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Sake Deep Dive
Sake Deep Dive
45 episodes
4 days ago
A sake podcast for the beyond beginner! Sake brewer Andrew Russell and sake writer/translator Jim Rion dive deep into the history and culture around Japan's national drink to bring context and insight, for when an introduction just won't cut it. Join us every month for a tokkuri full of unfiltered sake knowledge! Our theme song is from: Lotus Lane by The Loyalist - Preconceived Notions https://soundcloud.com/preconceived-n... Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/lotus-lane Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/1YVHRMVwwHg
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Education
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All content for Sake Deep Dive is the property of Sake Deep Dive and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
A sake podcast for the beyond beginner! Sake brewer Andrew Russell and sake writer/translator Jim Rion dive deep into the history and culture around Japan's national drink to bring context and insight, for when an introduction just won't cut it. Join us every month for a tokkuri full of unfiltered sake knowledge! Our theme song is from: Lotus Lane by The Loyalist - Preconceived Notions https://soundcloud.com/preconceived-n... Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/lotus-lane Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/1YVHRMVwwHg
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Education
Episodes (20/45)
Sake Deep Dive
Hiyaoroshi - Autumn Sake Season is Here

Summer has passed here in Japan, bringing cool evenings perfect for a nice warm tokkuri full of kanzake. You might not be surprised to hear that your hosts both agree that the sake inside should be hiyaoroshi, the sake of autumn. It’s a topic that Andy and Jim have mentioned time and again, but this time they dive deep into the best of all seasonal sake. What does that name mean? Why is it such a special class of sake? And what’s the difference from akiagari, really? Listen close and all your questions will be answered. Kanpai!


Vocab for this episode

Hiya 冷、ひや - Cool in temperature

Oroshi 卸、おろし - To bring down, to package, to ship out or sell wholesale

Aki 秋 - Autumn

Namachozo 生貯蔵 - Stored unpasteurized/heat treated, then pasteurized on bottling.

Namazume 生詰め - Pasteurized before storing, then bottled without another pasteurization.

Recommendations:

Andy - Minami Tokubetsu Junmai Hiyaoroshi

Jim - Moriko Junmai Hiyaoroshi

Don’t forget to support us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/SakeDeepDive 

Also, check out Andy’s websites at: https://www.originsake.com/ and https://www.originsaketours.com

And buy Jim’s book, Discovering Yamaguchi Sake wherever you order your books (print and ebook available)!

Our theme music is from 

Lotus Lane by The Loyalist - Preconceived Notions Available at https://soundcloud.com/preconceived-notions

Under a  Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0

Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/lotus-lane

Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/1YVHRMVwwHg 


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4 days ago
38 minutes 28 seconds

Sake Deep Dive
Sugidama - Sake Brewing's Evergreen Symbol

Andy and Jim take a break from the beverage itself to talk about one of the most recognizable symbols of sake there is: the sugidama, also known as a sakabayashi… Or IS IT?! Come and listen as your hosts trim away the excess to expose the sphere of truth behind this enduring icon, including the location of Japan’s biggest example. Hint: It’s practically in Jim’s backyard.

So fill those tokkuri up and settle in for some sake culture on this International Sake Day edition of Sake Deep Dive.

Vocab for this episode

Sugi 杉 - Cryptomeria japonica. An evergreen in the cypress family, this tree is native to Japan and its wood has been an essential part of sake brewing for centuries. Not synonymous with “cedar” but sometimes called “Japanese dwarf cedar” which is odd because the trees can grow to like, 70 feet high…

Sakabayashi 杉林 - A “sugi forest.” The name for a traditional Shinto item made of a roughly tied bundle of sugi branches. Not a ball, so not a sugidama.

Sugidama 杉玉 - A spherical bundle of sugi branches hung at nearly every sake brewery in Japan. It has become a symbol with many meanings, all of them good.

Recommendations:

No sake recommendations, but do come to Japan and see the sugidama!

Don’t forget to support us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/SakeDeepDive 

Also, check out Andy’s website at: https://www.originsake.com/ 

And buy Jim’s book, Discovering Yamaguchi Sake wherever you order your books (print and ebook available)!

