The Niigata Sake Brewers Association is holding Niigata Sake Bar held on November 20th and 21st. 'Sake Bar' will have people coming from all over Japan to appreciate the 87 Niigata breweries and their sakes.
For those not in Japan, there will be a 'Niigata Sake Bar Online Event' held on Saturday 13th November from 6:00pm ~ 8:00pm(JST). This Online Event will be LIVE on Youtube (click the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COv8jekSuOc) and its FREE! It will be conducted in Japanese by special navigator Ichiro Furutachi, who will enlighten us about Niigata sake, joining him will be a suprise guest speaker!
To make sure your wine glasses or chokos aren't empty during the Online Event, we'll be releasing the 'Niigata Sake Bar Set' that includes sakes from our favourite Niigata brewery, 'Kawachu'. This set comes with four Soutebou sakes and a optional Soutenbou appron to go with it.
Sake included:
- Soutenbou Snake Escape Extreme Dry Genshu 想天坊 蛇逃 極辛火入原酒 720ml
Tasting Notes: This sake has a very subtle rice smell. It is very dry exemplifying the style of Niigata sake. This sake should be drunk cold and if prefer, on rocks.
- Soutenbou Echigo No Kokoro Tsutaeru 想天坊 越後の心伝える 720ml
Tasting Notes: This sake exemplifies the brewery’s creation of a sake that this has a subtle umami taste (淡麗旨). It has a subtle sweet rice nose follows a distinctive umami and dryness that is typical of sake of this region.
- Soutenbou Rose Snake Super Dry Junmai Nama Genshu 蛇逃 蛇薔薇 超辛口 純米生原酒 720ml
**This sake must be kept under 5°C to maintain its quality.**
Tasting Notes: This sake has a bouquet of broth, mushrooms, and slight nutty notes. Consists of chicken broth like umami that is savory. Even though its label with super dry, it is still approachable for most people.
- Soutenbou Takane Nishiki Junmai Ginjo 想天坊 高嶺錦 純米吟醸 720ml
Tasting Notes: This sake has a unique palate that starts with a clean simple sweetness of rice, which broads into a deep rich umami taste, and finishes with a dry after note.
If you choose ' with an apron'
Set also includes:
- Japanese Apron "Maekake" - Soutenbou Edition
This "Maekake" is made in Japan by professionals for Soutenbou brand.
More often than not, you will come across certain "specialist" terms used on sake labels.
Here is a short list for your ease of reference. If you come across to any terms which you don't understand on any sake purchased from us, please feel free to contact us, we are more than happy to assist.
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古酒 Ko Shu: |
This is aged sake. Not all sake can be aged and the result depends largely on the aging conditions. Although most aged sake becomes "sherry" like, there are some which are aged in ice cold conditions becomes dryer and richer in flavour. Because of the wide variety of results, it is best to consult with our sake specialist before buying a bottle of Ko Shu.
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濁り Nigori |
Also know as "cloudy sake". In nigori sake, the sake is passed through a coarser mesh allowing some of the lees (rice remnants) to pass through. The taste of nigori sake is less refined and more textured and rich. It goes very well with spicy food (such as Korean kimchi dishes).
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原酒 Genshu |
Usually water is added to the pressed sake, thereby the alcohol level is diluted to 16 to 18%. For Genshu, water has not been added and the alcohol level will be around 20%, the natural rate for sake.
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貴醸酒 Kijoushu: |
Normally water is added to sake after fermentation. For kijoushu, some sake is used in place of some of the water added. The result is a rich, dessert like sake that is often aged/. Many compares this with sherry and port.
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生酒 Nama Shu: |
Sake is usually pasteurized twice, once before storing in a tank and one before bottling. Nama shu is unpasteurised sake and must be stored in refrigerator.
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生貯蔵 Nama Chozo |
Nama Chozo means that the sake is not pasteurized before storage in a tank, but is pasteurized before bottling.
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生卸 /生詰 Nama Oroshi/ Nama Zume : |
Nama Zume is pasteurized before storage in a tank but not pasteurized again before bottling.
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ふなしぼり Funashibori : |
After fermentation, sale is pressed. There are different methods of pressing, which will yield different tasting sake. Funashibori is sake pressed in a traditional wooden box and not with a pressing machine.
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雫 Shizuku: |
Shizuku is sake "pressed" by allowing it to drip from cotton bags, with no pressure applied. It is more time consuming and costly than other pressing methods
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あらばしり Arabashiri : |
After fermentation, sale is pressed. There are different methods of pressing, which will yield different tasting sake. Arabashiri is the first one third of the sake yield, which run off under the pull of gravity alone when pressing with a fune or wooden box.
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中取り Nakadori: |
Nakadori is the "middle" yield of the sake. It is the next third of the sake yield after arabashiri. This is often considered the best.
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責め Seme: |
Seme is the "final" yield of the sake. It is the last third of the sake after nakadori. It often considered the least desirable due to it's deep bitter taste.
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斗ビン(斗瓶)囲い Toubin-gakoi: |
Sake is put in 18 litre bottles (called "toubin") when pressed. This term implies that the sake is pressed with a wooden box ("fune") or drip pressed ("shizuku")
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We will add to this list as it goes.