Nov 16, 2010

Shiwasu no Happo-shu / End of Year's premium sparkling sake


We are stepping closer and close to the end of 2010...So many things undone from new year's resolution, but there is nothing worth to cry over it.
Instead, why don't we celebrate this season happily, and start over, with a glass of fizzy, sparkling sake? ;)
Sparkling sake is made the same way as other regular sake -up to a point. During the middle of fermentation, when the alcohol is only around 5-10 percent, whereas the normal sake is 18-20 percent, the sake is pressed and bottled. Within the bottle, a secondary fermentation starts and that produces bubbly carbonation. it is very similar to the way how champagne is made.
sparkling sake tend to taste sweeter than normal sake, little like cream soda that I liked in Japan.

2010年ももうすぐ終わりに近づいています。
新年に立てた抱負がまだまだ実現できていない…なんて泣くよりも、この時期を盛大に祝い、また一から新年を迎えるのはいかがでしょうか。それにぴったりなのがシュワシュワの、スパークリング日本酒。;)
“スパークリング”日本酒は、通常の日本酒とある行程までは造りは一緒。
通常の酒が18〜20%なのに対し、まだ発酵途中のアルコール濃度5〜10%の低い所で濾過&ボトリングをし、
ボトル内で二次発酵し炭酸を発生させるという、シャンパンと同じ手法です。
味わいは通常の日本酒よりも甘めなことが多く、日本で好きだったクリームソーダを思い出させます。

Zuma offers two different kinds of sparkling sake in this winter:
ズマでは、この冬二種類の発泡日本酒を用意しました:


1) Dassai 50% Junmai Ginjo, Sparkling (Asahi Shuzo, from Yamaguchi)
 獺祭 五割 純米吟醸 スパークリング (山口県 旭酒造)


The name of their sake, Dassai, means "otter festival." Part of the name refers to an ancient name for the region in Yamaguchi Prefecture, as long ago there were many otters frolicking in the nearby rivers. Otters will lay out the fish that they catch on the shore, almost as if they are showing them off in a festival.Asahi Shuzo is a brewery specialising only in the very highest grade junmai ginjo and junmai daiginjo. In addition, 95% of the rice used is Yamadanishiki, commonly referred to as the king of sake rice. The brewery's reputation is unsurpassed through national / international gourmet communities.This sparkling edition of their sake is exceptionally clean, smooth and elegant exquisite sake. It is well balanced, and has aromas of ripe stone fruits and touch of fresh grapefruits.

「獺祭」(だっさい)の由来は、所在地である獺越。獺祭の言葉の意味は、獺(かわうそ)が捕らえた魚を岸に並べてまるで祭りをするようにみえるところから、詩や文をつくる時多くの参考資料等を広げちらす事を現しているそうです。そのように常に学び続け、革新し続けるという信念を掲げるこの蔵の信念を表現するため、この名前をつけたのだとか。
旭酒造の特徴は、95%を酒米の王様と言われる山田錦を使用し、吟醸や大吟醸の高級酒に特化しているというところ。国内だけでなく、国外のフーディストに多くのファンを持つ有名な蔵です。彼らの発泡酒は、非常に綺麗な喉越しとバランスの優れており、プラムや桃などの香りとグレープフルーツを思いおこさせる酸味とやさしい苦みが残ります。




2) Tosa Shiragiku Bihappo Gin no Yume (Sentou Shuzo from Kochi)
 土佐しらぎく 微発泡 吟の夢 (高知県 仙頭酒造)


 The Sentou Brewery locates in Kochi prefecture, on the south coast of Shikoku island.
The daughter of the brewery took over the sales, PR, and production since few years ago and helped creating images of sake to be suitable for women.Kochi Prefecture sake is actually the driest in the country; drier even than Niigata sake. Usually the fragrance is comparatively subdued, and flavors start out soft, but open up and widen quite nicely as you sip.This sake Ultra light sparkling sake. It has a hint of candied lemon flavour with crisp and super dry finish. it will match perfectly with some dishes with lemon such as fried seafood with lime/lemon wedge.Since this sake contains high carbonation, I personally prefer to enjoy a day or two after opening the bottle.even it become "flat", this sake still tastes beautiful.

仙頭酒造は四国の南側沿岸に面した高知県にある蔵です。この蔵の娘さんが数年前にセールスやPRや製造を任され、女性に愛される日本酒を造っています。高知県のお酒は、「日本で一番辛口」と言われているらしく、辛口で有名な新潟の酒よりも辛い、とか。香りは控えめで穏やか。口当たりは最初は柔らかく、飲むにつれ味が開いてくる印象です。
このスパークリング酒は非常に軽快で、レモンキャンディーのような香りときりりと辛口な味わいのお酒です。レモンを添えたような、カキフライなどの魚介のフライと相性が合います。非常に炭酸が強いので、個人的に私は開栓して1〜2日目の穏やかになった状態のものが好き。炭酸が完全に抜けてしまっても、レモネードのように美味しいんですよ。



2 comments:

Unknown said...

Thank you for the interesting post!
I often use sake for cooking. Although I can't drink, I also can't live with out.
So many people in the US avoiding wheat due to gluten allergy, I believe people should pay more attention to sake!
May be making cream-soda with sake is one way to make it happen,,,?

natsuki kikuya said...

thanks natsumi for always being a best reader of my blog! love you!
yes, sake is amazing in the way that never touches to the animals and wheat free people! and it make you beautiful as well!