Our theme music is from 

Lotus Lane by The Loyalist - Preconceived Notions Available at https://soundcloud.com/preconceived-notions

Under a  Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0

Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/lotus-lane

Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/1YVHRMVwwHg


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1 month ago
42 minutes 53 seconds

Sake Deep Dive
Nigori - Clearing up Cloudy Sake

In a perfect follow up to the pressing episode, Andy and Jim try to clear the water on a murky issue: nigori sake. What is it? WHY is it? How do they make it? And how should I drink it? Listen, and all the clouds will be lifted. Kanpai!

Vocab for this episode

Kassei nigori 活性にごり - “active” nigori sake with living yeast still making alcohol and, importantly, CO2. Can be explosive on opening.

Nigori にごり・濁り - Literally “cloudy.” Here, we’re talking about sake with visible rice residue. It can range from only slight cloudy to thick, creamy white.

Ori おり・澱 - Lees, sediment, dregs… The very fine rice solids still left in sake after pressing.

Oribiki おり引き - A practice of allowing sake to rest in the tank after pressing so that the ori settles to the bottom. Clear sake is drained off the upper level, with the ori-rich sake still left at the bottom.

Origarami/Orizake おりがらみ・おり酒 - Sake taken from the lower levels of an oribiki tank. This sake has lots of residual solids, which not only makes the sake “cloudy” but also brings complexity and heft.

Sasanigori ささ濁り・佐々濁り - Very lightly cloudy sake.

Usunigori うすにごり・薄濁り - Lightly cloudy sake

Recommendations:

Andy - Seikyo Junmai Nigorizake 誠鏡 純米にごり酒

Jim - Nakashimaya Junmai Nigori 中島屋純米にごり

Don’t forget to support us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/SakeDeepDive 

Also, check out Andy’s website at: https://www.originsake.com/ 

And buy Jim’s book, Discovering Yamaguchi Sake wherever you order your books (print and ebook available)!

Our theme music is from 

Lotus Lane by The Loyalist - Preconceived Notions Available at https://soundcloud.com/preconceived-notions

Under a  Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0

Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/lotus-lane

Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/1YVHRMVwwHg 


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3 months ago
47 minutes 13 seconds

Sake Deep Dive
Natsuzake - Summertime Sake

Andy and Jim sweat over the details of summer sake. Is it light and refreshing, or hefty and punchy? Is it a brand new idea or something as old as brewing rice into booze? Lean back in your beach chair, slather on some sunscreen, and get ready to break the ice with the sake boys of summer in another Sake Deep Dive!

Vocab for this episode

Natsu 夏 - Summer!

Sake 酒 - Sake!

Recommendations:

Andy - Tamagawa Icebreaker

Jim - Chomonkyo Natsu no Sake/ Natsujun

Don’t forget to support us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/SakeDeepDive 

Also, check out Andy’s sake tours at: https://www.originsaketours.com/ 

And buy Jim’s book, Discovering Yamaguchi Sake wherever you order your books (print and ebook available)!

Our theme music is from 

Lotus Lane by The Loyalist - Preconceived Notions Available at https://soundcloud.com/preconceived-notions

Under a  Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0

Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/lotus-lane

Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/1YVHRMVwwHg 


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4 months ago
40 minutes 37 seconds

Sake Deep Dive
Shibori - Sake Pressing Matters

Andy and Jim bear down and wring out their brains to get as much info as possible about an overlooked part of the sake making process: shibori. Whether you call it pressing (correctly) or filtration (hmmm…), this is a step that is both more complicated, and more important, that most people probably think. No pressure, but you really need to squeeze this one into your schedule. Kanpai!

Vocab for this episode

Arabashiri 荒走り - The “rough run” of sake that is the first to come out of the press during shibori.

Assakuki 圧搾機 - Literally, “pressing machine.” The official name for what is usually called a “yabuta” after the most popular brand of sake press.

Fukurozuri 袋吊り - “Bag pressed” sake, in which moromi is put into cloth bags, which are then tied to a pole over a collecting tank. Also called shizuku shibori 雫搾り, meaning “droplet pressing”. But no pressure apart from gravity is used.

