Ozeki Premium Junmai Sake, 75 cl

Product Information

If you like a clean, dry palate akin to something like a crisp lager, then Ozeki “Karatamba” is likely right for you. Sitting at around 15% ABV, this bottle is about average for sake in terms of alcohol content. It’s also worth noting that while it’s a honjozo (sake with minimum 70% RPR), the rice is polished down to 60%, showcasing the light, dry and earthy side of Yamadanishiki rice at a wide range of temperatures. Another great thing about Funaguchi Nama is that it ages pretty well. Leave it in a fridge for a year and its profile will change. The colour will change to amber and the taste will become more mellow and deeper with a nice velvety texture. In the American sake market, few brands hold the name recognition that Ozeki does. While the brewery is best known for producing the warm house sake of your local sushi joint, they make a variety of excellent products. You may also be surprised to learn that Ozeki sake has a long history, both in the U.S. and Japan. Let’s take a closer look at this storied company and some of the sake that they brew. What is Ozeki? The history behind the brewery Ozeki One Cup and Kikusui Funaguchi are two iconic single-serving sake and have been available in the UK for some time. But I have noticed a few new entries in the category in a recent couple of years from also very reputable le breweries. One of them, Kizakura, from the Fushimi district in Kyoto has actually two offerings. First is also futsushu like Ozeki One Cup with a clever Kizakura Kappa Cup 200 name and a very cute label.

Ozeki draws Miyamizu water from their own well to make their sake. Miyamizu is a prized water for sake making because of its rich mineral content, particularly phosphorus and potassium. | Courtesy of Ozeki.The lower-end of the premium market is covered by the ginjo classification. To qualify as a ginjo, a sake must be brewed with rice polished to 60% of its original size. It also uses a special yeast and fermentation process. Sake is a Japanese wine made from fermented rice, and is often referred to as rice wine in the West. This style of sake would usually be served chilled between 5-10°C, or gently warmed as ‘ kansake’ to 40-46°C in a small carafe ('tokkuri'). Producer Ozeki has been brewing sake since 1711 in Hyogo, central Japan, one of the most famous sake regions in Japan. Koshu is the term given to Japanese sake that's been aged for more than one year up to about 5 years. Koshu is stronger tasting, earthier, and more umami than other sake varieties. Matchless & unparalleled, daiginjo is what sake dreams are made of. These high-end premium sakes are brewed with rice that's polished to 50% or less of its original size.

However, it’s the second one cuppa I especially liked: Kizakura Tsu no Honjozo. It’s a honjozo sake like Kikusui Funaguchi but with a twist. Execution of a Sustainability Partner Contract with the Japan Sumo Association 12.07, 2020 A World First of Sake to Celebrate Diversity! 09.27, 2019 Celebrating 40 years as the first sake producer in AmericaIn general, higher-quality (and more expensive) sakes are brewed with a rice that's more highly polished. Some of the best sakes polish more than 75% of the original grain! In 1979, Ozeki opened a brewery in Hollister, California, becoming the first Japanese brewery to produce fresh sake on U.S. soil. Much like Hyogo prefecture, the area in which the new brewery was founded has access to high-quality California rice, as well as pure water from the Sierra Nevada. Where to buy Ozeki sake Welcome to the Sous Chef Japanese sake shop. Sake is a unique Japanese drink that's made from fermented rice. In the West we often refer to sake as rice wine.