Producer: Kinmon Akita Shuzo｜金紋秋田酒造
Country/Region: Japan/Akita｜日本/秋田県
A NEW CONCEPT: CHALLENGING THE NORMS
Brewed by a modest, local sake brewery whose maxim is “good sake ages well”, X3 AMAIRO was conceived from the principle of “sake food pairing”.
In addition to the adoption of several approaches from the wine industry, such as blending or modern brewing methods, this procedure allows the brewery to create a vast range of unique sake products, totally new both in style and technique. Selective older vintage blends, for instance, provide good examples that validate this doctrine.
RICH IN AMINO ACID
What is unique in “x3 AMAIRO” is the use of Kouji – a rice-malt which is a nationally specially designated fungus in Japan. The proportion of Kouji within “x3 AMAIRO” is three times more than normal – a consequence of which is the production of more amino acid, giving the beverage a value of 2.3.
MIRIN, COOKING SAKE, BY THE WAY
The “fish dish” is as much emblematic of Japanese gastronomy as are Sushi and Sashimi.
The fifth key taste profile, known as Umami (sweet, sour, salt and bitter being the first four) holds an important place in Japanese gastronomy.
The Umami taste is experienced in the variety of Japanese fermented foods such as soy sauce or the fish broth named dashi. This subtle flavour is additionally enhanced by Mirin, itself an essential condiment and very common in many dishes, which is succinctly described as a type of sweet “cooking sake”
A small amount of Mirin is used to either add a bright touch to grilled or boiled fish, to reduce the smell of fish or to help ingredients more readily absorb the Umami flavour.
Due to its high alcohol content and abundance of amylose – which comes from glutinous rice – the savoury balance is rather unsuitable for contemporary drinking although Mirin once had a place akin to Port wine during the Edo period (17th-18th centuries).
KINMON AKITA SAKE BREWERY, “x3 AMAIRO” (photo left)
“x3 AMAIRO” was created to occupy the same role as Mirin yet it is pleasantly smooth on the palate – much like an authentic Junmai-shu – a pure-rice sake made from only rice and water without any distilled alcohol.
When paired with certain foods, that are otherwise usually incompatible with wine – sea urchin or oyster, for instance, the discerning taster will be impressed by “x3 AMAIRO”, especially in how well it brings out the sublime creamy Umami flavour from the sea-urchin and enhancing the taste experience of both the food and the beverage.
A real “food friendly” sake indeed. Whether with a sharp-flavoured blue cheese or to accompany fatty Chinese foods such as braised pork, compatibility is assured.
There is nothing quite like “x3 AMAIRO” but if one had to pick a wine to replace it, Sherry Amontillado from Jerez or the sweet Sauternes are the only candidates.
- BRAND: x3 AMAIRO
- BREWERY: Kinmon Akita Sake Brewery
- RICE: Akita Prefecture Origin MENKOINA
- AlLCOHOL: 15%
- RICE POLISHING RATE: 65%
- SAKE METER VALUE: -24
- ACIDITY: 2.5
- AMINO ACIDO: 2.3
- YEAST: Sake yeast kyokai No.7
- DRINKING TEMPERATURE: 10-25 degree
この日本酒は、「ワインの様に新しい造り方やブレンドを積極的に実践しないのか？」という独自の考えを持ち、「ペアリング」としての日本酒をコンセプトに酒造りを行う蔵元が醸すお酒です。その為、現代では珍しく積極的に新しい技法での製造や古酒ブレンド商品を開発しています。今回ご紹介するこの商品は、酒の仕込み段階での麹の使用を通常の酒の３倍にしたことで、アミノ酸の生成が活発になり、お酒のアミノ酸値が2.3と非常に高いお酒です。
日本食といえば寿司やお造りに代表される「魚」を食べる文化。
そして、醤油などの発酵食品や出汁に代表される「旨み」を大切にする文化があります。その料理の旨みの引き立て役として、日本で重宝されているのが「みりん」です。みりんには、魚の生臭さを抑えて味（旨み）を浸透させる効果があり、煮魚や魚の「たれ」に調理用として使用されています。
みりんはもち米由来の糖度（アミロース）が高い為、そして、アルコール添加をするため、そのまま飲用するには香味のバランスが悪く、基本的に現代では飲用しません。
※江戸時代にはみりんに焼酎を足しアルコール添加した酒を「柳影」といい、高級な食中酒として食通の間で重宝されていました
そこで、「みりん」のような役割を果たしながらも、醸造アルコールの添加がない純米酒のやわらかな飲み心地、そして酒としても楽しめる新しい可能性を見出したのがこちらの商品。特に旨みが強く、ワインとの相性が難しい「ウニ」や「牡蠣」などのクリーミーな旨味を引き上げる非常に素晴らしいフードフレンドリーなお酒。その他、和食以外でも旨みの強いチーズ、特に「ブルーチーズ」や脂質の多い中華、特に「豚の角煮」など、食事の旨みをとても引き立てる興味深いアイテムでもあります。日本酒界のソーテルヌやアモンティリャードのような立ち位置といえるでしょう。
