Go-Shu Junmai

Go-Shu Sake and How To Enjoy

 

Go-shu is a type of junmai sake commonly brewed in Australia and Japan. Some types of sake are brewed in other places such as the West coast of the United States but the sake purist would tell you to avoid any sake not brewed in Japan, although Australia is noted for brewing some of the world's finest sake. Go-Shu Blue is a finer example of Australia's various lines of sake. When in the old country of Japan, however, it is difficult to find bad sake. Easily enough, cheap sake abounds, but even the cheapest brand is not too poor of quality to be enjoyed and is readily used for cooking.

 

Sake, or more simply put, Japanese rice wine, is made from rice typically after it is ground down to a percentage of its original size. In order to make sake, the use of koji is employed. Koji is steamed rice that has been cultivated with a bacteria called aspergillus oryzae. Its job is comparable to yeast in western alcohol. The type of sake we are discussing in this article is known as junmai, which means that no distilled alcohol was added, making it the purer sake. Most junmai sakes should be enjoyed warm, no hotter than 104 degrees fahrenheit or 40 degrees celcius. They can, however, be enjoyed cold and are delicious either way. 

 

This Japanese spirit is very pleasant as alcohol goes and is very light. It has been described as fruity, but saying that it is warm and lends itself well to salty flavors would be more accurate. Most sake is not very aromatic or bitter, but rather has a cleansing quality to its warmth that not only makes the drink enjoyable, but also has the function of cleansing the palate before the next flavor is sampled. Just remember, sake is pretty safe and no one brand will deceive you as to the spirit of the spirit and as always, enjoy responsibly.