Sake and cheese masterclass at the London Wine Fair

Masterclass on pairing of cheese and sake by Natsuki Kikuy, a well-known senior sake researcher with WSET credentials.

Sake is, of course, the national drink in Japan, we all know that. What many, surprisingly, still don't know is that is is a fermented drink, and not a distilled one. 

Four basic elements go into sake: rice, water, koji and yeast.

 There are about 100 types of sake rice in Japan and several are grown specifically with sake brewing in mind. Water in Japan is also special, it has the least minerals of most other waters in the world. Koji is a mould, also used as condiment with miso etc Finally,  koji yeast is used to break up starch into sugar.

As for sake categories, to put it in simple terms, the popular Junmai means the sake has 50+%plus polish, ie more than half of the rice grain is polished away to leave only the inner core for sake.

For honjozo they add alcohol and achieve a staggering 70% polish rate.

Cheese and sake go well together because they share : fermentation, umami notes and, for both, aging matters.

Following are my tasting notes.

Kisaki sprasu pink sake

Junmai daiginjio 

Sparkling sake, champagne method 

50%pol ratio 

11%abv

Score 89

La tur cheese from Piedmont 

Soft blend cow sheep goat 

Koi Junmai Daiginjio 

17%abv 

Score 92

Secret polishing ratio 

Very smooth long 

Brilliant savarin creamy cheese from burgundy 

Perfect pair by concordance 

Tatsuriki Sakura 

Junmai 65% polish ratio 

15%abv 

Used cherry blossom flower that contains yeast 

Score 89

Dorstone goat cheese from England 

Light fluffy texture 

Niida Shinzenshu 

Kimoto Junmai Genshu

From fukushima 

Polish ratio 80% 16%abv

fruity 

Score 90

Cheese Salers from Auvergne 

Un pasteurized cow milk 

Chunky cheese concordance with thick sake 

Asahizakura ginjio koshu (aged) 1996

Exception as it needs aging while usually sake should not 

Polish ratio 60%

Abv 17%

Color by maillard reaction like for onions,slight toasted bitter nites

Score 88

4yo gouda cheese from Netherlands 

Smooth paste and sake by concordance 

Ebisu Fuku Ume 

Not technically sake 

Made with apricots 

Abv 12%

Aged in brandy casks for 20 years 

Paired by concordance with 

Blue cheese goat gorgonzola from Italy