Wine has aromas such as chocolate, berries, and spices, and Chinese baijiu also has aromas such as citrus, florals, and sauces, but what about Japanese sake?
In fact, although the raw material of Japanese sake is mainly rice, the aroma of Japanese sake is quite rich, and the aroma is expressed in flowers, fruits, dairy products, and even nuts and mushrooms.
Recently, a special new aroma has appeared in the Japanese sake industry - 4MMP. And this one gives off a refreshing aroma like a muscadine grape, most commonly found in white wines, especially in Sauvignon Blanc. However, the aroma that appears in sake is extremely rare, and it has almost never appeared before. Therefore, the emergence of 4MMP can be said to be a milestone creation, directly leading to a wave of brewing new aromas of sake.
So, how exactly does the aroma of Japanese sake come about? Under what conditions is 4MMP brewed? Today, Pinle Wine takes you to study it together!
Three sources of the aroma of chanting
Traditional Japanese sake is generally characterized by a mellow taste and a rich rice aroma, and if it is an ancient sake that has been matured for many years, it will also emit a dried fruit-like aroma or aroma of cedar sake bottle, and the overall characteristics are mainly rich.
On the other hand, ginjo, which became popular in the eighties and nineties of the last century, is characterized by a gorgeous aroma like fruit. Since it presents a completely different aroma and taste from traditional sake, ginjo-type sake quickly became popular, and even women who are not good at drinking began to accept and become fascinated by it.
As for the principle of the production of these aromas, the higher the quality of sake, the more complex the composition of the aroma tends to be. There are usually three sources – the aroma of the raw material itself, the aroma produced during fermentation, and the aroma after maturation.
(1) The aroma from the raw material
Most Japanese sake has a full aroma of rice, which is the aroma of the ingredients themselves. The surface layer of sake rice contains fat and protein, which not only produces miscellaneous flavors, but also has an inhibitory effect on the aroma produced during fermentation, so be sure to grind it off, and the lower the polished rice step degree of sake, the more lipids and unnecessary nutrients are removed, and the stronger the rice aroma.
According to the Japanese liquor tax law, polished rice can only be called ginjo if it is less than 60%, and less than 50% can be called daiginjo.
(2) Aroma from the fermentation process
The main attraction of ginjo-grade sake is the charming floral and fruity aroma, which can also be called "ginjo aroma", mainly from the aroma produced when sake ferments. Generally, only slow fermentation in a low temperature environment can make the aroma substances better generated and preserved, and the aroma produced in the wine is more durable.
Ginjo and Daiginjo-grade sake, the polished rice step is very low, and there is very little residual protein, so the yeast cannot absorb enough nutrients, and coupled with the low temperature environment, the yeast will have abnormal metabolism.
Japanese sake craftsmen continue to explore and experiment when brewing sake, not only cultivating a large number of sake rice, but also separating yeast with different flavors.
According to the statistics of the Japan Brewery Association, there are currently thousands of yeasts recognized by the association and various localities. Not only do local brewing laboratories develop a wide variety of yeasts in-house, but many sake breweries also use their own yeast. By choosing different yeast varieties, the aroma produced when making sake will naturally be very different, which is why sake always surprises people.
(3) From the aroma released during maturation
Some sake is matured for a long time in bottles or barrels, and not only does the color gradually turn golden or amber, but also releases a sweet, honey-like aroma, forming a rich and layered aroma such as dried fruits, mushrooms, and spices, which is also called "ripening aroma".
New aroma - 4MMP
In recent years, Japan's new school of sake has been forging ahead, and has been very active in moving towards wine styles, emphasizing beautiful acidity and flower and fruit flavors, of which Yamanoju is one of the most daring and innovative.
After years of research and brewing and debugging, Yamanoju became the first to accurately produce the 4MMP aroma (which can be physically and chemically detected) commonly found in white wines, especially in Sauvignon Blanc, which caused a sensation as soon as it was launched.
Here is a brief science popularization, 4MMP (4-mercapto-4-methylpentan-2-one) is an aromatic compound obtained after alcoholic fermentation conversion. According to the data, it was first detected in Sauvignon Blanc grapes in 1990, and it was named fruity mercaptan because of its gorgeous floral fruit aroma. It is commonly found in Sauvignon Blanc wines, as well as in certain hops, and is characterized by tropical fruit aromas such as grapefruit, passion fruit, lychee, etc.
The aroma of traditional sake is mainly isoamyl acetate and ethyl acetate, and 4MMP is also expressed in sake as rich but clear honeydew melon and musk grape sweetness.
All in all, since Yamanoju brought the fire to 4MMP, 4MMP has become one of the most interesting topics in the Japanese sake scene, and countless wineries have vied to brew it. HOWEVER, DUE TO THE DIFFICULTY AND INSTABILITY OF BREWING, THERE ARE VERY FEW SAKE THAT CAN SUCCESSFULLY BREW 4MMP.
The following is Yamanoju's 4MMP sake, because it is a very pioneering experimental liquor, so the label does not follow the traditional Japanese sake label design, but highlights the Romaji English, and the back label information even hides rice species and yeast.
How is 4MMP brewed?
It is said that it is difficult for a smart woman to cook without rice, and everyone is curious about how this magical aroma is brewed.
At present, even the Japanese sake industry has not given official clear scientific research results, but from some evaluations and tests of private cattle, some possibilities can be drawn:
(1) "Special yeast" was used.
FOR EXAMPLE, KOBUSHI, WHICH USED YEAST NO. 1, WAS IMMEDIATELY PRESSED AND TASTED BY FORMER TAX BUREAU APPRAISER Ryo Kaito to have a 4MMP AROMA.
There is also Junmai Daiginjo in Edo Kaejo, which is the highest peak of which Port of Tokyo Brewing is proud. It is rarely made from sake rice, brewing water, and yeast, and is pure rice Daiginjo, the highest peak brewed from raw materials produced in Tokyo. The yeast used is Edo yeast, which has an even older history than the association's No. 1 yeast, and is an ancient yeast that appeared in Meiji 31.
(2) Use raw rice with less crude protein
As early as more than 30 years ago, Japan usually used low-protein rice in sake brewing, but this helpless move due to cost considerations became a brilliant stroke. In this way, sake with ginjo texture can be brewed at a low price without the need for high-precision rice. Since then, the sake has been developed in 2004. SAKE BREWED WITH THIS TYPE OF LOW-GLUTEN RICE TENDS TO HAVE FEWER AMINO ACIDS, A CLEANER AND CLEARER TASTE, AND A TYPICAL FLAVOR OF 4MMP.
As for the principle, it is actually simple, gluten is one of the proteins with the highest content of proline and glutamine, which will have an impact on the flavor of amino acids and peptides. Therefore, gluten deficiency will reduce the amount of nutrients provided to amino acids during yeast fermentation.
WITH 4MMP CHUNMAI DAIGINJO, IT IS A RARE MASTERPIECE IN THE SAKE WORLD THAT IS FULL OF SWEET AROMA LIKE MUSK GRAPES, AND YOU CAN FEEL THE REFRESHING SWEETNESS OF HONEYDEW MELON AFTER ENTERING THE MOUTH, AND IT ALSO EXUDES A TRANSPARENT FLAVOR.
These interesting aromas, which are constantly being innovated, are what make Japanese sake unique and so popular.