake versus wine debate, but, like wine, sake flavors are complex. And much of that complexity stems from the interplay of the sake meter value and acidity.
Japanese sake contains a number of organic acids including lactic acid, malic acid, and succinic acid. The level of acidity affects the taste of sake. (And could even bestow a few health benefits.)
The higher that acidity level, the drier the sake. The lower the acid levels, the sweeter the sake will taste. These flavor changes happen regardless of the sugar content or the alcohol percentage measured by the SMV.
The balance between acidity and SMV is what helps give the finest Japanese sake brands their unique flavor profiles. Here's a rough sketch of what the interplay between SMV and acidity might look like int:
Light & dry sake offers light aromas with a clean & crisp taste. It's a great choice for sake beginners. Many ginjo and junmai ginjo sakes fall into this category. Light & dry sakes pair well with popular Japanese food like sushi and sashimi.
Light & dry sake recommendations:
Light & sweet sake differs from its drier counterparts by offering most a more aromatic experience. These varieties showcase stronger floral & fruit aromas in the nose. Many daiginjo, junmai daiginjo, and sparkling sakes fall into this category. Their sweeter tastes mix well with fish & seafood like shrimp, squid, or scallops.
Light & sweet sake recommendations:
With its above-average acidity, rich & dry sake add a layer of complexity over their sweeter, lighter-bodied counterparts. You'll often discover rice and grain-like flavors in their depths. The category spans across al types of sake, with plenty of junmai and junmai daiginjo in the mix. Rich & dry sakes are a great companion to meat-heavy mains.
Rich & dry sake recommendations
The boldest taste category, rich & sweet sake shines with complex fruity flavors and full-bodied texture. Many nigori sakes and flavored sakes compose the mix. They make a wonderful addition to umami-centric main dishes & cheese appetizers.
Rich & sweet sake recommendations:
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]]>The post Tozai Snow Maiden Junmai Nigori appeared first on Sake Hub.
]]>Need an introduction to nigori sake? Grab yourself a bottle of Tozai Snow Maiden. This junmai nigori, hailing from Kyoto Prefecture, is one of Japan's most iconic nigori sakes. Its graceful name pays tribute to Hanako (Flower Maiden), a legendary koi who lived in the cool icy waters underfoot at Mount Ontake for 226 years.
Tozai Snow Maiden Junmai Nigori opens to vibrant melon-like aromas. You may even catch hints of nuts and bananas in the nose. Upon first sip, this nigori unleashes a flurry of honeydew flavors along with savory notes of pumpkin & rice and even earthier tones like radish.
What stands out most though is the texture. Tozai Snow Maiden lives up to its name with its creamy snow-like texture and full body. Its also surprisingly dry for a nigori. Unlike most nigori-zake, Tozai Snow Maiden strikes a perfect balance; it's neither too acidic nor too sweet.
Tozai Snow Maiden pairs well with spicy dishes and seafood. Try it with spicy salmon sushi rolls or Japanese curry.
Tozai Snow Maiden is sweet but not as sweet as many other nigori sakes. It has a sake meter value (SMV) of 6.5+. The lower the SMV, the sweeter the sake. To compare to another popular nigori, Rihaku Dreamy Cloudy has an SMV of +3.
Tozai Snow Maiden is best served chilled between 40ºF to 60ºF to bring out all its flavors. Like other nigori sake, be sure to shake before serving.
Tozai Snow Maiden exhibits a wide array of tastes in its palate. Flavors include honeydew melon, raw pumpkin, rice, and radish.
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]]>The post Is Sake Wine? appeared first on Sake Hub.
]]>The simple answer is: No, sake is not wine. Sake is, well, sake!
Sake occupies its own category among other alcoholic beverages like wine, beer, or spirits. It's part of the reason sake is such an intriguing alcoholic drink for budding connoisseurs!
Let's take a page from sake 101 and discover what separates sake from wine with this complete guide.
The main difference between sake and wine is sake's unique parallel multiple fermentation process. Unlike sake, wine only requires single fermentation. To ferment wine, the glucose sugar from the grapes converts into alcohol.
On the other hand, sake is made from rice, a grain not a fruit. It requires a separate process to convert the rich starches into sugar for fermentation. In this way, sake is more like beer than wine. In beer brewing, brewers must first convert the grain starches into sugar. Only then can fermentation begin.
