Taste Sensations: Testing Young Sake

This month, sake fans have had their hands -- and their glasses -- full, with back-to-back tasting events showcasing 2010’s newly released shinshu spring brews. The brewing season traditionally runs from late autumn through winter, and the sake is pressed in the spring. Although most sake is allowed to mature for at least six months before going on sale, a limited amount of young sake is released as a palate-teaser for connoisseurs. Shinshu is the sake world’s answer to Beaujolais Nouveau, with one major difference: it actually tastes good.

Shinshu is a bit of a blanket term, laced with the ambiguity inherent to so many Japanese words. In general, it describes sake that hasn’t been aged for the usual six-plus months, but can encompass several other categories. For the most part, it’s fresh and bouncy, with a slightly untamed quality reminiscent of adolescence.

A lot of the shinshu on the market is unpasteurized namazake. Sake is usually heated twice to deactivate enzymes and microorganisms that can affect the flavor and aroma of the brew. Unpasteurized namazake tends to have an abundance of fruity, green and, sometimes, yeasty aromas that give it a refreshing, zingy character. All namazake should be stored in the refrigerator to ensure that it doesn’t go off.

Pure Indulgence

Like wine, sake must be pressed to separate the liquids from the solids. Some of the shinshu on the shelves now may be labeled shiboritate, which means that the sake went straight from the press and into the bottle before being shipped.

In your foray into the realm of shinshu, you may also encounter the terms genshu and muroka. Genshu is sake in its pure, undiluted form. Normally, a small amount of water is added after pressing to soften the alcohol and bring out some of the brew’s finer, subtler characteristics. Genshu is often higher in alcohol, around 17 to 18 percent, with a fuller flavor and stronger bite. Muroka refers to the fact that the sake hasn’t been filtered with charcoal to smooth out some of the rougher edges.

Wily creature that it is, shinshu can be all of those things, or none of them. You can find a range of shinshu this season at sake specialist shops such as Hasegawa and Aji no Machidaya. Get it before it’s all gone.

On June 16^th, the National Research Institute of Brewing is bringing its Shinshu Kanpyokai to Tokyo. It’s the Big Daddy of shinshu tasting events, where you can try over 450 award-winning sakes in one place.