Summer NamazakeThis is a report from Joe Williams
direct from Japan
I popped into a small sake shop in Osaka today and it turned out to be very interesting.
The very enthusiastic young man tasted me on 4 sakes and some home-made ume shu (plum wine).
I cannot express how interesting these products were.
The first three I know were namazakes (unpasteurized sake) and the first two were undiluted.
The first had an aroma of banana and the most intense flavor of ripe cantaloupe, yet it was so clean.
It was a junmai (only pure ingredients, no distilled spirits added, rice polished to at least 70% of the original size) namazake, unpasteurized and undiluted.
The ABV (alcohol by volume) was 16% but it was not hot (overly alcoholic tasting) at all which gives you an idea of how intense the flavors were.
The second was made from the same company and rice, was also namazake but was dai ginjo (rice grains polished to at least 50% of their original size).
The merchant explained that these grains were polished to 45% of their original size; a finer quality.
It was purchased and then stored in refrigeration by the store for three years.
The difference between the two was striking not only in it's taste which was more like fresh cooked Japanese rice, but also in the feel in the mouth.
This sake seemed to actually become heavier as it was placed in the mouth.
The sake merchant told me that most people think that namazake must be drunk young because it is not pasteurized but that that is not the case.
He said the creaminess was a result of aging.
The next was also a namazake. It was my favorite.
The flavor was of delicate blend of fresh picked cucumber and honeydew melon it was truly unique and deliciously balanced.
The balance of acidity was unique in the way it felt in the mouth.
I found out later that it was used in the home-made ume shu so it turns out that the sake merchant and I have similar tastes.
The last sake was brewed in some sort of a German style. I'm not sure exactly.
The shop owner did not speak English. My wife was translating. The sake was pasteurized twice.
The merchant said twice before aging but I think he made an error.
I'm guessing it was pasteurized once before being aged and then just before bottling.
The sake was aged for four years in a Chinese style clay vessel.
He had one of these in the store and there was a different brand on the shelf that was being sold in a similar but much smaller container.
The description of the aroma took me a while to determine. It smelled similar to burning leaves.
I think the sake was an old world style.
Darker in color instead of perfectly clear with a very earthy taste sort of mushroomy like a rotting log in a morning forest.
Though not offensive to me, my wife did not like it at all.
The shop carried commercial ume shu that is known throughout the world, including the Choya a brand we carry in the store with real plums in the bottle.
However, the shop owner also had a gallon jug of home-made ume shu.
What was inside turned out to be a very delicious plum wine spiked with the namazake that I mentioned earlier.
This ume shu was made from large less than ripe Japanese plums and was pleasantly sour enough to make you squint but still had that lovely plum flavor without the cloying sugars that most plum wines are known for.
It was aged for a years or more.
The aroma melted my knees, the tartness stood me back up and then the lingering plum flavors left me swooning. Delicious!
Too bad it's not for sale.
I tried to smuggle the jug out of the store but it was well-guarded.
This was such an exciting visit that I asked, and he agreed, to putting a small video together about his products. If that ever happens I will share it.
He confirmed that the popularity of sake is going down and shochu
(Japanese spirit made from rice, sweet potatoes or barley) is increasing in Japan.
The reason is primarily price as sakes are becoming more popular internationally along with Japanese cuisine and prices are increasing.
Also, shochu can more easily be used in mixed drinks and diluted with water.
We offer cold namazake in the store and it makes for a wonderful summer beverage.
