Screaming Out Cloudy
Nigorizake is a specialty style where it’s coarsely pressed or a portion of the sediment is added back into the bottle after pressing to create a texturally interesting cloudy sake. Varying amounts of sediment can be added to create a wide spectrum of cloudiness from a faint touch to thick and chewy. When the pressing stage is skipped altogether, it legally falls into a different category known as doburoku. Here are some of the best cloudy styles available in Japan right now.
LABEL - YOEMON USU NIGORI
MAKER - KAWAMURA SHUZO - IWATE
SPEC - ABV 15% / Ginginga rice milled to 60%
Kawamura is somewhat of a lone wolf preferring to brew what he likes to drink instead of following crisp and dry styles you tend to see in the north. His sakes are more about umami and acidity than fancy aromatics. This is made with the Iwate-specific Ginginga rice variety. It has notes of tropical fruits like mango and lychee, lime and steamed rice. There’s a pleasant spritz which adds to the fun.
BUY HERE IN JAPAN:
https://sasas.jp/view/item/000000002343
LABEL - SHINOMINE NIGORI
MAKER - CHIYO SHUZO - NARA
SPEC - ABV 17% / Oyama Nishiki milled to 50%
Ex-winemaker Tetsuya who also worked in the states, fell in love with a sake brewer’s daughter and the rest is history. Now, with 15 years of sake brewing under his belt, he continues to make punchy yet elegant and food-friendly brews which can hold up to spicy Thai and Szechuan dishes. Lively spritz on opening, this has a clean nose with notes of pineapple and yoghurt, razor sharp acidity and perfectly balanced with a touch of sweetness as well as lingering umami.
BUY HERE IN JAPAN:
http://www.fukai-nakano.co.jp/cathand/detail.php?serial=853854
LABEL - DOBUROKU KIMOTO
MAKER - TONOYA-YO - IWATE
SPEC - ABV 14% / Ichigo Tono milled to 98%
Yotaro Sasaki spent ten years perfecting his doburoku—an unfiltered version of sake which is almost as old as rice harvesting. He also spent this time experimenting with chemical-free rice farming versus standard practice and for him, it was a no-brainer to shift all of his rice fields and skip the use of pesticides and herbicides. This brew which legally falls under a different category of drink since there’s no pressing stage is matured for three to six months before release. It’s raw and alive, full of energy and tingling acidity with a unique textural mouthfeel.
BUY HERE IN JAPAN:
https://nondo-tono.life/
LABEL - HANATOMOE YAMAHAI USU NIGORI
MAKER - MIYOSHINO JOZO - NARA
SPEC - ABV 17% / milled to 65%
After studying at brewing school, Teru did a stint at 500-year-old Kenbishi where he had to unlearn some of what he had learnt. Armed with unconventional methods, he returned home to take over the family business. His approach includes zero yeast additions across the board, using wooden casks, and ageing bottles at ambient temperatures. Aside from the Hanatomoe signature lactic acidity sensation, this is well-balanced with a plump body and notes of rice bran, papaya and kelp. Serve at a range of temperatures in a traditional ochoko vessel.
BUY HERE IN JAPAN:
https://yokikotokiku.jp
LABEL - SNOW CRESCENT
MAKER - KOUEIGIKU SHUZO - SAGA
SPEC - ABV 14% / milled to 60%
Although more popular for Shochu, the distilled tipple, Kyushu has some quality sake makers like Koueigiku—a relatively new brewery. There’s a pleasant pop on opening with this bottle and it follows through with a light spritz and tingling acidity. It’s definitely one you want to drink fresh and enjoy its notes of Japanese pear, musk melon, banana and a touch of fresh yoghurt. Serve super chilled and drink young.
BUY HERE IN JAPAN:
https://www.isego.shop/shop/shopdetail.html?brandcode=000000002593&search=%B8%F7%B1%C9%B5%C6&sort=
