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Japenese Saké

 

Ama no To – Heavens Door

"Very pale yellow-straw color. Spicy, assertive aromas of green apple, flowers, mint and fresh herbs. Juicy, lively and light on its feet, with subtle fruitiness in a rather ethereal style. Complex and refined. From all locally grown rice." 91 points, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, Online Only, Aug. 2007

Quality Grade:  Tokubetsu Junmai (at least 30% of rice grain polished away, "Tokubetsu" = "Special") Even a more painstaking brewing process than Ginjo, which results in saké that is even lighter and more fragrant and fruity than a typical Ginjo. Must have a seimaibuai of at least 50%. Often, Daiginjo goes as far as a 35% seimaibuai (65% of the kernel polished away!).

Seimaibuai:  55% (45% of rice grain polished away) The degree to which rice has been polished (milled) before brewing. A value of 60%, for instance, means that the rice has been milled so only 60% of the rice kernel remains (40% of the kernel has been ground away). Each saké grade has a specific seimaibuai value. For example, Junmai saké must be made with a seimaibuai of at least 70% (no more than 70% of the original size of the rice kernel remains). In general, the higher the rate of milling, the cleaner, more refined and more fragrant the flavor of the saké.

Rice:  Ginnosei & Miyama Nishiki
Nihonshu-do: +4 The specific gravity of a saké relative to water. A very general scale of reference to the sweetness or dryness of the saké. The scale generally runs from –6 to +10 with lower numbers indicating sweetness, and higher numbers dryness. A value of +2 could be considered neutral, although this is very subjective.
Alcohol: 16.2%
Acidity: 1.5 Makes its presence felt most noticeably at the beginning and end of each sip, and in between it helps spread across the palate. Saké with higher acidity often stands up better to oilier foods like tempura or fish (raw or cooked). Rich-flavored or rather salty dishes may not need all that acidity, and in fact will work better with a lower-acidity Saké. The measure of acidity is usually a number between 0.8 to 1.7.


Tasting Notes:  Faint aromas of raisins and earthiness. Overall slightly dry flavor but with nice fruity essences in the recesses, supplanted by nice rice-like tones and a gentle sweetness beneath.

Brewery Name: Asamai Shuzo (founded in 1917).

Brewery Location: Akita Prefecture

Toji (Master Brewer):  Koichi Moriya

Notable Facts: They have won five straight Gold Prizes in the prestigious National New Sake tasting competitions. The water which flows up from the springs here has been famous since the Edo era (1600-1868).

JHEAVENSAC Ama no To
Ama no To "Heaven's Door" Tokubetsu Junmai Sake 300ml
91ST
$15.99

 
JHEAVENSAE Ama no To
Ama no To "Heaven's Door" Tokubetsu Junmai Sake
91ST
$29.99

 

 

 

 

 

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