junmai ginjo

Episode 80. It's time to get wild again! Wild about sake rice, that is.  This week we zero in on a premium sake rice that is elegant and a true workhorse: Gohyakumangoku. This is not a sake rice name that rolls off the tongue on first glance, but it is well worth getting to know.  Once you've conquered the pronunciation, the rest is pure enjoyment.  Gohyakumangoku is the second most produced premium sake rice in Japan and comes from the land of clean, crisp and dry sake: Niigata Prefecture.  As you might expect, this rice produces sake that tends to be lighter, cleaner and more airy - perfect for Niigata's regional style.  We'll be tasting a classic Niigata sake to examine these characteristics a bit deeper and to see what Gohyakumangoku sake rice brings to the party.  Join us as we go a bit gaga for Gohyaku!

Episode 79.  This week we pay another visit to the Sake Education Corner to focus on what is known as "roka" or fine particulate filtering.  this can be done by both a activated carbon powder or by a micron filter.  The sake industry is full of debate as to whether filtering strips all the personality out of sake, or provides a clarity for color and flavor.  At the end of the day it is up to our palate and our preferences!  To test the waters, we are sampling one "muroka" or non-charcoal filtered sake, and one standard filtered sake.  The differences are subtle and interesting.  What Brita does to our tap water, brewers also usually do to our sake as well.  Join us as we focus on filtration for this week's episode!

Episode 77. October 1st is the biggest day of the year for us - it's World Sake Day!  2021 saw Sake Day reemerge from the cancellations of last year and there was an array of in-person events happening from coast to coast.  This episode is a recap and overview of some of those events.  Mark your calendars now if you'd like to get involved with sake day next year.   We also get in our usual sake tasting with two fresh and delightful brews: Dan Junmai Ginjo from Sasaichi Brewery and Gangi Hitotsubi from Yaoshin Shuzo.  They are a delicious way to button up our Sake Day experiences and to look ahead to an even bigger sake day next year!

Episode 75. This week, the Sake Revolution is running on flower power!  We're talking specifically about "hana kobo" or flower yeast. Yes, that is yeast for fermentation that is isolated from an acutal bloom and propagated for use in sake. While not something every brewery does, this is a delightfully scented niche in the world of sake. Backed by a research institute at Tokyo's Nodai University, there has been a true blossoming in the understanding and use of these special yeasts to make some unique and delicious sakes.  John and Timothy dive nose first into a prime example of flower yeast style sake: Amabuki's Strawberry-blossom Junmai Ginjo Nama from Saga Prefecture.  As with all hana kobo sakes, you can bet this one has an extraordinary bouquet.  But do we smell strawberries?  Listen in this week as we try to learn the language of flowers.

Episode 74. Kyoto is one of Japan's most well known tourist destinations.  If you think of Kyoto, you'll probably envision geishas, green tea and gardens.  But did you know, this city was not only the capital of Japan for over 1,000 years but it has also been key player in sake culture and history for centuries?  This week John and Timothy travel virtually to Kyoto and discuss some of it's history and stories of their past visits to this amazing sake center. We'll learn about their shared favorite sake bar, and some of the sights both on and off the beaten track that are worth seeing.  Kyoto's sake heartbeat is concentrated in the Fushimi neighborhood, south of Kyoto's main train station, where you'll find a cluster of well-known and centuries-old breweries. The breweries whose sake we taste in today's episode were both founded in the 1670s!  While we still can't visit in person right now, we can pour, sip and discuss a bit of Kyoto's sake heritage together.

Episode 65. This week's episode involves absolutely no kidding around. For our first brand deep dive, we look at the interesting and innovative Heiwa Shuzo in Wakayama Prefecture. Heiwa means "peace" and this brewery name was adopted in 1952 as a nod to the hopes of peace and prosperity in the post war period. In 2008, the "Kid" brand was released and as a brand, it speaks to the movement of young and up-and-coming brewers making a new style of sake in a new way.  The president of Heiwa Shuzo, Mr. Norimasa Yamamoto has even written a book on his new and collaborative ideas on brewing and producing sake as a team.  The Kid sakes project a super easy-drinking and fruity flavor profile.  Imagine the sake you'd want to sip from a wine glass on the couch after a long day at work.  Join us as we explore and taste the delicious innovation of the Kid brand from Heiwa Shuzo.