Fune 槽  - A traditional shibori style using a large wooden (and these days stainless steel) box filled with bags of moromi then pressed from above. Modern ones use hydraulics, older ones could be hand-cranked or use a tenbin 天秤 cantilever system.

Moromi 醪 - The sake mash, a thick concoction of rice, rice koji, and liquid. The solids (kasu/lees) must be separated from the liquid (sake) to be called seishu 清酒. 

Nakagumi 中ぐみ - The middle section, or the “hearts” of a sake pressing.

Seme 責め - The final section, or the “tails,” of a sake pressing. 

Tenbin shibori 天秤搾り - A very old style of pressing in which a fune is pressed using a counterweighted beam. A huge beam is suspended over the press with a cantilever to push down on the sake when large weights are put on the other end of the beam. Also called haneki shibori はね木搾り.

Recommendations:

Andy - Hoken Retro Label (寳劔 純米 レトロラベル)

Jim - Harada Tokubetsu Junmai Saito no Shizuku

Don’t forget to support us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/SakeDeepDive 

Also, check out Andy’s website at: https://www.originsake.com/ 

And buy Jim’s book, Discovering Yamaguchi Sake wherever you order your books (print and ebook available)!

Our theme music is from 

Lotus Lane by The Loyalist - Preconceived Notions Available at https://soundcloud.com/preconceived-notions

Under a  Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0

Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/lotus-lane

Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/1YVHRMVwwHg 


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5 months ago
1 hour 1 minute 18 seconds

Sake Deep Dive
Aramasa - Sake with Style

Andy and Jim go all in on a single brewery this time, looking at Akita Prefecture’s Aramasa Shuzo. Known as one of the most desirable and hard-to-get labels around, we wonder what exactly makes it that way? The answer may well lie in an obsessive focus on detail, from brewery cleaning to label design. Scrub your kioke, tie up the shimenawa, and fill your cup with a true maboroshi. Kanpai!

Vocab for this episode

Kioke 木桶 - Wooden tanks for fermentation etc. Aramasa uses all wooden tanks.

Shimenawa しめ縄 - A woven straw rope decorated with white paper charms, associated with sacred spaces in the Shinto faith. Used on the tanks at Aramasa.

Maboroshi 幻 - Literally a “phantom,” figuratively it’s something that is elusive.

Kame 亀 - A turtle. 

Recommendations:

Andy - Nirukame

Jim - Cosmos

Don’t forget to support us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/SakeDeepDive 

Also, check out Andy’s website at: https://www.originsake.com/ 

And buy Jim’s book, Discovering Yamaguchi Sake wherever you order your books (print and ebook available)!

Our theme music is from 

Lotus Lane by The Loyalist - Preconceived Notions Available at https://soundcloud.com/preconceived-notions

Under a  Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0

Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/lotus-lane

Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/1YVHRMVwwHg 


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7 months ago
55 minutes 43 seconds

Sake Deep Dive
Sake Bars - Drinking in Japan

This time, Andy and Jim take things a little easy with a little guide to drinking in Japan. From hidden neighborhood izakaya to trendy Tokyo sake bars, they ease the way into finding and enjoying a tipple on your next trip to Japan. 

Vocabulary

Izakaya 居酒屋 - An eating and drinking spot, meaning literally “shop to be with liquor.” The baseline for drinking in Japan.

Kaku uchi 角打ち - A type of liquor store that doubles as a place to drink in the evening. Standing only, and some simple snacks are often available.

Mokkiri もっきり - a rather ostentatious way of serving nihonshu by putting a glass into a masu then pouring until the glass overflows.

Otoshi お通し - a small dish served on sitting down at an izakaya or some bars, without being ordered. It is a paid dish and essentially doubles as a table charge.

Otsumami お摘み - The general word for nibbles or snacks, often associated with drinking.

Sakana 肴 - The traditional word for food served along drinks. Note that the pronunciation is the same as “fish” but the character is different.

Tachinomi 立ち飲み - A standing bar. Different from kaku uchi in that it is ONLY a bar, without the liquor store function.

