THE HIGH ART OF A MISUNDERSTOOD DISTILLATE (THE MOMENT I BECAME A REAL FAN OF NIHONSHU)

Venturing a bit left of center for #WineWednesday at the store, our good friend/RNDC Barkley rep Lou, came by to taste us on some brand new sakés, courtesy of their saké importer, Mutual Trading Co. I have to admit I have an inherent hesitance when it comes to saké. It is often misunderstood, and usually elicits memories of vomit-inducing warm rice wine served at many a Benihana and similar “hibachi” restaurants.

For starters, saké as we Americans refer to it, in Japan implies virtually any alcoholic beverage. What we call saké, the Japanese actually call it nihonshu, which literally translates as “Japanese saké.” The 4 ingredients in saké are rice (polished down to remove proteins and oils from the top layers of the grain), water, yeast and koji (a moldy rice), combined into a mash known as shubo or moto. The Toji, or saké brewer, at least in more modern examples, adds lactic acid to the mix, then more steamed rice and yeast, letting it then ferment for 10-15 days.

Once the starter mash is complete, more rice, water and koji are added over the next three days, doubling the mash each time, allowing the yeast to catch up as the mash enlarges. This is now refered to as the moromi. Once complete, it is allowed to ferment for 2-6 weeks.

This process is extremely meticulous, from the polishing of the grains of rice, to the careful blending of the mash, to the intentionally-slowed fermenting process in the case of higher-end sakés. Junmai refers to “pure rice saké” and the rice grains are milled down 70%. Milling to 60% is designated as “ginjo” and milling to 50% is daiginjo. The more the rice grains are milled they higher quality the saké becomes.

So Lou came by with three extraordinary sakés, ones that pretty much had me converted from the get-go:

Kikusui Junmai Ginjo “Chrysanthemum Mist” 720 ml. Grade=Outstanding+. Hints of orange rind, anise seed and rose petals abound in this supple, velvety saké. Delicious.

Kikusui Junmai Ginjo “Organic Chrysanthemum Mist” 300 ml. Grade=Outstanding+. A bit lighter and softer in its aromas, the flavors show a tropical fruit salad in a glass, with slightly sweet undertones.

Kikumasamune Taru Junmai “Cedar Saké” 720 ml. Grade=Amazing. Aged in cedar casks, this tasty dry sake is fruity, yeasty, and full of flavor. Finishes extremely smooth.