Ep 03: A Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Sake Universe Part 2

08/04/20 • 27 min

While sake has a milder taste compared to wine, it's diversity is astounding. You not only have sake grades or styles which have their own flavour profiles but also sake types, which add another dimension to the sake universe. Nigori, namazake, koshu, all these words mean variations in brewing technics adding unique characteristics to sake. If you know what these names mean, you can better choose sake for your meal or an occasion. The long names of sake, which sounded like spells from old fairy tales, will suddenly acquire meaning: try Tokubetsu Junmai Muroka Nama or Nigori Junmai Genshu for example and see if you can decipher them after listening to this episode.
Episode's Content:

Nigori
Muroka
Namazake
Genshu
Taruzake
Koshu
Sparkling sake
Sake of the Episode: “Arabashiri” First Run Nama Ginjo

Kampai!
Sake mentioned:
Tamagawa Yamahai Junmai Muroka Nama Genshu “Red Label”
World Sake Imports UK
VSF Wine
Sorakami
Arabashiri First Run Junmai Ginjo Nama Genshu
Miyasaka Brewery
World Sake Imports UK
The Whisky Exchange
Bottle Apostol

Music used:
Wirklich Wichtig (CB 27) by Checkie Brown https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Checkie_Brown_1005/hey/Wirklich_Wichtig_CB_27

Just Arround the World (Kielokaz ID 362) by KieLoKaz
https://freemusicarchive.org/music/KieLoKaz/Free_Ganymed/Just_Arround_the_World_Kielokaz_ID_362

Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

Nigori
Muroka
Namazake
Genshu
Taruzake
Koshu
Sparkling sake
Sake of the Episode: “Arabashiri” First Run Nama Ginjo

Just Arround the World (Kielokaz ID 362) by KieLoKaz
https://freemusicarchive.org/music/KieLoKaz/Free_Ganymed/Just_Arround_the_World_Kielokaz_ID_362

Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

Previous Episode

Ep 02: A Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Sake Universe Part 1

Junmai, honjozo, ginjo, daiginjo... What do all these strange words mean? Do we have to know them to enjoy sake? It will definitely help you to identify the sake types you like, to understand a difference between these incomprehensible sake bottles in a shop or exotic sake names on a wine-list, to decide what sake you should choose for a particular meal, or whether you need to pop the bottle in the fridge before drinking or it’s fine as it is and so on.
So let me be your guide in this vast and strange sake universe and you can decide for yourself whether you want to remember all this sake mumbo jumbo or just go easy and enjoy the drink.
Episode's Content:

Variety of Sake
History of sake classification
Current sake classification criteria
Futsushu
Why do brewers add distilled alcohol?
Premium/Special designation sake
Premium sake is not always better
Sake of the Episode: Dewazakura Oka Ginjo

Kampai!
Sake mentioned in the episode:
Dewazakura Oka Ginjo
Dewazakura Brewery
World Sake Imports UK
The Whisky Exchange
Sorakami
Sugidama Podcast on Podchaser - please review if you don't use Apple Podcasts
Music used:
Wirklich Wichtig (CB 27) by Checkie Brown https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Checkie_Brown_1005/hey/Wirklich_Wichtig_CB_27

Just Arround the World (Kielokaz ID 362) by KieLoKaz
https://freemusicarchive.org/music/KieLoKaz/Free_Ganymed/Just_Arround_the_World_Kielokaz_ID_362

Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

Next Episode

Ep 04: From Kimoto to Sokujo and Back Again

The process of making sake is really exciting! There are several sake brewing methods: three main ones, kimoto, yamahai and sokujo (or sokujo-moto) and another one, bodaimoto, which is even older but has been rediscovered only recently. Sake taste profile depends to a certain extent on the method used to make it. So if you know what each method means, you can make a better choice of sake.
All the methods differ by the way, the starter is created. In kimoto, the starter is churned for hours with special poles to turn it into a mush. Yamahai was invented after the kimoto and got rid of this churning. While sokujo-moto slashed the production process by two whole weeks and produced clearer and more refined sake. Bodaimoto, is a very ancient sake brewing method invented by Nara monks around the 12-14th century and was superseded by kimoto.
Episode's Content:

What is shubo (moto)?
Acidic environment
Kimoto
Yamahai
Sokujo-moto
Bodaimoto and its rediscovery
How sake made with different methods taste
Sake of the episode: Gozenshu 1859 Prototype Junmai Muroka Nama Genshu Nakadori Bodaimoto

Kampai!
Sake mentioned:
Gozenshu 1859 Prototype
Tengu Sake
Sugidama Blog
Tengu Sake: A Look at Bodaimoto Starters
Music used:
Wirklich Wichtig (CB 27) by Checkie Brown https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Checkie_Brown_1005/hey/Wirklich_Wichtig_CB_27

Just Arround the World (Kielokaz ID 362) by KieLoKaz
https://freemusicarchive.org/music/KieLoKaz/Free_Ganymed/Just_Arround_the_World_Kielokaz_ID_362

Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
Vocal: Svetlana

Sugidama Sake Podcast - Ep 03: A Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Sake Universe Part 2

Transcript

Episode 03: A hitch-hiker's guide to the sake universe Part 2

0:22

Greeting

Hey, everyone, this is me, Alex again with the third episode of Sugidama Podcast, the podcast about Japanese sake, the drink which looks like spirit, has ABV of wine and is made more like beer but still is so unique that I can’t stop talking about it. We talked last time about the sake classification, grades or styles. Now let’s talk about types of sake.