 

Recommendations:

Andy - Kaifork 解放区 in Okayama City

Jim - Hularito in Tajimi, Gifu Prefecture

Don’t forget to support us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/SakeDeepDive 

Also, check out Andy’s website at: https://www.originsake.com/ 

And buy Jim’s book, Discovering Yamaguchi Sake wherever you order your books (print and ebook available)!

Our theme music is from 

Lotus Lane by The Loyalist - Preconceived Notions Available at https://soundcloud.com/preconceived-notions

Under a  Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0

Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/lotus-lane

Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/1YVHRMVwwHg 


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8 months ago
1 hour 1 minute 9 seconds

Sake Deep Dive
Jizake - Local Sake Goes Global

This episode of Sake Deep Dive sees Andy and Jim go on an etymological journey to see how a once-disparaging term came to represent something sought after and, eventually, almost meaningless. Along the way, we look at how changing consumer attitudes have shaped even the smallest breweries and their output. Grab your favorite local brew and settle in for some word nerdery!

 

Recommendations:

Andy - Kosen, Izumi Shuzo

Jim - Ikusanga, Kinfundo Shuzo

Don’t forget to support us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/SakeDeepDive 

Also, check out Andy’s website at: https://www.originsake.com/ 

And buy Jim’s book, Discovering Yamaguchi Sake wherever you order your books (print and ebook available)!

Our theme music is from 

Lotus Lane by The Loyalist - Preconceived Notions Available at https://soundcloud.com/preconceived-notions

Under a  Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0

Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/lotus-lane

Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/1YVHRMVwwHg 


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9 months ago
56 minutes 13 seconds

Sake Deep Dive
Koji - Sake's (In?) tangible Cultural Heart

In December, UNESCO recognized “Traditional Sake Making Techniques” as Japan’s latest example of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Andy and Jim have questions, and maybe even a few answers, about what exactly that might mean. The key is, of course, koji and its use in alcoholic fermentation in Japan. Come take a listen as our hosts explore the implications for nihonshu and its future.

Vocabulary for this episode:

Barakoji バラ麹 - Japan’s particular style of sprinkling Aspergillus oryzae spores over loose rice to make koji.

Mochikoji 餅麹 - One Japanese term for the common Chinese style of cake fermentation starter, called sometime jiuqu or qu. Basically, a cake of rice flour or other starch mixed with water and inoculated with various microbes including Apergillus or Rhizopus molds. 

 

Recommendations:

Andy -  Daigorei from Bajo Shuzo

Don’t forget to support us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/SakeDeepDive 

Also, check out Andy’s new sake tours at: https://www.originsaketours.com/ 

And buy Jim’s book, Discovering Yamaguchi Sake wherever you order your books (print and ebook available)!

Our theme music is from 

Lotus Lane by The Loyalist - Preconceived Notions Available at https://soundcloud.com/preconceived-notions

Under a  Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0

Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/lotus-lane

Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/1YVHRMVwwHg 


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10 months ago
52 minutes 52 seconds

Sake Deep Dive
Honjozo - A Hidden Sake Hero

Back after a brief hiatus, Andy and Jim wax lyrical over a truly overlooked, and sadly undersold style of sake: honjozo. A class that has fallen victim to misinformation, you might be surprised to find out that some of the most sought after and valued sake around is, in fact, honjozo. So, fill a tokkuri and sit back as we dig deep on this secret star of the dinner table. 

Vocabulary

  • Honjozo - 本醸造 One of the tokuteimeishoshu classifications, a sake that must have rice polished at least to 70% and can contain a small amount of added brewer’s alcohol.

  • Tokuteimeishoshu - 特定名称酒 Special designation sake. The government-designated rules for labelling sake as ginjo, daiginjo, junmai, or honjozo.

 

Recommendations:

Andy -  Juyondai Tokubestu Honjozo Honmaru

Jim - Ugo no Tsuki Tokubestu Honjozo (See also New Moon)

Don’t forget to support us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/SakeDeepDive 

Also, check out Andy’s new sake tours at: https://www.originsaketours.com/ 

And buy Jim’s book, Discovering Yamaguchi Sake wherever you order your books (print and ebook available)!