Episode 61.  This week John and Timothy go on location again. As more and more businesses are reopening and expanding their hours, we wanted to get out there again and encourage anyone, who can safely, to support their local sake shops and restaurants. For our part, we've gone back underground by returning to the famous NYC Sake Bar Decibel, a dark and funky basement sake bar that can't be missed.  We are tasting two fantastic sakes from their menu: Shichiken Junmai Ginjo - a dream of a balanced and fruity premium sake and Kimonoi Junmai Yamahai - an umami and rice-y treat recommendation from Decibel's Manager Cho-san.   In addition to our sake chit chat, we are announcing this week the launch of our Patreon.  If you'd like to support what we do at the Sake Revolution podcast, please consider joining us on Patreon.com/SakeRevolution for some fun perks and extras.  We invite all our listeners to grab a sake, sit back and listen in as we head back down the stairs to Decibel!

Episode 57. Our Shubo series continues! Shubo of course is the "fermentation starter" step of sake production.  Whichever the method, we use lactic acid to give the shubo a jump start and allow the sake yeast to live its best life.  This week, we look at the Kimoto method.  Kimoto is the O.G. method that has been the default for centuries.  By definition, it involves the mashing of rice, rice koji and water together in a low tub, into a paste using long poles in a step known as "yamaoroshi."  Then over the next two weeks or so, lactic acid bacteria in the mash slowly and naturally creates lactic acid which eventually kills off any ambient microbes, wild yeast or other unwanted microorganisms.  When the sake yeast is introduced, it can thrive uninhibited and go on to do it's sake making work.  Kimoto is no longer used that much - only about 1% of sake made today uses this historically important starter method.  Be sure to give kimoto a try if you see it - it's a sake that will connect you with centuries of sake making in just one sip. Let's go!

Episode 56. Over the next few weeks, we're going to do a short series on a sake production step called "Shubo" (酒母). Shu=Sake and Bo=Mother.  So consider this step the mother of the sake, and it gets translated in many ways... seed mash, yeast starter, fermentation starter. However you slice it, the shubo step in sake production is where yeast get introduced and where fermentation begins. One of the keys to all shubo methods is lactic acid.  It is required to kill off all of the bad bacteria and make the starter tank environment ideal for sake yeast. The secret to the sokujo method is that they put in ready-made lactic acid to jump start the process. All other shubo methods let lactic acid develop naturally over time.  Be cause it is easier, cheaper and faster, 90% of all sake produced uses the Sokujo method.  So, let's dive in and learn more about all things Sokujo!

Season 1. Episode 52.  Of Japan's 47 Prefectures, the third largest is Fukushima. This region is a sake powerhouse with a number of famous sake breweries and more than their share of gold medals in all kinds of sake competitions.   Today John and Timothy look into a couple of Fukushima sakes and dive a bit deeper into the unexpected flavors of this region.  Look for deep, developed flavors on the palate and a sophisticated thread of umami throughout. Timothy also tells the tale of a ramen game-of-chance he found in Kitakata City. You need to slurp every drop of ramen broth to find out if you've won. You'll definitely want to join us as we explore a bit of the sake kingdom of Fukushima.

