Sake Deep Dive

In this podcast, the hosts explore the concept of terroir in sake production, discussing its historical roots and modern controversy. They examine how climate and soil quality influence sake brewing, and delve into the challenges of defining terroir in different regions like Hagi. The discussion highlights the complexities of identifying terroir factors in rice cultivation and brewing, emphasizing the unique characteristics they impart to sake.

Show Notes: Andy and Jim look into perhaps the most famous brewing water in Japan: Miyamizu. Why is it so famous? Why ISN’T it part of Nada’s rise to fame? All will be revealed! NOTE: Issues beyond our control resulted in some need for re-recording and editing, so sound quality is kind of spotty in this episode. We apologize! Recommended Sake in this Episode: Andrew: Sakura Masamune Kyokai 1  Jim Hakushika Suzuro Shiboritate Futsushu  Useful vocabulary for this episode: 灘五郷 Nadagogo - the five villages of Nada. Currently, they are Imazu, Nishinomiya, Uozaki, Mikage, and Nishi. 灘目 Nadame - The original “nada brewing region.” The me is likely a corruption of 辺 be, meaning “area around.” Our theme music is from Lotus Lane by The Loyalist - Preconceived Notions Available at https://soundcloud.com/preconceived-notions Under a Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/lotus-lane Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/1YVHRMVwwHg

Show Notes: Andy and Jim take on Sokujomoto, the incredibly common fast yeast starter. On the way, they explore its linked history with yamahai, talk about how it got so common, and clarify its modern variations. Recommended Sake in this Episode: Andrew: Bijofu Ginjo Rei Jim: Takarabune Junmai Saito no Shizuku Useful vocabulary for this episode: Sokujo Moto - Fast yeast starter. Developed by Kamajiro Eda, first established in detail in an NRIB journal article in 1910, but also hinted at in 1909. Koon Toka - High temperature saccharification fast yeast starter. Also known as amazake moto. Particularly common in Hiroshima brewing. Chuon Toka - Medium temperature saccharification fast yeast starter. Teion Toka - Low temperature saccharification fast yeast starter. Also known as futsusokujo. The original sokujo moto. Kobo Jikomi - “Yeast mashing.” No-starter brewing. Our theme music is from Lotus Lane by The Loyalist - Preconceived Notions Available at https://soundcloud.com/preconceived-notions Under a Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/lotus-lane Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/1YVHRMVwwHg

Show Notes: This month, Jim and Andy grind away at the true first stage of sake brewing: rice polishing. Or is it milling? Seimai. Whatever. They work their usual magic looking at the whos, whats, whens, and whys of how genmai becomes hakumai. Come and listen! Recommended Sake in this Episode: Andrew: Kirei Mannen Junmai Ginjo Genshu Jim: Harada Junmai 80 Useful vocabulary for this episode: Seimaibuai -  The amount of rice left after milling/polishing, expressed as a percent. Satake - The biggest manufacturer of rice milling equipment in Japan, and thus the world. Shinseimai - A more accurate measure of seimaibuai, done by measuring the weight difference between wholegrain rice and polished rice in thousand-grain batches. Karausu - the original rice hulling technology, consisting of a foot-driven mortar and pestle. Genmai - whole rice, husk and all. Hakumai - white rice, after polishing for eating or brewing. Our theme music is from Lotus Lane by The Loyalist - Preconceived Notions Available at https://soundcloud.com/preconceived-notions Under a Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/lotus-lane Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/1YVHRMVwwHg

Jim and Andy take on one of the most persistent sake myths around: that hot sake means bad sake. Here, they go back to see just how long people have been warming up their tipples, explore why the practice seems to have fallen out of favor, and of course offer up their own preferences. Recommended Sake in this Episode: Andrew: Ozasaya Taketsuru Junmai Genshu Omachi Jim: Choyo Fukumusume Chokugumi Kimoto Junmai Useful vocabulary for this episode: The Kan Names: 日向燗  Hinatakan (Sunlit warm) about 30℃ 人肌燗  Hitohadakan (skin warmth) 35℃ ぬる燗  Nurukan (Lukewarm) 40℃ 上燗     Jokan (Upper hot) 45℃ 熱燗     Atsukan (Hot hot) 50℃ 飛びきり燗     Tobikirikan (Really hot) 55℃ Our theme music is from Lotus Lane by The Loyalist - Preconceived Notions Available at https://soundcloud.com/preconceived-notions Under a Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/lotus-lane Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/1YVHRMVwwHg

Show Notes: Your two resident Omachists take on the only rice variety with its own fan club, Omachi. The gentle giant has a rabid fanbase, but why? What makes it different? Where’s it from? Andy brings his hands-on experience and Jim brings his unending thirst to this month’s Sake Deep Dive. Recommended Sake in this Episode: Andrew: Tamagawa Tetsukazu (Untouched) Junmai Ginjo Omachi Jim: Taka Sakana Atsurae Omachi 55 Useful vocabulary for this episode: 岸本甚 造 Kishimoto Jinzou - A farmer from Omachi village in Bizen no Kuni (Now Omachi district of Okayama City) who discovered two tall stalks of rice on his way home from a visit to Hokinokuni (Tottori) Daisen 伯耆大山. 赤磐雄町 Akaiwa Omachi - A pure strain of Omachi commonly considered “the best,” for reasons unclear. 改良雄町 Kairyo Omachi - “Improved” Omachi crossbred in Shimane and now common in Hiroshima. Our theme music is from Lotus Lane by The Loyalist - Preconceived Notions Available at https://soundcloud.com/preconceived-notions Under a Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/lotus-lane Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/1YVHRMVwwHg