So, what makes the production of sake unique to beer and wine? It's that the starch-to-sugar conversion occurs alongside fermentation in the same tank. Sake is the only type of alcohol in the world created with this parallel multiple fermentation process. When we say that sake is a unique alcoholic beverage, we mean it!
Both sake and wine measure their flavor profiles in terms of dryness and sweetness. For sake, the sugar level and gravity (or relative density) are measured by its sake meter value (nihonshu-do). A sake with an SMV of zero is neither overly dry nor sweet. A lower nihonshu-do (such as -2) would indicate a sweet sake; a higher positive SMV would indicate drier sakes.
The parallel multiple fermentation process is only one step in many to make sake. Master Japanese sake brewers (toji) spend years mastering the art of sake-making. Here's a quick primer on the distinct steps of how sake is made compared to wine:
The first step in making sake is to prepare the rice. Much like grapes in wine-making, there are several varieties of rice used in Japanese sake production, including yamada-nishiki. Compared to grapes, though, rice needs more preparation before it can enter the sake brewing process.
After harvesting, the rice needs to go through a milling process called rice polishing. Rice polishing involves stripping the brown rice of its outer shell. The outer layers contain most of the rice's fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals. While good for nutrition, these "additions" interfere with the sake production process.
To brew top-notch sakes, brewers need rice grains with a greater rice polishing ratio. High-quality junmai daiginjo sake (junmai daiginjo-shu), for example, needs rice with a milling rate of at least 50%. Super-premium daiginjo can even achieve ratios as low as 23%!
Regular junmai and honjozo sakes need rice polished to 70% of the grain's original size. Good quality junmai ginjo (junmai ginjo-shu) sits in between with at least a 60% milling rate.
Once polished, the rice flour (nuka) is washed off of the starchy core. The rice is then soaked to absorb water for the steaming process. After the polished rice is steamed, the brewer can move to the next step in the process.
In comparison, grape preparation in wine-making involves only crushing and pressing. For millennia, winemakers would stamp the grapes with their feet. Today, crushing grapes is done with mechanical presses. It's quicker and more sanitary—even if less festive!
One of the most significant differences between sake and wine is the use of koji (or koji-kin). In fact, koji is one of the most important sake ingredients!
Koji is the Japanese name for aspergillus oryzae. It's a special type of mold used to break sake rice starch into sugar.
To make koji rice, the brewer moves a sample of the steamed rice into the koji-muro. This special room is designed with the perfect conditions to allow koji to grow. The rice is spread out on a table and sprinkled with koji spores. Over the next couple of days, the koji mold proliferates and breaks down the starch into glucose.
When the koji rice is ready, it's moved into another tank along with yeast, steamed rice, and hot water. In this step, the yeast multiplies to form a yeast starter (shubo). There's no equivalent step in wine-making to creating the yeast starter.
Once the shubo is ready, it's added to a larger fermentation tank. Over the next four days, more steamed rice, koji rice, yeast, and water is thrown into the mix. The traditional process (kimoto) used wooden poles to create a paste. It's since been simplified into a method that forgoes the labor-intensive paste mixing (yamahai). In both cases, the result is a mash called moromi.
The moromi is then left to ferment. Sake fermentation usually takes between 18 to 32 days. Wine fermentation, on the other hand, takes anywhere between 10 days to one month.
After fermentation, both sake and wine undergo clarification and filtration. For sake, this begins with pressing, called joso in Japanese. During joso, the sake is extracted from the mash, leaving the fermented rice solids behind. Traditionally, sake brewers would squeeze the sake out of canvas bags. Although some brewers still adhere to this tradition, most now use mechanical presses.
Once pressed, the sake is set aside. At this stage, it's often also pasteurized. It helps remove any active cultures or enzymes before it's filtered for clarity. The exception is nigori sake. This cloudy sake is coarsely pressed, leaving rice solids (sake lees) suspended in the brew.
Wine also undergoes clarification & filtration after fermentation is complete. Often, wines are siphoned between barrels/tanks to leave solids behind. At the same time, the wine can also be filtered through coarse or fine filters.
Unlike sake brewers, winemakers sometimes add other ingredients like egg whites or clay. In this process, called fining, the additional ingredients bind to the solids, helping them stay in the bottom of the original vessel.
For both wine and sake, the final stages of the journey are aging & bottling.