Season 1. Episode 50. Well it's been 50 episodes since Sake Revolution launched in 2020.  The year turned out very differently than we expected... as did our little sake podcast.  This week John and Timothy flip the script on its head and start the episode with a "kanpai".  John starts by asking Timothy what the heck is a Sake Samurai anyway? Has anyone else ever had a crazier first day in Japan? Let's all promise to "Spread the word about Japanese sake around the world with pride and passion!" Then, we look back on how the Sake Revolution got started... it was just a couple of guys with a sake-soaked podcast idea and absolutely no idea what they were doing. What could go wrong!?  Well, as it turns out, transcription A.I. is not yet up to speed with all the latest sake vocabulary, leading to hilarious transcription errors such as SUCKY Revolution. JUNE MY GOOD JOB!  Challenges aside, to celebrate this milestone, the guys enjoy a 50% milled Yamdanishiki Junmai Ginjo from Izumo Fuji Brewery to celebrate 50 episodes.  This soft and lovely sake is the perfect soft landing pad for winding down our first season of episodes.  Looking to the future, we see a sunny horizon of on-location episodes and maybe even a visit to Japan??  Our sincere thanks to everyone who has listened to Sake Revolution so far.  We are so grateful and hope to bring you more sake sipping, savoring and kanpai-ing in the next 50 episodes.  Let's go!

Season 1. Episode 47.  Today we focus on another "Sake Spotlight" - this time we travel to the smallest of Japan's main islands - Shikoku - as we visit Kochi prefecture. Kochi is an interesting place for sake.  While it doesn't have a huge amount of sake breweries - just 18 at last count - it does have an oversized amount of local sake culture.  The breweries are known to favor collaboration and this boosts the overall reputation of Kochi sake quite a bit.  In addition to that, Kochi is known as a hard-drinking and rural locale, deeply tied to the bounty of the ocean.  Katsuo no tataki (seared skip jack tuna) is the local mainstay dish - it goes without saying that it pairs to perfection with Kochi's extra-dry style of sake. These generally dry and bolder flavors of Kochi-style sake are easy to love. Kochi also seems to be ground zero for sake drinking games as well. Beer pong, stand aside! Kochi brings us "kiku no hana" a get-drunk-fast scheme involving hiding a chrysanthemum blossom under overturned sake cups and "bekuhai" a game that has us spinning a top and drinking out of some funky looking sake cups - kind of a no-kissing spin the bottle.  The real story here, however, is the hospitality of the people of Kochi - it lies at the source of all the good food and drink of this region.  Join John and Tim as they dive deep into the much loved world of Kochi sakes.

Season 1. Episode 46. Today we start a new series focusing on what could be considered the real star of the show: sake rice! Let’s call it “Wild Rice”, because, why not. One of the wildest of the wild sake rices is the elder statesman, the real OG, the been-there-done-that sake rice: Of course we are talking about OMACHI. Omachi is often called the “grandfather” of sake rice because it is not a hybrid of other rices, but an original rice strain discovered in the 1850s. Its known as being a little bit hard to cultivate and a bit cantankerous – just like a real grandpa! The trade off for all that bother is that it gives sake a unique, earthy and… hard to describe taste. Robust but complex with a true depth of flavor. Do not miss your chance to visit omachi town during your next sake tasting session. For now, let’s listen in as John and Tim explore the long and winding road that has brought us back to the future of Omachi.

Season 1. Episode 37. You’ve got the Avengers, and your Justice League Heroes but did you know we’ve got some sake superheroes too? This week John and Tim interview Sakeman Red a.k.a Nick Matsumoto. Nick is part of team Sakeman, who describe themselves as “A team of athletic, sake superheroes who import their own brands and educate the masses!” Nick first connected with the Sakeman group through his love of judo. The first thing you’ll notice about the Sakeman group is their use of iconic and custom made luchador masks when presenting their stellar sake portfolio of sake from premium producers all around Japan – so their stuff is legit. . As Nick explains in our interview, the masks help draw attention to sake and start the conversation! Or the masks draw an invitation to wrestle! However it turns out, Sakeman is all about good sake. Thanks Nick for taking the time to teach us to work hard, train hard and drink hard!

Season 1. Episode 36. Shoe leather? Starfruit? Pheasant Skin?   Have you ever heard a - let's say - "advanced" sake aroma or taste description that left you feeling a little bit lost? What if you feel like you're not picking up on the nuance or subtlety in sake?  That is exactly the question one of our listeners asked us by email.  

