Challenge 90

Part of what defines sake in Japan is the milling ratio of the rice used which will impact the character of the drink to varying degrees. Simply speaking, the more you polish off, the cleaner the flavour profile will tend to be. The outer portions of rice grains are made up of fats and lipids which can mean off-flavours. If crafted well though, these outer parts can serve as interesting flavours. But it really requires a talented brewer to turn rice that’s barely been milled into a quality drink. Creating character is easy but balance is not. Here are some of the best available in Japan all made with rice milled to 90% remaining or less.

LABEL - TSUCHIDA KIMOTO
MAKER - TSUCHIDA SHUZO - GUNMA
SPEC - 16% ABV Locally grown rice milled to 90%
Family-owned Tsuchida use the labour-intensive Kimoto method for all of their releases. They are advocates of additive-free fermentation—for them that means no distilled alcohol, no manufactured lactic acid, and no acidifiers or enzyme agents. They sometimes use commercial yeasts but not with this release. Stylistically, the drinks tend to be on the sweeter side with lots of chestnut and bran notes, a result of a larger portion of koji-inoculated rice than standard recipes.

LABEL - KIREI 92
MAKER - KIREI SHUZO - HIROSHIMA
SPEC - 17% ABV Hattan-Nishiki milled to 92%
Hiroshima and in particular the area of Saijo is well-known as a top sake producing region in Japan with a number of breweries located there including Kirei Shuzo. It was the construction of the railway which contributed to attracting brewers to set up here instead of the area of Takehara which had been up to that point a popular brewing area. The 92 refers to the milling ratio with just 8% shaved off.

LABEL - Katori 90
MAKER - TERADA HONKE - CHIBA
SPEC - 15% ABV Koshi-Hikari milled to 90%
You really can’t get more natural than Terada Honke in terms of brewing approach where they prioritise energy-saving methods over convenience—just watching the team shovel out a ton of rice from the steamer is painful enough. Katori 90 is named after the area close-by plus the milling ratio. This sake is tasty at room temperature but really shines warmed up bringing out the umami and complexities.

LABEL - CHALLENGE 90
MAKER - MORIKI SHUZO - MIE
SPEC - 17% ABV Local Yamada-Nishiki milled to 90%
Before anyone cared and when a lot of brewers were racing to see who could make sake with the most milled rice, Rumiko did the complete opposite. At the time, it was rare to use barely-milled rice and quite a brewing challenge, hence the name. This drink and its name was the inspiration for this tasting report. It bounces between savoury and sweet and it can’t make its mind up. Complex, delicious and age-worthy.

LABEL - NIIDA SHIZENSHU
MAKER - NIIDA HONKE - FUKUSHIMA
SPEC - 16% ABV organic rice milled to 90% 
Shizenshu is the flagship label and is made with locally grown rice from their own paddies without the use of agricultural chemicals or commercial fertilisers. They choose to farm this way despite the lower yields than conventionally cultivated rice paddies. They also skip yeast additions which is in keeping with the true Kimoto fermentation starter method. The alcohol on this is barely noticeable and it’s so well balanced with a touch of woodiness.