Most sake is aged for approximately six months. The exception is koshu or aged sake. This premium sake variety is rarer and more expensive than other types of sake. It's aged for about three to five years. It tends to import more umami flavors onto the sake.
Traditionally, breweries aged Japanese sake in cedar barrels tied together with bamboo. Outside of a select style of sake called taruzake, it's not as common to age sake in wooden casks these days.
Wine aging is less straightforward. Not all wines are aged in barrels before bottling. If barrel aging is needed, red wines are typically aged longer than white wines. The aging period can be anywhere from 1 to 2 years.
Once bottled, it doesn't get more straightforward for wine. Wine connoisseurs may "cellar" wines from one year to several decades, depending on the varietal.
Sake, on the other hand, is best when consumed fresh. Even when sake is stored correctly, a bottle of sake will only last for about 1 to 2 years. Unpasteurized sake (namazake) is even more temperamental. You'll need to consume it within six months.
Once opened, you'll need to drink your sake within no more than 2 to 3 weeks. Any longer, and the sake may spoil, and the taste of sake will be affected.
One of the main reasons sake is often called Japanese rice wine is its similar alcohol content to wine. On average, the alcohol content of sake is about 15% to 16%. In comparison, the alcohol percentage of wine is usually between 12% and 14%.
One exception is genshu sake (undiluted sake). Genshu is undiluted with water. It has an ABV percentage approaching the natural limit of alcohol in sake between 18% and 20%.
Sparkling sake and flavored sake is often lower in average alcohol by volume, too. Sparkling sake can come in at as little as 5% ABV.
Much like drinking wine in moderation, research shows the health benefits of drinking sake.
Sake contains several important amino acids and enzymes. These compounds are shown to have anti-aging benefits. They can also reduce the risk of heart disease, osteoporosis, and cancer. It's even shown promise in slowing down degenerative brain disorders like Alzheimer's.
Like other fermented drinks, sake can be beneficial for gut health. It also lacks sulfites or tannins and offers a lower sugar content than wine. Not a fan of the head-splitting hangover other alcoholic beverages are famous for? Drinking sake might be the answer.
Both sake and wine are served at various temperatures. The temperature differences between them, however, are striking.
Full-bodied red wines are served anywhere between 60ºF and 70ºF (or about room temperature). White wines are at their best anywhere from 40ºF to 50ºF.
Sake, on the other hand, is served both hot and cold.
Drinking sake warm has long been a tradition in Japan. Traditionally, warming sake helped to cover up cedar flavors from the aging process. Today, heating sake is more common with cheaper sake. Hot sake is served piping hot at around 122ºF. It's often warmed in a porcelain bottle (tokkuri) and served in small ceramic cups (ochoko).
High-quality sake is often served cold. Serving premium sake cold brings out its most desirable flavors. Although you can drink chilled sake from special sake cups, many high-end restaurants now prefer wine glasses.
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]]>The post What Is Sake Made Of? appeared first on Sake Hub.
]]>As with other fermented alcoholic beverages like beer or wine, sake can be brewed with minimal ingredients.
The essential sake ingredients are:
The quality of the individual ingredients in the sake brewing process will all play a big role in determining sake flavor profiles. Let's look at each.
At the heart of the best sake in the world is high-quality rice. The rice used in sake production isn't your typical table rice. (Let's save the Uncle Ben's for the chefs, not master sake brewers.)
The most common varieties of rice in sake brewing are short- and medium-grain japonica rice. Unlike regular long-grain rice, a japonica rice grain is plumper and denser. It's got a larger starch core, making it an ideal candidate for extensive rice polishing and fermentation. (More on that in a bit!)
Special sake rice comprises only 5% of the total rice production in Japan. Within the japonica family, there are also several premium sake-brewing rice varieties. These premium sake rice grains are called sakamai. They're found throughout Japan. Sakamai are used to brew the highest-quality Japanese sake including junmai ginjo and junmai daiginjo.
Among the most popular premium sake rice varieties are:
Of these premium rice grains, the most popular is Yamadanishiki. The variety took flight in Hyogo Prefecture in Kansai, a region encompassing Kyoto and Osaka. Today, Yamadanishiki is found in rice-growing regions throughout Japan. It's grown even as far north as Miyagi Prefecture, about 400 kilometres north of Tokyo!
Of course, it's not only the rice itself that's important for crafting all the different types of sake. How it's processed also makes a massive difference in the finished product.