Our theme music is from 

Lotus Lane by The Loyalist - Preconceived Notions Available at https://soundcloud.com/preconceived-notions

Under a  Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0

Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/lotus-lane

Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/1YVHRMVwwHg 

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11 months ago
43 minutes 50 seconds

Sake Deep Dive
Gokyo - Yamaguchi's Soul Sake

This is Jim’s moment to shine! The almost inevitable moment has come as Andy and Jim talk about a sake brewery close to Jim’s heart: Sakai Shuzo, home of iconic Yamaguchi label Gokyo. Learn about the brewery’s history, philosophy, and the unique ties between it and the local community… And, of course, the delicious sake that comes from them all. Listen along and imagine yourself sipping hiyaoroshi under the maple leaves along the lazy Nishiki River in this hyper-local episode of Sake Deep Dive.

Vocabulary

  • Kioke 木桶 - A wooden vessel, in this case a fermentation tank. Usually made of sugi (Cryptomeria japonica) wood.

  • Sotoji 総杜氏 - “Head toji,” a term used for breweries that have more than one facility headed up by a toji. The one toji to lead them all.

  • Nishiki 錦 - Silk brocade, specifically, but often a term used to give a nuance of luxury, excess, or “fanciness.” Sometimes also pronounced “Kin”

  • Obi 帯 - A kimono sash or strip/band of land. Sometimes also “Tai”

  • Kintaikyo 錦帯橋 - The famous five-arched wooden bridge over the Nishiki River. Could be translated “Sash of silk brocade.”

 

Recommendations:

Andy - Gokyo Saitonoshizuku Daiginjo

Jim - Gokyo Josen Futsushu / Gokyo Kiokezukuri Junmaishu

Don’t forget to support us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/SakeDeepDive 

Also, check out Andy’s new sake tours at: https://www.originsaketours.com/ 

And buy Jim’s book, Discovering Yamaguchi Sake wherever you order your books (print and ebook available)!

Our theme music is from 

Lotus Lane by The Loyalist - Preconceived Notions Available at https://soundcloud.com/preconceived-notions

Under a  Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0

Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/lotus-lane

Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/1YVHRMVwwHg 


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1 year ago
1 hour 18 seconds

Sake Deep Dive
Taru Sake - The Scent of Sugi

Andy and Jim crack open a barrel of history with this look at a small but cool part of sake culture: tarusake/taruzake. Originally just an accident of logistics, sake stored in sugi wood barrels is now something breweries have to go out of their way to make. Why do they do it? HOW do they do it? Come, listen, and find out.


Vocabulary

  • Hadakadaru 裸樽 - a “naked” taru without any wrapping, sometimes with the company logo etc. branded on the side. 

  • Hon’nidaru 本荷樽 - a taru wrapped in a woven straw mat that bears decorations and, sometimes, the official brewery logo/sake information, calling back to when sake was shipped to market in these containers. Also called komadaru 菰樽.

  • Kagami Biraki 鏡開き - a somewhat ceremonial practice, often seen at large public events, where VIPs use wooden hammers to break open the lid of a sake taru.

  • Masu 升 - a box shaped vessel, originally used to measure rice, now sometimes used as a sake drinking vessel. Usually bare wood, but some are lacquered or even made of plastic.

  • Sugi 杉 - Cryptomeria japonica, sometimes mistakenly called “Japanese cedar.” A conifer with aromatic wood.

  • Taru 樽 - a barrel, in this case a wooden one, used to store liquid.

 

Recommendations:

Andy - Choryo Tarusake

Jim - Kamotsuru Taruzake

Don’t forget to support us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/SakeDeepDive 

Also, check out Andy’s new sake tours at: https://www.originsaketours.com/ 

And buy Jim’s book, Discovering Yamaguchi Sake wherever you order your books (print and ebook available)!

Our theme music is from 

Lotus Lane by The Loyalist - Preconceived Notions Available at https://soundcloud.com/preconceived-notions

Under a  Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0

Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/lotus-lane

Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/1YVHRMVwwHg



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1 year ago
46 minutes 42 seconds

Sake Deep Dive
Tanba Toji - Secret Sake Guilds

Andy and Jim explore the past and present of the first-ever association of sake brewers, the Tanba Toji. From the origins of toji as a title to the value of labor organizations to the industry, listen in to see just how big a role this rather secretive organization has played in the history of sake as a whole.

