Japanese Sake : All Japan News,Inc

The fundamental meaning of Ginjo is “sake brewed under close examination and scrutiny,” generally understood to be sake raised to the level of art from thorough brewing by the brewing master who further refines the highest quality of sake rice. Previously, since sake was produced for submission to sake competitions, these sake were not sold in the market. However, Ginjo is garnering attention as high-end sake due to the Japanese sake boom during the past twenty years.      
 
“Standards for Manufacturing Methods and Quality Indication for Sake” by the National Tax Agency defines Ginjo as sake produced according to the Ginjo production method utilizing sake rice polished below the rice polishing ratio of 60 percent, regulated as sake with a “characteristic aroma and good luster and color.” This is the definition for Ginjo sake, however, “Daiginjo” is defined as sake with the rice polishing ratio of below 50 percent, with a “characteristic aroma and especially good luster and color.”
 
Also, Ginjo consists of the Honjozo type and Junmai type, with the Honjozo type prepared by adding a small amount of distilled alcohol prior to the filtration process (the limit to the amount of additives is the same amount regulated for the Honjozo type). Therefore, Ginjo actually consists of four different types – the Honjozo type consisting of “Ginjo” and “Daiginjo,” and the Junmai type consisting of the “Junmai Ginjo” and “Junmai Daiginjo.”  
 
Ginjo is different from other Japanese sake due to the unique aroma consisting of apples, bananas, and other fruity aromas. This aroma is referred to as the “Ginjo aroma,” and this aroma is the life of Ginjo. 
 
However, not all Ginjo necessarily have this aroma notably, some with a faint Ginjo aroma while hardly detectable in other Ginjo. The sake production method that generates this unique aroma is called the “Ginjo method.” First, sake rice suitable for brewing sake (such as “Yamanishiki” rice) is used and carefully polished to high rice polishing ratios over time, with the water content absorbed to suppress moisture in the steamed sake rice.   
 
Rice malt is prepared using special young rice malt while the highly-rated No. 9 yeast is used to prepare yeast for Ginjo, then fermented at low temperatures over a long period of time.
 
For general sake, the highest temperature for fermenting mash is generally around 59 degrees F, with fermentation suppressed to around 20 days, approximately. However, for Ginjo, the fermenting mash is fermented below 50 degrees F for over 30 days approximately, at low-temperatures theoretically close to the limit for fermentation. Also, the lower the temperature is for fermentation, the more days it takes for fermentation, adding additional work and costs. However, this effort is what generates the fresh, fruity, elegant Ginjo sake aroma.  
 
 

日本酒の地域性  
 

 

本来、日本酒は地方色が豊かで、酒質も多様な酒である。わが国は狭い国土ながら南北に長く、海に囲まれていて山も多い。そのため、寒冷地から温暖地に至るさまざまな気候風土が形成されており、地域による水質や地質の違いが大きく、米も違う。また、日本酒造りの伝統技術は、気候風土や杜氏の流派ばかりでなく、それぞれの地方、地域の歴史や文化、産物、食習慣などと密接に関わっているから、味の違いがあって当然といえる。
 
たとえば、昔から硬度の高い宮水で仕込まれる灘の酒は濃醇辛ロの「男酒」として知られ、反対に、軟水地域である伏見の酒は柔らかな甘口の「女酒」といわれてきた。 
 
また、広島に代表される瀬戸内海沿岸地域の酒は甘口が多く、高知や新潟の酒は辛ロが多いともよくいわれる。 
 
では、このような地域による酒質の違いが、現在も昔と同じようにあるのだろうか。全国の国税局鑑定官室が1年おきに行なっている市販酒の酒質調査によると、全体に辛ロ・淡麗化が進んでいる中で、昔からいわれているような地方による甘辛の傾向はある程度残っていることが分かる。しかし、これは都道府県単位での平均的な甘辛・濃淡度の話であって、個々のメーカーとして見ると必ずしもそうではない。現在の酒造技術をもってすれば、酒の甘辛・濃淡はほとんど自在にコントロールできるからだ。 
 
日本酒の地方色が薄れている要因として、よく昨今の吟醸酒ブームが挙げられる。ひと頃、酒造業界では「YK-35で造れば全国新酒鑑評会で金賞が取れる」といわれたが、YK-35とは、兵庫県産の山田錦（Y）と熊本酵母（K）を使用し、35％の精米歩合にするという意味。この公式通りに造れば高品質の吟醸酒ができるが、地域による差異はないに等しい。 
 
