Bizen - Rice Milling Rate

The Toshimori Sake Brewery offers an outstanding quality products made possible by an exceptionally low rice milling rate (Note 1) and by the use of "Akaiwa Omachi" rice, a unique locally grown Sake rice variety that has flavors similar to the once extinct rice variety of "Omachi" from which some of today's popular sake rice varieties originate. The brewery also offers Junmai Ginjo Sake at a price similar to those of Regular Junmai or Regular Ginjo Sake manufactured by others, making the Bizen Junmai Ginjo Sake a better deal for the consumers.

In order to earn the designation of "Junmai Ginjo" Sake, it must first meet the requirement of "Junmai" Sake, meaning that the rice, water and yeast are the only ingredients used. Adding so called brewing alcohol is not permitted in this category. Secondly, it must meet the requirement for "Ginjo" Sake of 60% or less rice milling rate. The Regular Junmai Sake is made with rice milled at a degree less than 70%, and therefore, the difference in quality is quite obvious. The Bizen Junmai Ginjo Premium Sake is a product that has even less rice milling rate. It is made with 60% milled Koji-mai and 50% milled Kake-mai making the average rice milling rate of 55% (Note 2), making it a cleaner and purer product.

A "Ginjo" is a term used to describe a specific sake brewing technique in which a longer brewing time at a lower-temperature is applied. The "Ginjo Brew" generally uses a type of yeast that will bring out fragrant aromas, like fresh flowers and citrus fruits.

The Bizen Junmai (Pure Rice) Ginjo Premium Sake is designed to enhance the robustness of the natural flavors of Akaiwa Omachi rice balanced with pleasant aromatic fragrance which was made possible by the special Ginjo Brew techniques.

Note 1: The "Rice Milling Rate" is expressed in numerical figures that indicate to what degree rice is milled or polished down from its original grain size. The number represents the portion of rice that is left after it has been polished. If the rate is 55%, it means 45% of the original rice is milled and discarded. The reason why the rice needs to be polished is because it contains more protein, minerals and fat on the outside layers, while it contains more starch on the inside layers. In the fermentation process of Sake, the starch becomes sugar (glucose), which turns into alcohol. When the protein and other "impurities" are present, it creates off-flavor during fermentation, and thus spoils the taste of Sake. In order to produce Sake that has good, clean flavor that does not wear off, it is critical to bring down the milling rate low and make sure to remove the protein and other substances.

It is commonly said that, among many kinds of Japanese Sake, there is no other Sake than Junmai (Pure Rice) Sake whose flavors are so severely affected by the degree in which the rice is polished. Therefore, Sake brands that do not or cannot declare the "rice milling rate" cannot be helped but to be questioned of their integrity for quality. It would not be fair for the consumers to be expected to have such industry knowledge, and perhaps, even people in restaurant trades may not necessarily have opportunities to learn these things. The declaration of the rice milling rate is most important and perhaps the only way for consumers to know the true quality of Sake products.

Note 2: Koji-mai is the rice that is steamed and mixed with rice mold that creates Enzyme. The Enzyme works to convert Starch into Sugar (Glucose). The Yeast converts Sugar into Alcohol. Kake-mail is the rice that is simply steamed and placed in the tank to control fermentation.

The BIZEN SAKE is named after the region of Okayama, which used to be called Bizen in ancient Japan. This region is famous for its rustic pottery making techniques - Bizen Yaki (Ware). In 1850, the wild rice stock of "Akaiwa Omachi" was first found in this region and later became the grandfather of a number of popular Sake rice varieties of today. This original stock became extinct around 1930s. In 1983, the TOSHIMORI SAKE BREWERY succeeded in reviving this rare and coveted but hard to grow "Akaiwa Omachi" Sake Rice. For many years, the Brewery has been awarded with medals of highest recognition at the prestigious All-Japan New Sake Competition. Internationally, between 1998 and 2002, the Brewery has been the consecutive gold medal winner at the Monde Selection's International Contest of Wines. The TOSHIMORI SAKE BREWERY has been producing sake of the highest quality since 1868.