The Organic Sake Challenge

Well, my friends, it’s been a while but I’m back. Although I’ve taken a little break from blogging, I’ve been managing to keep myself busy by commenting obsessively on my friend Karin’s awesome site Smythologies. I’ve always said that Karin was my smartest friend, and if you check out her blog, you’ll understand why.

A recent piece I wrote for the Japan Times about sake made with organic rice has engendered a fair amount of discussion. Several people have sent emails asking about the flavor of these kinder, gentler, more environmentally friendly brews and whether or not you can taste the difference. On this point, the experts are divided. My sake sensei, John Gauntner, says no, and some producers of organic sake, such as Takasawa-san of Kikusui, concur. Aoshima-san at Kikuyoi and Niida-san at Kinpou, however, both insist that organic rice yields sake that is more complex, with greater depth and strength of character. While I’m reluctant to generalize, I have to say that – in the case of sake made by these two producers, at least – I have to agree.

As part of my research, I traveled down to Shizuoka to interview Aoshima-san and was treated to a horizontal tasting. I sampled this year’s organic Kikuyoi Matsushita-mai Junmai Ginjo and Junmai Daigingo alongside their non-organic counterparts. It’s significant to note that these sakes were the same in every respect – the same Yamada Nishiki rice strain, milled to the same percentage – apart from the fact that the Matushita line was organic. It was truly surprising. In all honesty, I hadn’t expected to notice a difference, but there it was – a subtly modulated grace coupled with attractive sturdiness. Take a look at my notes:

Matsushita-mai Junmai Daiginjo – Heady tropical fruits on the nose, touch of pineapple, echoed on the palate. Very dry throughout with a clean finish. Exhibits a kind of determination.

Kikuyoi Junmai Daiginjo – Quieter nose, sharper focus. Sophisticated but stronger sense of alcohol.

Matsushita-mai Ginjo – Very fruity, almost candy-like nose, green flavors on the palate, followed by bitter notes. Full body, with tight acidity running through the center. Dry finish.

Kikuyoi Junmai Ginjo – Light and fruity, sweet-ish impact but dry overall, with a soft, mild bitterness at the finish. Quite smooth.

Aoshima-san compares the difference between organic and non-organic sake to that of a kid raised in the country versus a child from the city. The country boy grows up to be strong and healthy, if lacking at times in manners; on the other hand, the city-slicker, though sophisticated and refined, ends up being a little weak. Though the organic sakes take a bit of extra time to settle down, they tend to keep better and last longer.


I have to emphasize that this is the only time I’ve done a side-by-side comparison, so I can’t say that the same holds true for all sake. I’m not sure if there is a non-organic version of the Tamagawa Kouno Tori Kimoto, but the organic one is pretty provocative stuff. It’s full on and hits - as opposed to falls on, or flows over - your tongue with bone-dry, masculine force. All of the Odayaka, Shizenshu, and Tamura sake I’ve tried from Kinpou has been organic, so I have no way of knowing if they’re better or worse than their non-organic stuff. What I do know is that their Odayaka Tokubetsu Junmai-shu is one of my all-time favorites. Super-mellow and finely textured, with a gentle sweetness coloring a dry, ricey background, it’s a brew you can find me drinking all year round (as long as I can find it – my local often sells out). In fact, both JP and I like Odayaka so much that we went to Fukushima a couple of years ago to make sake at Kinpou with Etsuko and Ted.

While I doubt that I’ll necessarily go out of my way to buy organic, munouyaku, or shizen sake, I suspect that I won’t really have to: more of these products seems to be popping up every year. Funnily enough, I’m also discovering that some of the sakes I like already fit the bill. Who knew that Hououbiden Wakamizu Junmai Ginjo Muroka Nama was organic? Life’s just full of little surprises.