New Namazake Arrivals

4/19/19 -

Namazake, or unpasteurized sake, is a somewhat seasonal style that is becoming more popular, especially outside of Japan. Prized for its freshness and lively character, it is nominally available all year round, though it is usually released in the spring, right after the brewing season. Perhaps lacking the refined and suble character of some pasteurized sake, namazake is nonetheless a fascinating experience, jumping out from the glass with vivacity, brashness, and a beautiful fresh, aromatic quality.

In the past year or two I've seen more folks from the natural wine scene becoming interested in sake, and oftentimes heralding namazake as a "purer" and more "natural" expression. In my personal opinion I wouldn't necessarily jump to that conclusion, and find it hard to draw direct comparisons between sake making and wine making. The biological processes that take place in sake brewing are more complex and layered than in wine. Rice has no fermentable sugars to start with, and so after a saccharification process, there is a long two-to-three month fermentation process that relies on the interaction between koji mold, yeast, and lactic acid bacteria to achieve the desired results. After the fermentation, there is still biological activity happening in the sake, and the only way to give it any long-term stability is pasteurization. Hence namazake is incredibly fragile, a raw example of Japan's national drink.

The three sake in today's offer were all freshly bottled earlier this year and are in great drinking condition. Please remember that these should be consumed fairly quickly, and should always be stored cold, preferably in a refrigerator. These are all quite limited quantities, and what we have in store is all we'll get. Oskar Kostecki