It is such a tight match!

It’s a tough question- when it comes to the style of a sake, what’s the most determining factor?

It might be a controversial one- hence I have decided to narrow it down to tackle it from the perspective of a sake consumer. As a sake consumer, which factor should I be looking at to make an educated guess on what to expect from a sake bottle?

Origin of Production

Important, but not as much. For those who are like me, loving both wine and sake, we know that in the wine world, origin of production, the concept of terroir, is super important. For sake, however, its role is less significant. The breweries from all over Japan have their own distinct philosophy of brewing; sake rice planted in different areas can be used by breweries from all over Japan.

Having said that, one cannot totally disregard this factor. There is a category of sake- Jizake (地酒)- designated to sake which are locally produced. Origin of production does have an impact on the water used in sake production- which is one important factor in determining the style of the sake. (check this link to learn more about the role of water in sake production)

Rice & Water

Very important, after all these are the 2 main ingredients of sake. Recently there are more than 90 different varieties of sake rice grown in Japan, of which the more well-known varieties are Yamadanishiki (山田錦), Gohyakumangoku (五十萬石), Miyamanishiki (美山錦) and Omachi (雄町). All of them has their own characteristics which would be reflected in the flavour and aroma profile of the sake. (Check this link to learn more about the role of rice in sake production)

However, the breweries using the same type of rice and water can brew such different styles of sake- and that is because they spend years of time and effort to perfect their house style by employing different production techniques, and the impact of which can often overpower the characteristic of the raw ingredient itself. Hence, it’s almost impossible to say, “oh, this is such a typical style of Yamadanishiki, as we say “oh, this is such a typical Chardonnay”.

Production Techniques

Most important (drum roll!!!)- I guess it’s safe to conclude that production techniques is the most important factor here. Ones can look for clues from the sake label to understand what are the different techniques the brewer used to produce this bottle of sake, and hence to deduce what to expect from the bottle.

Setting the scene for my next few posts- more to come on the important topic of “Understanding Sake Production”.