Vocabulary

Toji 杜氏 - the head of brewing in the traditional sake brewing system, in charge of a team of brewers and all that happens to the sake.

Kashira 頭 - the second in rank in a brewery under the traditional system.

Dakidaru だき樽 - a small tank with a handle filled with hot or cold water to adjust moromi temperature.

Recommendations:

Andy - Kikumasamune Hyakumoku

Jim - Kenbishi Kuromatsu


Don’t forget to support us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/SakeDeepDive 

Also, check out Andy’s new sake tours at: https://www.originsaketours.com/ 

And buy Jim’s book, Discovering Yamaguchi Sake wherever you order your books (print and ebook available)!

Our theme music is from 

Lotus Lane by The Loyalist - Preconceived Notions Available at https://soundcloud.com/preconceived-notions

Under a  Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0

Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/lotus-lane

Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/1YVHRMVwwHg 


Show more...
1 year ago
47 minutes 17 seconds

Sake Deep Dive
Okayama - Sunshine Soaked Sake

Andy and Jim take a little trip up the Seto Inland Sea coast to sunny Okayama Prefecture, a hidden gem of sake in western Japan. A sacred land for Omachists everywhere, what makes the sake here so darn great? Come, listen and find out on Sake Deep Dive!

Vocabulary from this episode:

Bizen 備前

Bingo 備後

Bicchu 備中

Recommendations:

Andy - Fuyu no Tsuki

Jim - Momo no Sato Junmai Ginjo

Don’t forget to support us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/SakeDeepDive 

Also, check out Andy’s new sake tours at: https://www.originsaketours.com/ 

And buy Jim’s book, Discovering Yamaguchi Sake wherever you order your books (print and ebook available)!

Our theme music is from 

Lotus Lane by The Loyalist - Preconceived Notions Available at https://soundcloud.com/preconceived-notions

Under a  Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0

Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/lotus-lane

Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/1YVHRMVwwHg 


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1 year ago
53 minutes 2 seconds

Sake Deep Dive
Kenbishi - A Sake for the Ages

Andrew and Jim take their first ever deep dive into a single brewery. Kenbishi is about as classic as it gets, and with Andrew’s first-hand experience, the talk gets deep indeed. Come see how this truly historic brand maintains its core flavor through the changing currents of history and fad!

Vocabulary from this episode:

Dakidaru - A small tank that is filled with hot or cold water to help control temperature in the brewing mash. Kenbishi makes their own out of wood.

Futakoji - A style of koji making in which the batch is split into small wooden boxes, called futa, for temperature control. 

Don’t forget to support us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/SakeDeepDive 

Also, check out Andy’s new sake tours at: https://www.originsaketours.com/ 

And buy Jim’s book, Discovering Yamaguchi Sake wherever you order your books (print and ebook available)!

Our theme music is from 

Lotus Lane by The Loyalist - Preconceived Notions Available at https://soundcloud.com/preconceived-notions

Under a  Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0

Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/lotus-lane

Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/1YVHRMVwwHg 


Show more...
1 year ago
56 minutes 23 seconds

Sake Deep Dive
Kijoshu - We Put Sake in Your Sake

This time, Andy and Jim put on airs and address the noblest of sake styles: kijoshu, a modern brew made to take on the snootiest of events. We discuss everything from the supposed mythical origins of the process to the ethics of trademarking names for shared styles. No Edo period brewing manuals here, just pure seventies funk. 

Vocabulary from this episode

Engishiki - An ancient record of laws and customs from the noble court dating to around 927 CE.

Kijoshu -A style of sake made using finished sake instead of one part of the brewing water in the final brewing stage. Actually a trademarked name.

Saijoshikomi - One of several alternate names for sake made in the kijoshu style .

Shiori sake - An ancient brewing method in which a batch of sake is “refermented” with a fresh addition of rice and koji.

