A Sake Extravaganza!

The massive Sake wall
as viewed from the upper floor

Revisiting something you love is always a burning desire, and so I felt when  invited for an exclusive Sake tasting at the chic Akira Back Japanese restaurant at hotel JW Marriott near Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi. The hotel has come up recently on the Indian capital’s hospitality landscape (after overcoming the security hurdles due to proximity to the airport) and has  already started making its presence felt.Akira Back is its contemporary Japanese Restaurant with Korean essence, named after one of Las Vegas' most beloved and respected chefs- Akira Back. 

The Sake tasting was the initiative of Ankur Chawla, the young and accomplished Beverages Manager of the hotel who has several feathers in his cap- from couture cuisine and fine wines to authoring a best seller book! The tasting was conducted by Keith Norum- the Overseas Operations Manager of Miyasaka Brewing Company,  who specially flew in from Japan for the purpose. Their  famous Masumi brand Sakes are imported in India by Brindco Sales Ltd- the top wine importer of the country.

As we entered the restaurant, an imposing Sake wall panning across two floors, shod with numerous bottles and Sake related stuff greeted us  even as we descended to the sous sol private dining  area. Being an early bird (a habit that often surprises my hosts), I took photos at leisure including one with Ankur and Keith before we got into the turbo tasting mode.

R-L: Ankur Keith and me with the 1.8 litre Sake bottles

About Sake
I have described Sake in details in one of my previous blog posts- For the Sake of Sake. However, for the uninitiated, it would suffice to describe Sake as a fermented drink from Japan, made elaborately  from a special quality of rice and having some of the best characteristics of both beer and wine. It is a unique product whose popularity is exponentially increasing worldwide in tandem with Oriental cuisine.

As a prelude to the tasting, Keith enlightened us on Sake history and the contribution of Miyasaka Brewing Co. towards its advent on the global scene. One thing Ankur highlighted and I found it particularly useful was that the Masumi Sakes invariably have some label information in english as well, which helps a lot in identifying the Sake. Also, with a little bit of practice, one could easily decode the other information written in Japanese, and so, choosing Sake may not necessarily be an alien experience.

Soon enough, the tasting commenced and progressed as under:

The line-up for Tasting

Sake: Masumi Sanka

Classification: Junmai Daiginjo super premium

Milling rate: 45%

Alcohol: 16%
Serving Temperature: 10-15°C 

Paired with: Yellowtail jalapenos with green chilli, 

coriander and Yuzu soy.
MRP (Delhi): ₹ 16250.00 (1800ml)

An aromatic Sake with tropical fruit notes- pineapple being most prominent for me. A delightful palate of luscious fruits with subtle acidity. Balanced the fragrant spiciness of the food well.




Sake: Masumi Karakuchi Ki-ippon
Classification: Junmai Ginjo premium
Milling rate: 55%

Alcohol: 15%

Serving Temperature: 12-15°C (can also be served warm  at 40-48°C)

Paired with: Hot oil seared Salmon with mixed peppers, lotus chips and sesame oil. 

MRP (Delhi): ₹ 5610.00 (720ml)

A restrained nose of red apples and flowers. A rounded palate with good acidity and a delicately astringent finish giving impression of firmness. Supported the rich and lush palate of the hot oil seared Salmon.

Sake: Masumi Kippuku Kinju
Classification: Junmai Ginjo Yamahai premium

Milling rate: 55%

Alcohol: 15%

Serving Temperature: 12-45°C (can be served both cold or warm)
Paired with: Wasabi Pepper Tenderloin with potato purée, wild Japanese mushrooms and wasabi au poivre.

MRP (Delhi): ₹ 10980.00 (1800ml);

 ₹ 5130.00 (7200ml)

Notice the ‘Yamahai’ in the classification above. It
implies that the Sake has been produced using traditional method (using natural buildup of lactic acid rather than adding it externally) a method that is proven to impart richness to the Sake. True to its pedigree, the Sake was mildly fragrant and full flavoured with firm acidity leading to a crisp finish. An ideal accompaniment for red meats and grills.

Sake : Masumi Tokusen

Classification: Honjozo

Milling rate: 60%

Alcohol: 15%

Serving Temperature: 12-15°C (can also be served warm  at 40-48°C)

Paired with: Sake steamed flounder with baby bok choy, Nori, Yozu Soy
MRP (Delhi): ₹ 3765.00 (720ml);

 ₹ 2010.00 (300ml)

Considered one of the highly reputed warm served Sakes (having won several medals consecutively in London’s International Wine Challenge) this could well be called a gourmet Sake with a sophisticated palate of floral finesse and good acidity. Paired really well with the Cantonese style Flounder(a flat structured fish)  cooked with a Japanese twist.

Sake : Masumi Okuden Kanzukuri

Classification: Junmai

Milling rate: 60%

Alcohol: 15%

Serving Temperature: 12-15°C (can also be served warm  at 40-48°C)

Food pairing: Sushi and Roll selection
MRP (Delhi): ₹ 5140.00 (720ml)

Masumi considers this an ideal Junmai with its traits of organic flavours and rice malt sweetness. It was mellow and mild with a perfect balance making it a versatile accompaniment with the range of Sushi and rolls (both vegetarian and non vegetarian) on offer.

