2020 WRAPPED UP — SAKE MATTERS

The best thing about 2020 is that it’s almost over.

As the world’s leaders try to put a creative spin on how well they’ve managed the virus, compete for who will get infected next and get all political about the vaccines, time to reflect on my own 2020.

But don’t worry, this isn’t going to be an article about what I’ve learned or how I’ve become the best version of myself (whatever that means). I simply want to reflect on some of the best Sakes this year, that have helped make life a lot more enjoyable in the face of all that’s happening.

2020 actually started pretty well, with a trip to Melbourne in February, sneaking in a taste of SAKE ONE and GO-SHU Australian Sakes whilst in Tasmania. It was also where my senses were awakened with my first taste of Fukucho, sat in the sun watching the tennis on the big screen, first of my SOTY’s (Sakes Of The Year): Fukucho Junmai Ginjo Hattanso Muroka Genshu.

Little did anyone know at the time what a hellish sequence of events would befall such a great city. At this point it would be remiss of me not to mention the entertainment and passion provided by Sake Mistress Simone who’s united a merry band of Zoomers across the globe through her regular Taste With The Toji programme. Mondays aren’t so bad anymore.

We also had a cracking menu pairing with Katori 90 at Diermakr Restaurant over in Hobart, a surprise pairing that inspired my earlier article, SLURPING HISTORY. At this time Australia was already twitchy about the virus which seemed like an overreaction at the time but in hindsight was bang on.

By March, the Aussie Twitch was clearly contagious as nations began shutting down. I enjoyed a short stint in Osaka and a week working at the legendary Daimon Shuzo a little north of the city in Katano. Each morning (around 4am actually, thanks jetlag), a battery draining scan of my phone’s Apps proffered nothing but constant global case increases (and worse) as the dark cloud of Covid started to cloak the world and shut down our travel freedoms.

I won’t be flippant and try and talk Daimon Brewery here - there’s too much I would love to say about this place and its people but that’s for another time and I am well overdue a return (and owe Daimon-san a couple of days free labour also). It was great seeing him alongside Marcus Consolini, a duo that radiated all the usual class, candour and positivity as John Gauntner probed them on the recent Sake on Air Future Summit (great event everyone).

But, I do want to throw in SOTY #2 from this Kansai Brewery: Junmai Ginjo Shinshu. Having (over)indulged plenty on the core Daimon and Rikyubai series, it was a treat to bring this one back to Hong Kong to be enjoyed in wave one, just after my first quarantine. I said in my notes “A little lively but not crazy, sweetened cornflake milk, almond powder, blanched almonds”, as well as an emphatic but less poetic, “Very good”.

Mid-year as we sweltered in Hong Kong I became a Gauntner guinea pig taking the inaugural Sake Professional Course Live Online 2020 which was very uplifting and perhaps the closest thing to being in Japan listening to John effuse and story tell.

Enduringly great Sake, less durable label

Through discussions during the course, I got directed to the Noguchi Naohiko Sake Institute and their ridiculously good Sakes, that cross grades, varietals and Motos. There is so much good Sake coming out of Ishikawa Prefecture and I won’t waste people’s time talking about Mr Noguchi Naohiko, the Tojis’ Toji, and his relentless contribution to Sake making. Simplest thing is to (save up, sorry) and splurge on my SOTY #3: Noguchi Naohiko Sake Institute Yamahai Aiyama Nama Genshu.

I’m sure 2021 will be a bumper year for optometrists. The amount of time we have all spent staring at phones, tables and laptops has been unhealthily high this year. I, like many of you, will have mentally justified significant online purchases simply because there hasn’t been the expense of air travel and the general option for treating oneself and others in 2020.

So it was that one online search led me to uncover a stash of Hiroshima Prefecture’s Kamoizumi in Hong Kong. There’s almost 400 years of Sake brewing history in Saijo Town and Nonta, the town’s cheeky and slightly sozzled mascot, is normally on hand to help you discover the nine breweries conveniently located close enough together to leave the car at home when you visit.

Nonta - inseparable from his bottle of Sake!

A big fan of Kamoizumi’s Shusen Junmai Ginjo (we dragged an Isshobin back to Shanghai a couple of years ago), in 2020 I started cheating on this one with its fresher and more sophisticated Daiginjo sibling.

Always a sucker for Namazake, this 100% Yamadanishiki displayed that unpasteurised ‘chopped wood’ (thanks John Gaunter for this identifier, it’s fitting) and pear drop, almost enamel aroma, and is unctuous and verging on a little caramel in the mouth.

A gold SAIJO SAKE CERTIFIED looks like a medal of honour around the bottle’s neck and was enough accreditation for me to take delivery. Taking me over the edge with plentiful Nonta nostalgia this easily becomes my SOTY #4: Kamoizumi Junmai Daiginjo Namazake.

August saw some prolific notebook scribbling as I joined an exclusive list of first time tasters in Hong Kong of the Fukucho Henpei-Genkei bottles but very much a latecomer in the Sake writing world. It’s a wonderful exercise and evidence of some exciting developments in the industry but, sorry Imada-san, as Fukucho already has had a mention, I’ll move on.

Off at a tangent here (I’m racking up too many SOTYs) so a quick aside on a tiebreaker for LOTY (Label Of The Year). One of these is wrapped around a bottle from Yamaguchi Prefecture’s Abunotsuru Shuzo. The Sake within is very interesting, it has the look of a traditionally made lemonade’s haze and made me scrawl amongst my flavour comments “plasticine-y”, but in a good nostalgic way. Miyoshi-san is Toji and Kuramoto, and his Sakes are always creative, his labels representative of a new breed of youngsters in the Sake world but this one is his Grandfather’s original design, reused due to tight time constraints - welcome back.

