Sake is a
very misunderstood beverage. Most people think of the warm stuff served in
Chinese/Japanese restaurants. Sake is
served warm when it is inferior, the heat covering up the roughness and the
impurities. Premium Sake is wonderful, with often intense, pleasant aromatics
and delicate flavors of apple, pear, melon, and banana. It is an excellent accompaniment
to food.
Although
considered rice wine by most Americans, it is actually brewed rather than fermented. In winemaking, the
naturally occurring sugar in the grapes is fermented. In beer production, a
starch must be converted to sugar, which is then converted into alcohol. While
these steps are done separately in beer, they are done simultaneously in Sake
production.
A special
type of rice is used for Sake. It is larger and stronger than edible rice, with
less protein and lipid. The rice is then polished to remove the bran. The
greater the percentage of rice polished, the higher the grade of Sake, as
further polishing removes impurities and lipids.
Water is
very important in Sake making. Hard water that is full of minerals is nutritive
to the yeast in the fermenting process so it converts more sugar into alcohol. Hard
water results in drier Sakes, while softer water is used for sweeter Sakes.
A scale,
known as the Nihonsgu-do (SMV), measures the sweetness of Sake, with zero being
neutral, positive being dry, and negative being sweet. Acid levels affect the sensation of sweetness
much like in wine, with acidity making sweeter Sake taste drier.
Most Sake is
filtered so it is clear. However, Nigori Sake is unfiltered so it is extremely
cloudy with sediment. Nigori Sakes are rich and flavorful and tend to be sweet.
When
considering filtered Sakes, look at the various grades. Futsu is the everyday
drinking Sake made from lightly polished rice and is the equivalent of VDP or
table wine. Tokutei are the premium Sakes:
Junmai: the
outer 30% is polished leaving rice grains 70% of their original size
Junmai-Ginjo:
at least the outer 40% is polished
Junmai
Daiginjo and Daiginjo: at least 50% of the outer portion is polished leaving
grains less than 50% of their original size.
Each grade
results in more delicate pure flavors—and higher prices.
Some great
representative Sakes to try:
Tozai
Nigori Snow Maiden. Junmai grade. Great body, long finish,
fruity, bright acidity. Fairly sweet, around -6 SMV $16.99 720 ml
Rihaku
Wandering Poet.
Junmai Ginjo grade. Wonderful tropical fruits, pear and appl, dry, beautiful
acidity. Intense aromatics $36.99 720 ml
Kurosawa
Junmai Kimoto.
Kimoto means using a traditional and very time consuming method of producing the
mash, giving this sake a beautiful oily, earthy richness along with flavors of apple
and pear. SMV +2. A great bargain,
especially good for Junmai grade. $16.99 720 ml.
Konteki
Tears of Dawn.
Daiginjo grade. Slightly sweet, very aromatic, wonderful aromas and flavors of
apple and tropical fruit. $32.99
There are
lots of cheaper Sakes, but these are representative of what really good Sake
can taste like. Sake is wonderful with light fresh foods such as seafood,
sushi, fish, and chicken dishes that aren’t too spicy or rich.
So give Sake a
try. You my very well find yourself turning to this beverage a lot more than
you ever thought.
