Andy and Jim bear down and wring out their brains to get as much info as possible about an overlooked part of the sake making process: shibori. Whether you call it pressing (correctly) or filtration (hmmm…), this is a step that is both more complicated, and more important, that most people probably think. No pressure, but you really need to squeeze this one into your schedule. Kanpai!

Vocab for this episode

Arabashiri 荒走り - The “rough run” of sake that is the first to come out of the press during shibori.

Assakuki 圧搾機 - Literally, “pressing machine.” The official name for what is usually called a “yabuta” after the most popular brand of sake press.

Fukurozuri 袋吊り - “Bag pressed” sake, in which moromi is put into cloth bags, which are then tied to a pole over a collecting tank. Also called shizuku shibori 雫搾り, meaning “droplet pressing”. But no pressure apart from gravity is used.

Fune 槽  - A traditional shibori style using a large wooden (and these days stainless steel) box filled with bags of moromi then pressed from above. Modern ones use hydraulics, older ones could be hand-cranked or use a tenbin 天秤 cantilever system.

Moromi 醪 - The sake mash, a thick concoction of rice, rice koji, and liquid. The solids (kasu/lees) must be separated from the liquid (sake) to be called seishu 清酒. 

Nakagumi 中ぐみ - The middle section, or the “hearts” of a sake pressing.

Seme 責め - The final section, or the “tails,” of a sake pressing. 

Tenbin shibori 天秤搾り - A very old style of pressing in which a fune is pressed using a counterweighted beam. A huge beam is suspended over the press with a cantilever to push down on the sake when large weights are put on the other end of the beam. Also called haneki shibori はね木搾り.

Recommendations:

Andy - Hoken Retro Label (寳劔 純米 レトロラベル)

Jim - Harada Tokubetsu Junmai Saito no Shizuku

Don’t forget to support us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/SakeDeepDive 

Also, check out Andy’s website at: https://www.originsake.com/ 

And buy Jim’s book, Discovering Yamaguchi Sake wherever you order your books (print and ebook available)!

Our theme music is from 

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Andy and Jim go all in on a single brewery this time, looking at Akita Prefecture’s Aramasa Shuzo. Known as one of the most desirable and hard-to-get labels around, we wonder what exactly makes it that way? The answer may well lie in an obsessive focus on detail, from brewery cleaning to label design. Scrub your kioke, tie up the shimenawa, and fill your cup with a true maboroshi. Kanpai!

Vocab for this episode

Kioke 木桶 - Wooden tanks for fermentation etc. Aramasa uses all wooden tanks.

Shimenawa しめ縄 - A woven straw rope decorated with white paper charms, associated with sacred spaces in the Shinto faith. Used on the tanks at Aramasa.

Maboroshi 幻 - Literally a “phantom,” figuratively it’s something that is elusive.

Kame 亀 - A turtle. 

Recommendations:

Andy - Nirukame

Jim - Cosmos

Don’t forget to support us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/SakeDeepDive 

Also, check out Andy’s website at: https://www.originsake.com/ 

And buy Jim’s book, Discovering Yamaguchi Sake wherever you order your books (print and ebook available)!

Our theme music is from 

Lotus Lane by The Loyalist - Preconceived Notions Available at https://soundcloud.com/preconceived-notions

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This time, Andy and Jim take things a little easy with a little guide to drinking in Japan. From hidden neighborhood izakaya to trendy Tokyo sake bars, they ease the way into finding and enjoying a tipple on your next trip to Japan. 

Vocabulary

Izakaya　居酒屋 - An eating and drinking spot, meaning literally “shop to be with liquor.” The baseline for drinking in Japan.

Kaku uchi 角打ち - A type of liquor store that doubles as a place to drink in the evening. Standing only, and some simple snacks are often available.

Mokkiri もっきり - a rather ostentatious way of serving nihonshu by putting a glass into a masu then pouring until the glass overflows.

Otoshi お通し - a small dish served on sitting down at an izakaya or some bars, without being ordered. It is a paid dish and essentially doubles as a table charge.

Otsumami お摘み - The general word for nibbles or snacks, often associated with drinking.

Sakana 肴 - The traditional word for food served along drinks. Note that the pronunciation is the same as “fish” but the character is different.

Tachinomi　立ち飲み - A standing bar. Different from kaku uchi in that it is ONLY a bar, without the liquor store function.

Recommendations:

Andy - Kaifork 解放区 in Okayama City

Jim - Hularito in Tajimi, Gifu Prefecture

Don’t forget to support us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/SakeDeepDive 

Also, check out Andy’s website at: https://www.originsake.com/ 

And buy Jim’s book, Discovering Yamaguchi Sake wherever you order your books (print and ebook available)!

Our theme music is from 

Lotus Lane by The Loyalist - Preconceived Notions Available at https://soundcloud.com/preconceived-notions

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This episode of Sake Deep Dive sees Andy and Jim go on an etymological journey to see how a once-disparaging term came to represent something sought after and, eventually, almost meaningless. Along the way, we look at how changing consumer attitudes have shaped even the smallest breweries and their output. Grab your favorite local brew and settle in for some word nerdery!