Before entering into the brewing process, sake rice must be polished. The rice polishing process removes the outer layers of the rice grain. While the outer layers contain most of the rice's fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals, they're not conducive to brewing great sakes.
At a minimum, the rice will have a polishing ratio of at least 75%. At this milling rate, 25% of the original size of the grain will have been removed. (Table rice, on the other hand, only polishes to 90 to 92%.)
To qualify as a ginjo, the rice polishing ratio drops to 60%; for daiginjo, it's 50% or less. In the highest-quality sake, brewers polish as low as 23%. There's little flavor improvement under 35%, though. Achieving it also raises production costs & time significantly.
The most elusive & "exotic" ingredient in sake is koji. Known officially as aspergillus oryzae, koji is a mold that helps break down rice starch into sugars to prepare for fermentation. Without koji mold, sake wouldn't become, well, sake!
Master sake brewers (toji) take koji production (seigiku) seriously. Like all the other main sake ingredients, the quality of the koji affects sake flavor profiles strongly.
Producing koji starts with steamed rice. The rice is placed into a special room called a koji-muro and sprinkled with koji mold spores. After a couple days, you'll have a batch of koji rice to add to the batch.
High-quality rice and koji mold spores mean nothing without great water. It's no coincidence that many of Japan's best sake breweries are located close to mountains and springs. In fact, the water source is one of the main differentiating points popular sake brands use to market their products!
Water is used in two steps while brewing sake. It's first used during fermentation. Water is also added to undiluted sake to round out the flavor at the end of the brew.
The mineral content of the water has the most significant effect on the ultimate flavor of the sake. A high concentration of minerals like iron can add off flavors to the taste profile. Soft water, on the other hand, can create a more "boring" finish.
When used in the dilution stage, the water is often filtered to ensure the final sake taste is pure and odorless.
Much like in beer brewing, yeast is one of the main ingredients in sake. The type of sake yeast used can have a big effect on the flavor and the aroma of the brew.
The yeast is one of the most important additions to the brewing process. It's mixed with steamed rice and hot water, and koji to create a yeast starter (shubo).
Once a yeast colony forms in the shubo, it's added into a fermentation tank along with steamed rice, water, and koji rice to form a mash (moromi). The moromi is doubled in size three times over four days.
As the koji breaks down rice starch to sugar, the yeast converts them into alcohol and carbon dioxide. The fermentation process takes about 18 to 32 days.
Although not a required sake ingredient, brewer's alcohol deserves mention. During the fermentation stage, distilled alcohol is sometimes added to the moromi to round out the flavor. The extra alcohol creates a smooth and fragrant sake. Honjozo sake is a popular style of sake that adds in distilled alcohol.
Brewer's alcohol is distilled from various sources, including potatoes, corn, beets or sugar cane. It's only used in the production of honjozo and futsushu (a cheaper sake variety). Other Japanese sake varieties like junmai can't add alcohol to maintain their super premium labels.
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]]>The post Best Sparkling Sake: Reviews + Recommendations appeared first on Sake Hub.
]]>Setting some sparkling sake onto the table as an aperitif will both surprise and delight your dinner guests.
The alcohol content is generally lower than other types of sake and often features a fuller body than many other top sakes.
Not sure where to start looking? Charm your tastebuds with these top-rated sparkling sakes...
As the best-selling sparkling sake in the world, there's no better place to introduce yourself to the art than with a glass of Shirakabegura Mio.
This sweet & effervescent sake opens up to a crisp acidity that flashes out charming flavors of grape and pear.
The low alcohol content of Shirakabegura Mio makes it a great choice to serve with meals, as an aperitif or with dessert.
Curiously brewed in Germany, Choya Sparkling Plum Wine fuses the joy of sparkling sake with German wine-making tradition.
This yummy flavored sake blends German grape wine with a Japanese-style sparkling plum wine for a taste & mouthfeel that's unique among the best sparkling sakes.
The result is a drink that's as versatile as it is refreshing.
Choya Sparkling Plum Wine works well as an aperitif and served with dinner whether formal or informal.
Brewed in Hiroshima Prefecture a stone's throw from the Seto Inland Sea, Fukucho Seaside reflects its surrounding geography in every single sip.
The area around the brewery is famous for its lemon and lime groves. The master brewer Miho-san's use of white koji bestows a rare citrusy acidity & taste profile for this top sparkling sake.
