Another recent saki was the “Born Chogin” JD. It is an aged saki that went very well with various robata dishes. Produced in Fukui by Kato Kichbee Shoten.
One of the things I have noticed is that the high end saki producers like to use very distinctive bottles and packaging. Sometimes a bit blingy.
I’m confused, why do you insist on using “saki” instead of “sake”?
Don - you may be thinking of the terms Yamahai or Kimoto. Running into a mtg but take a look online at one of the good sake sites. Fascinating processes. Yamahai and kimoto sakes are some of my favorites.
Working too hard. I need some sake
Fun… I randomly walked into this place (and stumbled out) a few years ago. Ended up sitting next to a group from Uchi in Austin. Good memories.
I’ve been there twice. Very knowledgeable folks and really good sakes that are almost entirely within 100 miles of the bar. Style in Kyoto area different from northern styles. Tend toward more fruity sakes. Like this style quite a bit.
I know, it is さけ pronounced in english sake not saki さき which means previous.
Junmai is not fortified with added neutral spirits. Aruten is fortified and can be Daiginjo, Ginjo, Tokubetsu, or Honjozo.
Unfortunately Namasake has a short lifespan but it is so good. Just have to drink it up fast. That being said, don’t bring it back on a trip from Japan as it will not be good by the time you get it home. We have a local restaurant that brings them in in refrigerated shippers.
Junmai is made using only water, rice, koji mold (for conversion of the starches in rice to sugar), and yeast. Nothing else is allowed.
Honjozo is made using these ingredients, plus… others, the most important being alcohol (from distillation of various materials) added prior to bottling.
“Aruten” is a slangy word, a shortening of the phrase “arukooru tenka” (アルコール添加) or “alcohol added”. It is, by definition, honjozo.
Ginjo and daiginjo class can be either junmai or honjozo, depending upon whether or not alcohol was added during production.
If the bottling is junmai (純米) it will be labeled as such, as in Junmai Daiginjo (純米大吟醸). If it does not carry a junmai designation it is almost definitely honjozo.
Can we also discuss the use of tokubetsu. To me, this is like seeing “reserve” on a bottle of domestic wine; meaningless. Thoughts?
from wine searcher:
"Tokubetsu junmai (“special pure”) is a special designation for high-quality sake. To qualify as tokubetsu junmai, a sake must be made with rice polished to less than 60 percent of its original weight, and must not be fortified with distilled alcohol. Many believe that there is little difference between Tokubetsu and Daiginjo sake, only that the former is more expensive due to the extra special care during the brewing process.
The rice used to produce all special-designation sakes must be polished to a legally defined degree to remove the bran and improve taste. At least 15 percent of the rice used in these sakes must also be affected by koji-kin, a filamental fungus that helps to break down starches into sugar. Koji (Aspergillus oryzae) is also used in the production of other fermented food products, including soy sauce, mirin and miso paste (the base ingredient of miso soup)."
I am not sure if that’s accurate. I think “Tokubetsu” is actually an unregulated term for sake production, but I could definitely be wrong on this.
You’re right, it’s not a regulated term. Most sake designations are incredibly precise, so there are a few terms that are used when breweries want to indicate something outside of official designations. Tokubetsu junmai can, and sometimes does, mean exactly what Suzanne said, or it can mean something else special that the brewery thinks is important enough to put it on the label.
So no, it’s not meaningless, it just doesn’t have a precise meaning.
Anyone have experience with Ozeki Osakaya Chobei Daiginjo? I have some on order from Envoyer and it sounded right up my ally, but am curious if the Envoyer description is accurate. Here’s what they said;
…[T]his is the breweries most representative and classic sake. Carrying over the traditional techniques and heart of sake brewing that have been passed down over generations. Made with a slow, low temperature fermentation of specially selected malted and 50% polished Japanese rice giving the sake a fruity, floral aroma and a balanced, rich full body. One unique characteristic of this sake is that many Daiginjo tends to be rather sweet, but this finishes on a relatively crisp, dry note.