Recommendations:

Andy - Kosen, Izumi Shuzo

Jim - Ikusanga, Kinfundo Shuzo

Don’t forget to support us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/SakeDeepDive 

Also, check out Andy’s website at: https://www.originsake.com/ 

And buy Jim’s book, Discovering Yamaguchi Sake wherever you order your books (print and ebook available)!

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

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In December, UNESCO recognized “Traditional Sake Making Techniques” as Japan’s latest example of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Andy and Jim have questions, and maybe even a few answers, about what exactly that might mean. The key is, of course, koji and its use in alcoholic fermentation in Japan. Come take a listen as our hosts explore the implications for nihonshu and its future.

Vocabulary for this episode:

Barakoji バラ麹 - Japan’s particular style of sprinkling Aspergillus oryzae spores over loose rice to make koji.

Mochikoji 餅麹 - One Japanese term for the common Chinese style of cake fermentation starter, called sometime jiuqu or qu. Basically, a cake of rice flour or other starch mixed with water and inoculated with various microbes including Apergillus or Rhizopus molds. 

Recommendations:

Andy -  Daigorei from Bajo Shuzo

Don’t forget to support us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/SakeDeepDive 

Also, check out Andy’s new sake tours at: https://www.originsaketours.com/ 

And buy Jim’s book, Discovering Yamaguchi Sake wherever you order your books (print and ebook available)!

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

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Back after a brief hiatus, Andy and Jim wax lyrical over a truly overlooked, and sadly undersold style of sake: honjozo. A class that has fallen victim to misinformation, you might be surprised to find out that some of the most sought after and valued sake around is, in fact, honjozo. So, fill a tokkuri and sit back as we dig deep on this secret star of the dinner table. 

Vocabulary

Recommendations:

Andy -  Juyondai Tokubestu Honjozo Honmaru

Jim - Ugo no Tsuki Tokubestu Honjozo (See also New Moon)

Don’t forget to support us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/SakeDeepDive 

Also, check out Andy’s new sake tours at: https://www.originsaketours.com/ 

And buy Jim’s book, Discovering Yamaguchi Sake wherever you order your books (print and ebook available)!

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

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This is Jim’s moment to shine! The almost inevitable moment has come as Andy and Jim talk about a sake brewery close to Jim’s heart: Sakai Shuzo, home of iconic Yamaguchi label Gokyo. Learn about the brewery’s history, philosophy, and the unique ties between it and the local community… And, of course, the delicious sake that comes from them all. Listen along and imagine yourself sipping hiyaoroshi under the maple leaves along the lazy Nishiki River in this hyper-local episode of Sake Deep Dive.

Vocabulary

Recommendations:

Andy - Gokyo Saitonoshizuku Daiginjo

Jim - Gokyo Josen Futsushu / Gokyo Kiokezukuri Junmaishu

Don’t forget to support us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/SakeDeepDive 

Also, check out Andy’s new sake tours at: https://www.originsaketours.com/ 

And buy Jim’s book, Discovering Yamaguchi Sake wherever you order your books (print and ebook available)!

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

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Andy and Jim crack open a barrel of history with this look at a small but cool part of sake culture: tarusake/taruzake. Originally just an accident of logistics, sake stored in sugi wood barrels is now something breweries have to go out of their way to make. Why do they do it? HOW do they do it? Come, listen, and find out.

Vocabulary

Recommendations:

Andy - Choryo Tarusake

Jim - Kamotsuru Taruzake

Don’t forget to support us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/SakeDeepDive 

Also, check out Andy’s new sake tours at: https://www.originsaketours.com/ 

And buy Jim’s book, Discovering Yamaguchi Sake wherever you order your books (print and ebook available)!

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

Andy and Jim explore the past and present of the first-ever association of sake brewers, the Tanba Toji. From the origins of toji as a title to the value of labor organizations to the industry, listen in to see just how big a role this rather secretive organization has played in the history of sake as a whole.

Vocabulary

Toji 杜氏 - the head of brewing in the traditional sake brewing system, in charge of a team of brewers and all that happens to the sake.

Kashira 頭 - the second in rank in a brewery under the traditional system.

Dakidaru だき樽 - a small tank with a handle filled with hot or cold water to adjust moromi temperature.

Recommendations:

Andy - Kikumasamune Hyakumoku

Jim - Kenbishi Kuromatsu

Don’t forget to support us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/SakeDeepDive 

Also, check out Andy’s new sake tours at: https://www.originsaketours.com/ 

And buy Jim’s book, Discovering Yamaguchi Sake wherever you order your books (print and ebook available)!

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 

Andy and Jim take a little trip up the Seto Inland Sea coast to sunny Okayama Prefecture, a hidden gem of sake in western Japan. A sacred land for Omachists everywhere, what makes the sake here so darn great? Come, listen and find out on Sake Deep Dive!

Vocabulary from this episode:

Bizen 備前

Bingo　備後

Bicchu　備中

Recommendations:

Andy - Fuyu no Tsuki

Jim - Momo no Sato Junmai Ginjo

Don’t forget to support us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/SakeDeepDive 

Also, check out Andy’s new sake tours at: https://www.originsaketours.com/ 

And buy Jim’s book, Discovering Yamaguchi Sake wherever you order your books (print and ebook available)!

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