Top 3 Japanese Sake for the Winter
(Sake listed below are available online in Australia)
Unlike a beer that is predominantly preferred chilled, sake can be uniquely enjoyed in every season due to its ability to be served either chilled or heated.
In Japan the concept of heated sake is very popular in colder prefectures. Although it is not recommended to heat all sake types, for many, heating does tend to emphasize all notes of a sake’s features, helping accentuate underlying flavors and aromas. Cheaper sake bottles may come with heating instructions, and that is exactly for that reason.
If you want to learn specifically about the 6 different heating methods, I have a blog post coming soon with instructions on how to do this, and what you could achieve from the 6 stages.
These are my current go-to sakes for the winter that are available in Australia.
1. Denshin Ine Junmai (伝心)
Price: $38AUD
This sake is from the city of Katsuyama - Fukui, brewed in a town at the bottom of the Mt. Hakusan. This is made from a type of sake rice called ‘Koshinoshizuku’, which is a rare specie of rice grown locally in Katsuyama. Denshi Ine Junmai is a round-bodied dry sake, but the lingering notes are soft and creamy with ripe fruity flavours. It is best consumed at 35℃, due to smooth and rich experience that temperature creates.
Pairing Japanese Food: Agedashi tofu, Grilled eggplant with miso sauce. Steamed clams.
Pairing Western Food: Roasted duck, lobster, or crab. Cheese fondue.
Denshin Ine Junmai Official Website: https://www.ippongi.co.jp/1343/
2. URAKASUMI JUNMAI
Price: $42AUD (720ml)
This sake is from the Miyagi prefecture in Japan. They use manamusubi rice (table rice) to produce their sake, which holds a fresh taste and is full of Umami rice flavours. It’s a pretty versatile drink that can pair with any type of meal, and is great tasting in different temperatures. I personally like this sake at around 40-45℃.
Pairing Japanese Food: Grilled Fish (Mackerel, Saury) Unagi.
Pairing Western Food: Grilled chicken, Grilled salmon, Wok-frid Bok Choy peanut & oyster sauce.
Official Link: http://www.urakasumi.com/en/items/2014/06/junmai-shu-urakasumi.html?country=all_items
3. Daishichi Kimoto Junmai
Price: $48 AUD (720ml)
The Daishichi Sake brewery is located by a popular ski resort in Nihonmatsu city, north of the Fukushima prefecture. To this day, they still use a traditional brewing process called ‘Kimoto’, which is a labour intensive yet rewarding process which tends to bring out bold flavours.
Best consumed at around 50-55℃ or room temperature. It tends to go well with oilier dishes.
Pairing Japanese Food: Chicken Karaage, Tempura Prawn, Grilled oyster with cream sauce
Pairing Western Food: Generally any kind of creamy dish, cheese, lobster, or crab.
Official web: https://www.daishichi.com/en/sake/junmaikimoto.html