Although it may look like a nigori sake, Fukucho Seaside gets its cloudiness from the yeast and sugar used in its secondary fermentation process rather than being unfiltered.
Thanks to its above-average acidity, Fukucho Seaside pairs great with meat and seafood main courses.
Also qualifying as a junmai ginjo sake, Nanbu Bijin AWA Sparkling is in a league of its own among sparkling sakes.
This award-winning drink offers sippers a classically bright ginjo aroma. It's balanced out by a distinct umami rice flavor painted with hints of pear and apple.
As there's no sugar added after filtering like with champagne, the dry & jaunty Nanbu Bijin AWA Sparkling pairs superbly with sushi, sashimi, and other appetizers.
If there's any sparkling sake that could give champagne a run for its money, it's Hakkaisan Awa Clear Sparkling.
This light & bubbly junmai daiginjo sake charms with a fruity aroma that's met with a finish dipped in hints of melon, grapefruit, and pear.
With its delightfully crisp finish, Hakkaisan Awa Clear Sparkling is a fantastic choice to use as a toast on special occasions. It's also an excellent a drink to serve alongside seafood dishes and umami mains.
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]]>The post Best Organic Sake: Reviews + Recommendations appeared first on Sake Hub.
]]>Organic sake is still a relatively niche market in the sake world. Nonetheless, every year more and more breweries are hopping on the bandwagon. Popular Japanese brands like Hakutsuru and Tentaka have tried their hand in producing organic sakes, along with the SakeOne in the United States.
Not sure where to start your search? Here are a few of the top-rated organic sake brands...
Leading the way in the organic sake movement, the American sake brewery SakeOne hit a home run with their signature Momokawa Organic Junmai Ginjo.
This USDA-Certified organic sake lightens the palate with a crisp blend of pineapple and lime flavors, dwelling within a medium-rich body that's at its most compelling when chilled.
Serve a bottle of Momokawa Organic Junmai Ginjo with homemade sushi and sashimi to watch your guests truly light up.
One of the top organic junmai ginjo sakes, Kikusui Organic is a fresh-tasting brew tinged with hints of melon and banana.
Thanks to a slightly above average acidity, this USDA organic-certified sake features crisp flavors paired with a medium body. Not too light. Not too heavy.
Like many junmai ginjos of its profile, Kikusui Organic serves well with seafood dishes and with appetizers like cheese.
Qualifying as a junmai sake, Hakutsuru Organic Junmai is easy-to-drink with a well-balanced blend of light body and dryness.
This USDA-certified organic sake is at its best warmed up where you'll sense a delicate aroma of caramel floating into the nose.
The taste profile is also unique for a junmai, delivering more grain-like flavors rather than the usual fruit-forward ones.
Hakutsuru Organic Junmai is a fantastic choice to serve with sushi & sashimi and to bring out the umami in other popular Japanese dishes like teriyaki.
As the only nigori sake among our recommendations, Momokawa Organic Ginjo Nigori had some big shoes to fill.
We're happy to say: It doesn't disappoint.
Like many of the brews from this American sake brewer, this award-winning organic sake combines their signature fruity flavors with the silky texture of a nigori.
There's more than a dash of tropical fruit here. Pineapple, coconut, and banana all take their turns in both the nose and the taste profile.
Thanks to its above average sweetness and richness, Momokawa Organic Ginjo Nigori pairs superbly with just about anything including as an aperitif with fruit.
The most "premium" of all our recommendations, Chikurin Organic Karoyaka is brewed upon a legacy over 150 years of brewing experience at the Marumoto Brewery at the foothills of the Chikurin-ji Mountains in Okayama Prefecture.
Their brew begins with their own organic Yamadanishiki rice, grown using clean mountain runoff water upon their unspoiled alpine land.
The result is a USDA-certified sake sprinkled with classic rice aromas and a light sweetness with overtones of cherries and all-spice.
Chikurin Organic Karoyaka's light body and crisp dry finish is the perfect companion for shellfish like crab and lobster.
As the only sake available internationally with a triple organic certification (Japan, United States, European Union), Tentaka Organic Junmai is in a league of its own among these recommendations.
Brewed with locally-grown rice, this drink features slight hints of mint and honeydew with a mildly smoky rice-like finish.
Tentaka Organic Junmai works well as an after-dinner aperitif or served with seafood appetizers.
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]]>The post Best Junmai Ginjo Sake: Reviews + Recommendations appeared first on Sake Hub.