Recommended Sake

Andy - Kokuryu Kijoshu

 Jim - Nakashimaya Kijoshu

Our theme music is from 

Lotus Lane by The Loyalist - Preconceived Notions Available at https://soundcloud.com/preconceived-notions

Under a  Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0

Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/lotus-lane

Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/1YVHRMVwwHg 


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1 year ago
40 minutes 54 seconds

Sake Deep Dive
Blending Sake - Unmixing Truth from Fiction

Finally, the European masters have introduced the world of sake to the power of blending, something that no one in sake’s centuries of history ever thought of before. Or, not. Jim and Andy stir things up with a talk about the real, and very long, history of blending sake in all its many shapes and forms.

Vocabulary from this episode

Arabashiri - The initial “rough run” of sake from a pressing.

Nakatori - The middle, and often considered best, run of a pressing of sake.

Seme - The final cut, sometimes considered the “dregs” or tailings of a pressing of sake.

Chogo - The Japanese word for blending, as in sake.

Recommended Sake

Andy - Kuromatsu Kenbishi

 Jim - Miyoshi Hana 

Our theme music is from 

Lotus Lane by The Loyalist - Preconceived Notions Available at https://soundcloud.com/preconceived-notions

Under a  Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0

Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/lotus-lane

Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/1YVHRMVwwHg 


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1 year ago
44 minutes 59 seconds

Sake Deep Dive
Nara - The Origin of Sake… Maybe?

Andy and Jim explore the history of Nara as an early center for sake development and innovation. From rice polishing to branding, there's a solid argument that this is where sake as a consumer good was born.

Vocabulary from this episode:

Katahaku - Sake that used polished rice for only the mashing rice.

Morohaku - Sake brewed with polished rice in both Koji and kakemai

Recommended Sake

Andy - Yucho Shuzo Takacho Junmai Bodaimoto

Jim - Kubo Honke Nemuryu Kimoto Junmai Jukusei


Our theme music is from 

Lotus Lane by The Loyalist - Preconceived Notions Available at https://soundcloud.com/preconceived-notions

Under a  Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0

Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/lotus-lane

Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/1YVHRMVwwHg 



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1 year ago
55 minutes 29 seconds

Sake Deep Dive
Sake Brewing Tanks - Kame, Kioke, and Horo

Your humble hosts look over developments in the types of tanks used through history. It's a great chance to reflect on the surprising links between material advancements, brewing technology, and market demands. 

Vocabulary from this episode

Horo - Enamel coating used on metal tanks

Kame - A general term for large ceramic jars/tanks used for storing or fermenting

Kioke - Wooden tanks 

Taru - A wooden cask or keg used for storing and transporting sake

Recommended Sake

Andy - Kikumasamune Taruzake

Jim - Aramasa Cosmos 

Our theme music is from 

Lotus Lane by The Loyalist - Preconceived Notions Available at https://soundcloud.com/preconceived-notions

Under a  Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0

Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/lotus-lane

Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/1YVHRMVwwHg 



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1 year ago
55 minutes 48 seconds

Sake Deep Dive
Junmai - Pure (Non)Sense

Time at last for Andy and Jim to tackle the beast that is the junmai ideology. This time the gents look at just how junmai became such a hot topic, what it really means for the brewing industry, and the figures behind its postwar “revival,” if that’s what it really is. 

Vocabulary from this episode

Aruten - Brewer’s alcohol added. Short for arukoru tenka

Komedake no osake - sake made from only rice/rice koji/yeast.

Mutenka - Nothing added

Recommended Sake

Andy - Gokyo Kiokezukuri Junmai 

Jim - Ryujinmaru Junmai Nama Genshu


Our theme music is from 

Lotus Lane by The Loyalist - Preconceived Notions Available at https://soundcloud.com/preconceived-notions

Under a  Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0

Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/lotus-lane

Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/1YVHRMVwwHg



Show more...
1 year ago
51 minutes 45 seconds

Sake Deep Dive
A sake podcast for the beyond beginner! Sake brewer Andrew Russell and sake writer/translator Jim Rion dive deep into the history and culture around Japan's national drink to bring context and insight, for when an introduction just won't cut it. Join us every month for a tokkuri full of unfiltered sake knowledge! Our theme song is from: Lotus Lane by The Loyalist - Preconceived Notions https://soundcloud.com/preconceived-n... Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/lotus-lane Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/1YVHRMVwwHg