This month, Andy and Jim look into the mystical (or not) Bodaimoto method of making sake. What is it? Where did it come from? Where did it come BACK from? All will be revealed as we clear away the mists of myth to become one with the truth of this ancient sake brewing method. Recommended Sake in this Episode: Andrew: Gozenshu Bodaimoto Junmai Nigori from Tsuji Honten Jim: Takacho from Yucho Shuzo Useful vocabulary for this episode: Bodaimoto - A style of brewing using natural production of a lactic acid solution prior to the actual fermentation process. Bodaiken - Nara-ken bodaimoto ni yoru seishu seizou kenkyukai, or the Nara Prefecture Study Group for Producing Sake using Bodaimoto. A group of local experts, temple representatives, and sake brewers in Nara Prefecture who have claimed the Bodaimoto name for their process. Ikakimoto - Another traditional name for the process used in Bodaimoto, referring to a basket used to hold cooked rice in water to start lactic fermentation. Mizumoto - A term used to refer to the same process as Bodaimoto, but for those who do not belong to the Bodaiken group. Originally, a process similar to proto-Yamahai. Soboshu - Sake made by Buddhist monks during the early period of sake’s flourishing. Our theme music is from Lotus Lane by The Loyalist - Preconceived Notions Available at https://soundcloud.com/preconceived-notions Under a Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/lotus-lane Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/1YVHRMVwwHg

In this episode of Sake Deep Dive, Jim and Andy tackle koshu-the history and culture of aging sake. Once more, our intrepid geeks go back to the early days of sake to see just what age does to our favorite beverage. We discuss the ancient history of aging sake, the Lost Century that saw the practice fade, and a little about its recent resurgence.   Recommended sake in this episode  Andrew: Akishika Okushika Yamadanishiki Jim: Mizuho Kuromatsu Kenbishi  Useful Vocabulary:  古酒 Koshu - sake that has been aged longer than usual. Literally "old sake."  長期熟成酒研究会 Choki Jukuseishu Kenkyukai - The long-term matured sake study council. A group that promotes matured sake as a beverage and object of study.   老香 Hineka - "Old smell." An unpleasant aroma in some older sake caused primarily by excess dimethyl trisulfide (DMTS).  生老香　Namahineka - "Raw old smell." An unpleasant aroma in some older namazake caused by the enzymatic oxidization of isoamyl alcohol. Our theme music is from Lotus Lane by The Loyalist - Preconceived Notions Available at https://soundcloud.com/preconceived-notions Under a Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/lotus-lane Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/1YVHRMVwwHg

Kimoto: Raising Wee Beasties The is a really deep dive, even for us. Kimoto: Raising Wee Beasties sees Andrew Russell and Jim Rion discuss the venerable kimoto method of making the seed mash for sake brewing, and hopefully clear up some common misconceptions about it and its close relative of yamahai. Recommended Sake in this Episode: Andrew: Tamagawa Kimoto Junmai Stork Label Jim: Nakashimaya Kimoto Junmai Chokarakuchi Useful vocabulary for this episode: Yamaoroshi / Motosuri: The iconic “pole mashing” that everyone imagines for kimoto starter. Two kurabito stand on opposite sides of a wooden hangiri tank and mash rice, rice koji, and a bit of water into a paste. The goal is to help physically kickstart the koji's primary job of saccharifying rice. Sodatemoto: Another name for the kimoto-kei family of starters, it means “nurtured starter,” or “raised starter.” Namamoto: In kimoto-kei, after the starter has gone through lactic bacterial fermentation but before it starts yeast fermentation, it was once called 生 nama. The character can also be read “ki.” Utase: A stage of kimoto-kei starters in which the saccharified mash is left at low temperature to encourage bacterial fermentation. A key part of the process. Our theme music is from Lotus Lane by The Loyalist - Preconceived Notions Available at https://soundcloud.com/preconceived-notions Under a Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/lotus-lane Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/1YVHRMVwwHg

Happy Holidays! ☆ Andrew Russell and Jim Rion bring a special episode of Sake Deep Dive for your Christmas listening pleasure-after the presents are open and carols are sung, warm up a tokkuri and settle in for some sake chat.  ☆ This time, we’re keeping it casual and looking back at the year that was.  ☆ Join us as we reflect on the podcast, great sake discoveries, the allure of pottery, and our sake breweries of the year. ☆ It’s a casual swim this time, but we hope you’ll still find something interesting to keep the sake flowing.  ☆ Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and kanpai.  ☆☆ Find Andrew Russell online at www.OriginSake.com and Jim Rion or www.JimRion.com and www.YamaguchiSake.com!  ☆Our theme music is from Lotus Lane by The Loyalist - Preconceived Notions Available at https://soundcloud.com/preconceived-notions Under a Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/lotus-lane Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/1YVHRMVwwHg