Simplifying Sake

by James Robinson, Your Co-op Sommelier

World Class Sake on Aisle 5

Tucked away in a far corner of the cold case, just below the pet-nat and just above the canned, hard kombucha lies the Port Townsend Food Co-op’s sake collection – a small, but sturdy selection of world-class artisanal sake from all corners of Japan.

If you enjoy the fresh, rambunctious vitality of namazake, we’ve got you covered. Sweet milky nigori? We’ve got that too. If heirloom rice sake is your jam, you’ll find omachi on the shelf, along with seasonal favorites and classics. In short, we’ve got a sake for every mood, meal and season, and we encourage sake enthusiasts to come explore and those new to sake, to grab a bottle and give it a try.

For the unitiated, good sake is really no more than a blend of specially cultivated rice, water, yeast and koji – steamed white rice that has been imbued with a special species of mold – which breaks down the complex starches in the rice into simple sugars that can be more easily fermented by the yeast.

Simple, right? Right.

But while the science behind sake may seem basic, deciphering a sake bottle can be anything but. Most are covered in a dizzying array of beautiful, albeit indecipherable, Japanese characters and strange terminology such as ‘nigori,’ ‘junmai,’ ‘ginjo,’ daiginjo’ and ‘namazake.’ And while these bottles may stand as works of art in their own right, unscrambling all this information – regardless of how beautifully it is presented – is inarguably challenging for all but the most savvy connoisseur or those fluent in Japanese. And that’s just the bottle, but what about deciphering the contents?

Once opened, the pleasures of tasting sake are somewhat different from those of wine. When drinking wine, most Americans search for a variety of aromas and flavors – mostly fruit – that when woven together, create an intriguing, complex, harmonious whole. At some level, the same holds true for sake; however, with sake, connoisseurs often emphasize texture, elegance, poise and purity, while fruit takes a back seat. For many, the joy of sake lies less on exhaustively analyzing flavors and aromas and more on the tactile sensations experienced from the initial sip to the swallow.

All this talk might make it seem that sake is easy to geek out on. Rest assured, it is. However, a little knowledge and a basic understanding of a few key sake terms will make it easier – even for the novice drinker – pick a bottle and enjoy a night of savory sipping.

Here’s a short glossary to help you navitage the co-op’s sake selection.

Namazake

‘Namazake’ means unpasteurized sake and it represents an exciting and fresh category of brews in their rawest and most original form. In fact, ‘nama’ is a Japanese word for ‘raw,’ or ‘live.’ When the term ‘nama’ is applied to sake, it means that the sake has not gone through the typical pasteurization process, in which the sake is momentarily heated – usually twice – to kill off enzymes and stabilize the sake.

Almost all bottled sake sold in the U.S. is pasteurized, which is why namazake is so rare. Because there are no sulfites in sake, pasteurizing is important for commercial breweries to completely stop fermentation by killing yeast and enzymes, and also to kill off any bacteria that may be introduced during the fermentation. In short, pasteurizing stabilizes the sake and extends its shelf life. Unfortunately, pasteurization also alters the flavor, aroma and feeling of a sake. This is why namazake is usually quite different from pasteurized sake and favored by many sake fans.

Namazake’s fragrance is much livelier and its taste is brighter, fruitier and fresher.

In fact, nothing could be more pleasantly refreshing in spring than a glass of namazake. Typically, namazake should be served chilled in a white wine glass. Namasake is excellent for food pairing, as it has more body, acidity, and flavors to pair with almost all types of cuisines including international spices and spicy American style sushi and rolls.

Junmai Ginjo

The junmai ginjo category of sakes are mandated to have a rice polishing standard of 40 percent removal and 60 percent remaining and are made from rice and water only. Thus, junmai ginjo sakes are made using only the simplest ingredients – rice water, mold and yeast and without the addition of distilled alcohol. The junmai ginjo category features a wide collection of brews that can be fruity and fresh to ricey and dry. This category is perfect for the sushi counter and clean and balanced cuisines. They are easy sipping and best served chilled. They form the core of our sake set.

Omachi

An heirloom rice variety, omachi is the oldest known sake rice strain with no genetic cross-breeding. It creates sakes that are layered, earthy, diversified, and herbal. Omachi continues to enamor sake lovers for its complexity, and the fact that it's a rice varietal that has been around for generations.

Nigori

This popular category of sake represents the famous cloudy or milky sakes that have rice particles left in the brew and are not totally filtered out. Nigori sake comes in all styles and thicknesses. From very creamy and thick to very light and almost misty, called ‘usu-nigori.’ Coarsely filtered sake should always be served chilled and it’s always important to undulate or gently shake the bottle before serving. As for food pairings, Nigori sake goes well with spicy cuisines, fruit plates, cheese plates, and of course deserts.

Genshu

Undiluted, this style of sake is bottled without adding water to temper the alcohol percentage. Many brewers believe that the flavors and textures are best expressed in their naturally fermented state. Sake naturally reaches around 18 to 20 percent ABV (Alcohol by Volume) during normal fermentation, making it one of the highest naturally occurring alcohol contents in a beverage. It tends to be slightly higher in alcohol than the industry average sake which is usually diluted with water to 14 to 15 percent alcohol before bottling.

A genshu is not necessarily more boozy tasting. Some genshu are so clean and crisp that you would never guess the alcohol content is so high. With undiluted sake, there is a sense of all the elements being more intense in flavor and aroma. Some genshu end up dryer because the extra alcohol dries up the flavors as it passes your palate. Others can taste exceedingly sweet and fruity. In some genshu, you’ll find a powerful punch with a fiery feeling on the tongue. The characteristics of each genshu as a style are related to the body and aroma of the sake itself.

Pairing food and sake

While some sakes, such as the Kaze no Mori, serve perfectly as stand alone sippers, sake, in general, pairs beautifully with a wide variety of food. Weighter sakes go well with pork, noodles chicken or salmon, while more delicate versions match the weight of lighter seafood dishes. Nigori sakes make delightful dessert pairings.