]]>Attaining both the junmai and ginjo label at the same time isn't simple. To qualify, sake brewers must polish the rice down to 60% of the grain. This compares to just 70% for a non-ginjo junmai. Breweries also can't add any brewer's alcohol after fermentation.
The result is that the finest junmai ginjo sakes slot in among the top-rated sakes. They're especially good for newer sake drinkers who aren't ready to jump into more expensive premium junmai daiginjo sakes.
Not sure where to start looking? Excite your tastebuds some of these top-rated junmai ginjo sakes...
Crafted using a yeast strain extracted from cherry blossoms, Kizakura Hana releases a delicate floral scent. Its distinctive aroma places it among most unique of our top junmai ginjo sake picks.
The spring-like aromatics open up to a bloom of sweetness tipped with a hint of apple.
The light acidity and body make Kizakura Hana a fantastic easy-to-drink sake for beginners. It's especially superb when served chilled and paired with fish & seafood dishes.
A floral and melon-like aroma introduces Hakutsuru Junmai Ginjo to the senses. It hints at the easy-sipping sake that follows.
This lighter-bodied sake is remarkably well-balanced, boasting a light-to-medium acidity. It piques a dry finish with flowery and grape-like undertones.
This Hakutsuru sake serves well both chilled and warmed. It also pairs wonderfully with sashimi, crab, and savory veggies.
Brewed in the shadows of Mount Haku in Fuki Prefecture, Denshin Yuki represents junmai ginjo sake at its purest.
Using the area's clean alpine run-off and local rice varieties, this sake goes down as smoothly as any.
This premium sake is one of the most well-balanced sakes out there. It features a slightly richer-than-normal body for a ginjo. You can also catch a mild sweetness with touches of mango & strawberry.
Denshin Yuku pairs superbly with savory shellfish, octopus, and squid dishes.
Another well-balanced sake, Kikusui Junmai Ginjo charms sippers with its smooth and crisp finish.
The 55% rice-polishing ratio is shy of the super premium daiginjo status. But its silky & fresh medium body could trick you.
The flavors creep beyond the category's normally floral-forward notes. The tend towards more citrusy tastes like orange.
Thanks to a piquant dash of acidity, Kikusui serves well with most meat & seafood dishes.
For a toasty summer day, no junmai ginjo proves as refreshing as Tozai Well of Wisdom.
This sake is brewed with fresh local water in Fushimi near Kyoto, the cultural centre of Japan. It delights the palate with a splash of watermelon and raspberry topped with a slight white pepper finish.
Tozai Well of Wisdom leans more towards sweet than dry. Its mild acidity lets it pair wonderfully with foods like barbecued meat and ceviche.
Situated on the very edge of daiginjo territory, Hakkaisan Yukimuro is as premium a sake as you can find in its category.
On top of being a bonafide junmai ginjo, Hakkaisan Yukimuro qualifies as both koshu (aged 3+ years) and genshu (undiluted) sake. This drink is a special find.
This unique combo results in a sake that's more complex, richer, and stronger in alcohol content than most ginjos.
Its taste profile is creamy, much like you'd expect from a nigori sake, but with a medium, rather than full, body.
You'll also detect fruit-like flavors lingering about, particularly pear in the finish.
Sitting among the best organic sake, Momokawa Organic Junmai Ginjo is a refreshing alternative that sake sippers all around the world will love.
This American sake is unique among our top ginjo sake recommendations. It charms drinkers with tropical fruit flavors in addition to the citrusy tastes that ginjo fans expect.
There's a crisp blend of both pineapple and lime here, enriched with a medium body.
Served chilled, Momokawa Organic is at its best. Pair it up with sushi and sashimi to watch the sparks fly.
Ranked among the best sparkling sake, Nanbu Bijin AWA Sparkling is an exciting addition to the junmai ginjo crew.
You'll immediately detect a classic ginjo feel to this award-winning sake. It's got a medium-body that opens up to a fruity aroma.
Unlike champagne, there's no sugar added to Nanbu AWA Sparkling. It helps leave its semi-sweet pear and apple flavors intact. The sake rounds out with an umami rice-like finish.
Nanbu Bijin AWA pairs well with seafood and cheese appetizers. It's also a great choice to serve as an aperitif.
The post Best Junmai Ginjo Sake: Reviews + Recommendations appeared first on Sake Hub.
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