There’s four ingredients in Sake High!. Yes - only four ingredients which is why Sake High! has simple yet complex notes. Sake High! is a Junmai Sake, which means pure sake. Junmai Sake only has four ingredients - rice, water, koji, and yeast. Other types of sake that are not classified as Junmai Sake add ingredients like distilled alcohol.
Sake High! taste good on its own or with just about anything. The unique taste of Sake High! comes from its four ingredients. Let’s dive into the four ingredients and find out where sake ingredients are coming from and the techniques of sake the brewery uses with each of them..
Four Ingredients
Rice
Rice is the main ingredient, and where sake is born! Believe it or not - sushi rice is not the rice used in sake. Just how not all grapes are good for winemaking, not all rice is used to brew sake. Just remember sake rice and eating rice are different! Sake rice (sakamai in Japanese) has its starch more concentrated towards the center of the grain, with the fats and proteins on the outside. Eating rice has all the starches, fats, and proteins evenly distributed throughout the grain. Sake rice is characterized by its grain size, hardness, aroma, flavors, and more! Whatever you do - don’t try brewing your sake with leftover rice... it's more complicated :p
The rice varies in every type of sake! The characteristics of the rice give the unique flavor of that sake. The polishing ratio is what categorizes the sake.
Sake High! rice is gohyakumangoku polished to 65%. Gohyakumangoku rice is usually dry, crisp, and refreshing! 65% polishing ratio means 45% of the rice was milled off, and 65% of the rice remains. The 65% polishing ratio of Sake High! Is one of the reasons why Sake High! Is a Junmai Sake. Other types of rice include varietals like Omachi (one of the oldest) that is earthy and more complex.
Water
Just as important as rice in the brewing process of sake is water! Water is used extensively in the sake brewing process: washing, steeping and steaming the rice, fermentation, and dilution. The perfect water makes the sake just right… Sake High! uses special water from the Kyoto valley that crawls through a deep underground rock to create “the perfect water”. Our water source is one of the best qualities of Sake High! because it gives Sake High! the highest quality taste and clean and crisp profile.
Koji
What is koji????! It’s a mold, yep - do not freak out just yet! Just remember, without the koiji mold, there would be NO SAKE!!! Because sake rice is SO starchy, the rice grain needs to be broken down into fermentable sugars so it can be converted to alcohol! Koji is created by carefully sprinkling the spores of the mold over steamed, cooled rice. The koji covers the rice and then it is added to the sake fermentation mash while it is digesting the starch with enzymes. Now that the starch in the rice grain is converted into fermentable sugars, it’s time for the yeast!
Yeast
Yeast - an important ingredient used in winemaking, beer brewing, and sake brewing! Yeast is needed in all fermentation to eat the sugar and give off the alcohol, carbon dioxide, and acids. The yeast needs to be able to handle the low temperatures and high alcohol levels of our sake. The yeast strains contribute to the distinctive flavors and aromas of Sake High!
What’s Special About the Ingredients in Sake High!?
So how are the four ingredients unique to Sake High!? Our rice is grown with traditions dating back to 1893 using only highly polished rice grown in Kyoto. Our rice is brewed with handmade techniques always at low temperatures! Sake High! works with an impressive brewmaster (toji) that is so meticulous in managing the koji. Koji is intense and captivating, and only the most skillful brewery workers are involved in the sacred koji adding step.
What Does Sake High! Taste Like?
Sake High! has been brewed with the highest quality ingredients for decades, giving it its distinct flavor profile - fruity gingo aroma and dry, crisp and clean taste. There’s no added alcohol to Sake High! which makes it classified in Japan as “Junmai” which is translated to English as “pure rice” and the taste proves it. Don’t trust us? Check out these spots where you can buy Sake High! right now!!! Still not convinced? Here’s five reasons to drink Sake High!.