"Intro to Sake" 6 Bottle Sampler #1

Sake Sampler #1

Our first Sake sampler has Six 300ml bottles covering the most popular styles of Japanese Sake.

Yamahai - In Yamahai-style, the acidity is acquired by cultivating wild lactic acid bacilli, like kimoto, but without the long paddle grinding process. Sake made with this type of starter tend to be full-bodied in taste.

Junmai - (no brewers spirits added) - Bunraku Yamahai Junmai Nihonjin no Wasuremono (Forgotten Japanese Spirit) - This traditionally made Sake has a very unique nose filled with chocolate, cream, and earthy elements.  One of the best things about this brew is that it shows different faces at different temperatures.

Out of the fridge look for ripe rich fruit tones, including kiwi, and when warmer, behold dryer elements that are more layered such as steamed rice, creamy pâtés and potatoes. There is a nice vein of white chocolate for those who really spelunk for flavor! Round, soft and silky this Yamahai is gentle and expressive at once!

Nigori (coarsely filtered, leaving some of the rice solids behind) - Kikusui Brewing "Perfect Snow" Genshu Nigori - Nigori means coarsely filtered or more literally “cloudy”. Nigori sake is often labeled as unfiltered sake for marketing purposes but in actuality they are passed through a coarse filter. Genshu means the sake is undiluted, no additional water is added to cut the alcohol content or to adjust the flavor. The result of this production method is a rich, full-bodied, refreshing, and rice-sweet sake at a whopping 21% ABV. Please keep in mind that not all nigori are made equally. Some have more sake mash incorporated allowing for a thicker, fuller texture while others use less, producing a smoother, silkier texture. This sake is definitely like a full blanket of snow rather than a light dusting.

Ginjo (rice polish rate <60%) - Kubota Senju (1000 Dreams) Ginjo - Ginjo means that the Sake is made from rice polished to less than 60% of its original size (you can polish it more than 60%, but not less).  The sake that began it all, Senjyu was the Kubota line's very first product, introduced in 1985. Brewed to make sake more compatible with the modern diet, it was clean and crisp, completely different from the rich, opulent sake that were in vogue at the time. 35 years later, they have continued to search for a even more fresh sake to adapt with the ever-evolving diets of society. This April, along with Asahi's 100 year anniversary and Kubota's 35th year anniversary, Senjyu has been renewed. Making their koji (fungus that helps the rice break down to sugar) higher in enzymes, resulting in more sugar, they've succeeded in keeping the same trademark crispness, but added more roundness and depth. A jubilant nose of banana cream pie, dried fruits, nutmeg, clove and ripe plum, with flavors of caramel and cocoa, all encased in a silky, dry, clean package. Crisp, clean and exciting. 

Daiginjo (rice polish rate <50%) - Yaegaki Mu (Nothingness) Junmai Daiginjo - Mu has a ripe fruit aroma with elements of melon and grapes. Talk about a soft and clean sake, this Daiginjo lives up to its name “nothingness,” as full flavors such as white grapes and strawberries vanish in a whisper finish. It is surprisingly light for such a generous mouth speed. The acidity play is enveloped in fruit overtones that are well balanced, and unlike most Daiginjos this one gets smoother the more it warms up.

Fruited Sake - Homare Yuzu Junmai - This style, premium sake infused with fruit flavors, has become increasingly popular in recent years.  Many love them for their increased sweetness and fruity flavors and this is definitely our favorite and best seller.  Yuzu is a citrus fruit native to Asia prized for its many health benefits that tastes like a combination of grapefruit, mandarin orange and lime.  Sweetish junmai Sake is paired with zippy, tart and refreshing Yuzu citrus fruit resulting in a Sweet-Tart like experience akin to an Italian Lemoncello.

Sparkling Sake - Tamayura Rythmic Droplets Sparkling Junmai Sake - Another somewhat recent innovation to the world of Sake is Sparkling Sake.  These Sakes can be fantastic alone as well as a great mixer with other Sakes or in Sake cocktails.

Tamayura, a new style of sparkling Sake from Kitsukura, is created using locally grown Miyama Nishiki Sake Rice, traditional Nagano yeast, and secondary fermentation to capture a sparkling effervescence. The production process is more typical of Champagne than Sake but the results are energetically delicious. Fine Sake lees add a creamy umami deliciousness, while the pinprick acidity, reminiscient of fresh white grapefruit, leads into flavors of peach, melon, pear and dusty rose. Frothy bubbles create tiny flavor explosions on the palate.