この傾向は吟醸酒に限らない。日本酒の主原料である米はワインのブドウと違って輸送が容易であるため、高品質の原料米を求めるとどうしても、有名産地のものが使用されることになる。酒の香味に大きく関わる酵母にしても、大半が同一性質の「きょうかい酵母」である。その他、米の高度精白の重視、水質の加工、濾過での活性炭の多用、醸造アルコールの添加など、酒の香味を没個性化させる要因が多いことが指摘されている。
 
 しかし、最近は県単位で新酵母を開発したり、地元産の米で地の酒を醸すという方針の酒蔵が目立ってきていることもあり、昔とは違った新たな地方色が生まれる可能性も期待されている。
 
 

By Kosuke Kuji

 

Sake is currently stored in two ways: At “room temperature” or “refrigerated.” 

 

As most of you know, sake stored at room temperature advances aging that slows when refrigerated. 

 

However, a new way to “freeze,” store, and age sake is now introduced. 

 

Unlike “Mizore-zake” (frozen, sherbet-like sake), this new method does not freeze sake to be semi-thawed later for “consumption,” but rather, revolutionized how sake is “stored.”   

 

History revealed that sake had been frozen and stored in the past. However, such freezing methods are completely different from the super-freezing method introduced in this report. 

 

Sake frozen using the usual methods can be stored if certain precautions are taken due to the risk of deteriorated flavor and cracked bottles, the same reasons why sake was not typically frozen in the past. 

 

Why is a new method to freeze and store sake now possible? 

 

“Flash-freezing” is a process developed in the last 10 years and used widely in the food industry to freeze fresh meat, fish, and other perishables. 

 

This rapidly developed and evolved new “flash-freezing” technology is now used to flash-freeze sake, sold as “Frozen Sake.”  

 

Over thirty Japanese sake breweries currently use this technology for sake products such as “Dassai” and “Dewazakura,” garnering attention for new possibilities this technology offers to preserve the quality of sake. 

 

Mizore-zake: Sake which is frozen in a freezer until it becomes sherbet-like.

 

 

First, participate in tasting events when in optimal health because the flavor cannot be tasted accurately while suffering a cold or a hangover. 

 

Smoking and consuming foods with strong flavor, such as garlic, is also prohibited before participating in tasting events. 

 

Also, refrain from wearing cosmetics, colognes, and perfumes with strong fragrances when tasting sake with others. 

 

To sample different alcoholic beverages, drink water to prevent the senses from dulling due to intoxication. 

 

(Toji (master sake brewer) and sake sommeliers spit out the sake they tasted during tasting events.)

 

Exercise caution as alcohol from whiffing sake aromas and tasting different selections of sake over a prolonged period can numb one’s sense of smell and taste. 

 

 

 

Acquire the techniques of a sake sommelier with your five senses  

 

In Japanese, kikisake - commonly referred to as sake tasting - is to understand the fragrance properties of sake and other beverages using all five senses – “vision,” “taste,” “smell,” etc. 

 

Tasting the sake and verbally expressing the sake fragrance and flavor with one’s own five senses is important. 

 

What is sake tasting? 

 

The purpose of sake tasting is different according to each position. For example, the master sake brewer and sake brewery workers taste sake while brewing to determine the quality and shipment time, while sake sommeliers - who sell and serve sake in restaurants and sake shops – taste sake to understand the characteristics of each sake and reflect on how to explain each sake and propose how to best enjoy each sake to customers.  

 

Also, the purpose of tasting sake for general consumers is to determine which sake best suits one’s own preferences.

 

 

 

 

日本の酒蔵の数

 

日本、焼酎の酒蔵の数は消費量の減少とともに減っているが、それでも日本全国に約1600か所ある。どの地域に酒蔵が多いのかを紹介してみたい。日本酒の蔵元が多い印象のある新潟や、生産量の最も多い京都を思い浮かべるだろうが、実は九州の鹿児島が一番多い。

 

酒造メーカーの多いトップ5： 

 

1位　鹿児島県酒造組合　109

 

2位　新潟県酒造組合　90

 

3位　長野県酒造組合　81

 

4位　兵庫県酒造組合連合会 71

 

5位　福岡県酒造組合　64

 

地域別の酒造メーカー数：

 

東北・北海道　226

 

関東　191

 

中部　379

 

近畿　234

 

中国　155

 

四国　81

 

九州　378

 

地域的には、2位新潟県、3位長野県のある中部地域が1位で379箇所となり、九州は378か所とかなり多いことがわかる。中部では、日本酒メーカーが多いの対して、九州は焼酎メーカーが多いのが特徴。