Thus culminated the riot of flavours with some of the best Sakes available in India as on date. I wish that more Sake tastings are organised at a larger scale, giving an opportunity to wine lovers to experiment with a whole new dimension of flavours. It is only then that the beverage could be seen transcending the boundaries of  5 Star properties or speciality restaurants. Friends of wine would  eagerly await that to happen.

Keith discussing  food pairing with the Chef

For the sake of Sake

   Cool Blue Sake bottles chilling

To explain the homograph first! Sake (pronounced Saa-kay) is an ancient Japanese wine made from rice that has a rich history dating back more than 2000 years. Similar in production process as Wine made from grapes- there are two major differences- first it is a grain based product and second, the alcohol level in most Sakes is 15% or higher by volume, which is higher than most wines (except the fortified varieties).



Sake Producers with their Wines
Pic Courtesy: Spiritz

I had this wonderful opporrtunity to understand Sake in depth courtesy Spiritz magazine that facilitated  the arrival of an organization rather valorously  called ‘Sake Samurai’ - which is a group of  renowned Sake producers intensely involved in promoting Sake worldwide. The event was held at Varq restaurant, Taj Mahal hotel New Delhi and worked as a crash course in this wonderful beverage that is growing exponentially in popularity akin to Sushi from the same land.

Japanese Ambassador (R) with Mr Keisuke Irie
Pic Courtesy: Spiritz

On arrival at the venue, it was pleasing to find courteous Japanese producers receiving the guests warmly, notwithstanding the language barrier as most of them could speak basic English, and for the rest, the interpreter was at hand. The evening started with a keynote address by  H.E. Mr Takeshi Yagi, Ambassador of Japan to India followed by a presentation by Mr. Keisuke Irie, Secretariat Member of Sake Samurai. Thereafter, it was tastings galore with each producer personally presenting his/her wines.

Sake in a Nutshell

Unmilled and 40%  milled Rice Samples

Sake wines are produced using  special rice varieties that are called Shuzo Kotikimai. Milling and polishing rice is an important process of Sake production and classification of various types of Sake depend on the extent of polishing the grain. These rice grains are bigger and stronger so as to withstand high degree of polishing without breaking. The process of polishing, strips the grains of bran and proteins and emphasizes on the availability of starch which is concentrated in the centre of the grain. There are 1600 breweries in Japan that produce around 50,000 variants of Sake. 75 % of the total production is non-premium Sake called Futsu-shu (equivalent of Table wine) while the remaining 25 % is the premium variety called Tokutei meiso-shu classified further depending on the nature of ingredients and milling rate of rice as follows:

Junmai (Unmilled) - Rice + Koji Rice (Fermented and culture inoculated rice) + water

Junmai Daiginjo (Upto 50% milled) – Rice + Koji Rice + water

Junmai Ginjo (Upto 60% milled)- Rice + Koji Rice + water

Daiginjo- A Junmai Daiginjo + Brewing Alcohol.

Ginjo- A Junmai Ginjo + Brewing Alcohol.

Honjozo (Upto 70 % milled)- Rice + Koji Rice + Brewing Alcohol

Apart from the above, unpasteurised Sake is called  Nama-Zake and aged Sake- Koshu.There is also a Sparkling Sake that is gaining popularity.

Sensory Experience

Rather than describing individual wines tasted, I suppose it would be better to summarise the

My side  of the table

tasting experience as a range of characteristics,  since I assume that most of the readers, like me may not have tasted many Sake wines earlier. Thus goes the experience:

Colour: Mostly pristine with pale straw and gold reflections. In some cases, there was a greenish tint too, but not as pronounced as in grape originated wine.

Aromas: White flowers, gooseberries, grass, dug up earth, confectionery, pastry, old grains, mushrooms.

Palate: Light to full body, coconut water, white fruits, herbaceous, medium to long finish.

Food accompaniment

Sampling Sake with one of the Producers

 Though I would prefer sticking to Sake as an aperitif for the time being, things may change once I experiment more of it with food. At this event, starters like Chicken Reshmi Tikka and Fish with tartar sauce were served.Though it was not a pairing per se, it was also not out of sync. I feel  these wines could be paired with a variety of food options in the Indian context. Amongst other cuisine, I think most Sakes should pair well with Oriental food that is rich in aromatic flavours and texture. Typical Entrée courses that have lots of greens are also likely to work well.



Authentic Cups for Sake sipping
Pic Courtesy: Spiritz

The tasting concluded with us being handed over a beautiful souvenir in the form of a cute little ceramic Sake tasting cup (two of which you can see in the pic alongside) . We bade farewell to the Sake gathering with a lingering taste in the mouth and a strong urge to buy a bottle enroute to put the cups to good use - pronto!