In this episode, John and Tim break down the process of tasting sake - Tasting with intention to study the main points of a sake.  That would be the appearance in the glass, aroma, palate/taste and finish.  We talk about each step in detail and what to do if you might be lacking the vocabulary to express what you're tasting. Also, we'll review some tips and tricks to study aromas and flavors.  In the end, the art of studying sake tasting is about enjoying sake tasting.  Learn as little or as much about tasting as interests you and helps you find a sake you love.

Season 1. Episode 35. "What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet."   When Shakespeare's Juliet is coming to terms with the fact that she is crushing hard on Romeo - her family's sworn enemy - she muses on the meaning and importance of names. Is what's true for roses also true for sake?  This week John and Timothy dive into the word of "re-branded" or so called "white labeled" sake.  That is, sake that is purchased from a brewery and sold under a different brand name.  


There are a couple of ways these sakes show up on the market.  The above-board way is to truly partner with a sake brewery and be completely transparent about who the producer is when selling and promoting the re-branded sake.  However, some brands buy sake to re-label and <u>don't</u> disclose the producer.  This is a tricky situation as you can never really be sure of the source or quality of the sake.  Because of this, we'll be focusing on a few re-branded sakes that put their brewers front and center where they belong.  

Season 1. Episode 33.  Do you know your way to New York's most legit and old school sake bar?  Walk east on 9th street until you see the "On Air" sign just before second ave.  Descend the stairs and behind the door you'll find Decibel, the ultimate underground sake bar. If you find yourself in a dark and graffiti-covered basement, you're in the right place. Opened in 1993 by East Village restaurant pioneer Bon Yagi, Decibel has welcomed the spectrum of NYC nightlife in search of sake for over a quarter century - and with over 100 sakes on the menu, there is plenty of sake to choose from.  What better place for Tim and John to do their first "on location" episode, than from New York's most classic sake bar.  Sit back, relax and take in the sounds and atmosphere of Decibel as our hosts recall their underground (mis-) adventures in sake.  Special thanks to Decibel's Cho-san for arranging our recording session!

Season 1. Episode 29. Sometimes cabin fever gets you down and you just want to get away... and we mean away-away.  That got us thinking, how far west could we go from NYC and still explore a major sake region.  Past Tokyo, Kyoto, Kobe - That landed us on the far, far west of Kyushu Island in Saga Prefecture.  This out of the way gem of a sake region is home to several outstanding breweries and also an "Appellation of Origin" control system which endeavors to  define what "sake from Saga" really is.  John and Timothy tackle two of the most well known breweries in Saga, Amabuki and Tenzan to explore what makes them unique - and what binds them together.  The brewers of Saga are innovative and working hard to create a new generation of sake.  So come fly with us to the far west of Japan to hear the Saga of Saga Kuras.

Season 1. Episode 28. This is the first in a new series of interviews with U.S. sake brewers.  There are few things more fun for a sake fan, than to sit down and drink a delicious sake with the people who actually brewed it.  For our first brewer interview, we don't stray too far from home. We had a great time talking to our friends Brian Polen and Brandon Doughan of New York's Brooklyn Kura. We hear a bit about how Brooklyn Kura came to be and some of the advantages and disadvantages of brewing sake in the Big City. Also, we explore the learning curve of being the first to open a brewery in New York.  As far as tasting goes, we get to enjoy two of Brooklyn Kura's stand out creations, the #14 Junmai Ginjo Nama and their Catskills Junmai Daiginjo.  Join us for this fun interview with New York's first sake brewery, Brooklyn Kura.

Season 1. Episode 27. Ok...if I say, "Quick - think of Tokyo!"  What image pops to mind?  Maybe skyscrapers? Over-stuffed subway cars?  Maybe even Blade Runner?? You might be surprised to learn that Tokyo is not just the city proper but also a region (Similar to New York City compared to New York State).  There is lots of countryside with rolling hills and even rivers to explore.  Today takes us beyond the hard driving city and out to the countryside of Tokyo Prefecture.  There you will find picturesque sake breweries that will surprise and delight with their charms. Set your preconceived notions of Tokyo aside and join us in an exploration of the small but delicious world of sake made in Tokyo.