The other LOTY is of course from Daruma Masamune and their blend of Year of the Rat vintages which inspired my playful RATFACED article. The imagery, label material and whole story is the real deal and an October 2020 highlight for me.

Aged Sake is such a small part of the industry but when I have it I really do enjoy drinking it and the team in Gifu Prefecture are amongst the best and most committed.

I won’t linger long on SOTY #5 as there’s not a lot that hasn’t been written about Masumi, now I’m sure neck-deep in Nagano snowfall. Keep safe guys. But their Hiyaoroshi Junmai Ginjo Yamahai, brewed with Masumi No.7 yeast of course, is “Smooooth”, according to my very academic insight, presumably written after polishing off most of the bottle.

A quick bit of international showcasing allows me a tiebreaker for SOTY #6, recognising Zenkuro in New Zealand and Kanpai London, back in UK. To be making Junmai Daiginjo after just five years outside of Japan, to this level, is quite extraordinary but if anyone can, Dave Joll and his team are up to the task - more on that in my article SPECIAL DELIVERY but the main message is that this didn’t taste like an international effort to make a Japanese Daiginjo, it fell into the domestic excellence.

For Kanpai London, a series of now we’re open-now we’re closed scenarios has been extremely frustrating for head brewer Tom Wilson but he has regardless managed a great addition to the range with MIRU Junmai Ginjo, a rich and savoury Sake that’s great served chilled or warm. With imported goods from Europe likely to be at a new premium soon (great work Boris, just what a Covid-ravaged UK needed), 2021 may be a big growth year for British Sake! Read more here about Tom and Lucy’s brewing set up (LONDON PREFECTURE).

A return to my early 2020 theme now. I moaned a bit about the propensity for Hong Kong to have wall to wall Ginjo grade Sakes, relegating Junmai and particularly Honjozo to bottom shelves and less well managed supermarket displays.

So I was delighted to hit upon a steady supply of SOTY #7: Isojiman Tokubetsu Honjozo Tokusen. Luckily for me, this more often than not is only in Isshobin format. It becomes Tokubetsu due to Ginjo level 60% polished kakemai and very-Ginjo level 55% polished kojimai. Both rices are Hyogo A Grade Yamadanishiki so essentially this is a bit like when you see a film star scruffing it in a baggy t-shirt and jeans, flying low under the radar. It’s really good and instantly converted me to explore more of this Shizuoka institution.

Lastly I couldn’t forget about my beloved Hokkaido and relative newbie brewery opened in 2017, meaning I have yet to visit it but already think I know well.

SOTY #8 goes to the three rice three grade tasting flight: Ginpu Tokubetsu Junmai, Suisei Junmai Ginjo & Kitashizuku Junmai Daiginjo. In this case less isn’t more! All three are Hokkaido native rice strains and so if there was ever a good opportunity for some terroir tasting, it’s here.

For me this island is about as pure as it gets. I’ve tasted salmon here, proper salmon, and it’s a story I still bore people with years later. Recalibrate your concept of dairy by enjoying Hokkaido milk but remember that you can never untaste it so all other milks will disappoint. The Sake is clean and pure and makes you feel good.

This was supposed to be a quick ramble and given the frenetic Christmas shopping going on I don’t suppose many will read to the end of it! Looking back, maybe I did learn something - Sake isn’t a vaccine for 2020 but it’s been a damn good emergency service.

Happy Holidays and please keep reading in 2021, a much better vintage I’m sure!

FOOTNOTE:

Only this - thanks for your support in 2020, keep safe!

QUICK GLOSSARY:

Junmai: Sakes made with no added alcohol are Junmai, the only ingredients are rice, water and Koji mould
Ginjo 吟醸: Sake made from rice at a polishing ratio below 60% and Daiginjo大吟醸: Sake made from rice at a polishing ratio below 50%
Muroka: Sake that has not been fine filtered using charcoal
Genshu: Sake that hasn’t been diluted with water meaning it can be a little stronger than the standard 15-16% alcohol
Toji: Master Brewer with ultimate responsibility for brewing and the leadership of the brewing team
Shuzo: Sake brewery. Often added to the company name e.g. Morikawa Shuzo
Shinshu: “New Sake” just made and released for sale by the brewery
Moto: Also known as Shubo, this is the small starter batch to grow a thriving yeast population before the main fermentation
Yamahai 山廃: Yeast starter method developed after Kimoto allowing for natural lactic acid production but without the labour of Kimoto’s long paddles (takes 4 weeks)
Namazake: 生酒 (生:raw, fresh, or living; 酒:sake) – in short, unpasteurized Sake
Isshobin: The most popular bottle size in Japan, this 1 sho bottle holds 1800ml/1.8l (1 go合 = 180ml / 10 go = 1 sho升)
Kuramoto: Sake brewery owner
Hiyaoroshi: Also known as Namazume, this Sake is typically launched in autumn having been pasteurized only once before storage over the summer
Honjozo 本醸造: Sake made from rice at a polishing ratio below 70%
Tokubetsu 特別: Simply means “special” and identifies that a special production process was applied to a Junmai or Honjozo category Sake. More often than not it designates that a lower rice polishing rate than required took place
Kakemai: Steamed Sake rice
Kojimai: Sake rice that has been inoculated with the Koji-kin mould

LINKS:

Sake Mistress and the Taste With The Toji project can be found at www.sakemistress.com/taste-with-the-toji-project/

Sake On Air ran the amazing two day Sake Future Summit back in November and all 20 plus hours is available for watching here: www.sakeonair.com/summit/