Nigori-style Sakes, the typically milky or yogurty looking Sakes, are alittle bit of a homecoming for the category of Sakes really. 

In essence, Nigori Sake are coarsely filtered Sakes wherein a fairly large sieve is used to filter the Sake, allowing more of the rice granules and yeast to come through into the Sake to be bottled. It has an even more primordial sibling called Doburoku, which goes one step back and is completely unfiltered. So thinking back to the old days, you could imagine that Sake brewers didn't in the early beginnings have the ability to so finely filter their Sakes, and so Nigori and Doburoku Sakes were in essence the early form of the rice-based brew - all Sakes would've essentially been Nigori's and Doburoku's. As time went on, professional Sake brewers could increasingly have at their disposal the technology and equipment to more finely filter their Sakes and thus produce a sparkling clear product which of course caught the attention of most folks.

Sake pressing to filter out the fermented mash. (Image Source: John Gauntner)

This left the Nigori and the Doburoku style essentially to those who were simply homebrewers producing Sakes mostly for their own consumption. Nonetheless, as is the case today, some homebrewers probably did such a phenomenal job that they could begin selling their unfiltered and coarsely filtered Sakes - this eventually led to a ban in the late 1800's when the the Meiji Government of Japan didn't want these homebrewers to evade alcohol tax simply because their Sakes didn't fall under the conventional tax classifications that licensed Sake brewers were held up to. During which time, the clear-styled Sakes, which we can all recognise, proliferated, and became the face of what we associate as Sake. 

Doburoku's remained outlawed for a long period of time. (Image Source: OmuNomu)

Nigori's were later allowed back in business after a couple of decades, while Doburoku's remained outlawed for much longer. And interestingly how the government would decide if the Nigori was acceptable was to have its producers immerse a cage into the Sake tank - this cage would have holes of a predefined legal size (which was precisely 2mm in diameter), and so whatever Sake could go through the mesh of the cage was deemed legal! Thus Nigori's were back baby!

But perhaps more important to the modern context is that Nigori's have really been part of a broader effort by Japanese Sake producers to woo a more international crowd of drinkers. Compared to the Junmai's, Ginjo's and Junmai Daiginjo's, which are all typically clear, more distinct in their expression of a Sake, and certainly are best for appreciating what a specific brewery's craft and style is, they're also more pricy (requiring more refinement) and less sweet.

Ozeki has a Pineapple and Strawberry Nigori too - review here.

Nigori's are typically sweeter and therefore more accessible, and when you've got the likes of Ozeki, a really traditional brewery that's been around for over a century, adding fruits to it - you've got on your hands something that most anyone around the world can say "yes" to. And so while Sake consumption in Japan has been slipping, and much of the fate of Sake brewers rests on the international crowd, in a roundabout way, it seems like going back to their roots of Nigori's just might save the day.

With that let's give Ozeki's new Peach Nigori a go!

PS. We previously reviewed their Pineapple and Strawberry Nigori's here.

Ozeki Peach Nigori 7% ABV | 大関 桃のにごり酒 - Review

Tasting Notes

Color: Yogurt - creamy, white. Or Yakult.

Aroma: White peach puree - incredibly aromatic.

Taste: White peach flesh - still really aromatic, like the ripest, juiciest peach, but a balanced sweetness that’s not an overkill. Texturally it’s like a probiotic drink with bits of white peach and just the slightest sense of booze.

Finish: Feels slightly grainy - like cooked rice bits with a deep milky, creamy supple sweetness of rice mash or Turkish rice pudding (Sutlac).

My Thoughts

This is incredibly tasty first of all - and having tried the Ozeki’s Pineapple and Strawberry Nigori’s, I can say this is my favourite thus far. 

Superb aromas of super fresh, ripe white peach flesh that carries through to the palate. The palate does not disappoint either, I really appreciated that this wasn’t overloaded on sweetness, it still felt very much like eating a peach - estery, aromatic, peach sweetness. 

Nice thicker texture as well that’s always really satisfying. And then on the finish I really liked how I could almost feel the rice bits that melted on the palate and with it came this deep, soft sweetness of mashed rice.

This is such an absolutely addictive Nigori.

My Rating: 10/10

Score/Rating Scale :

• 9-10 : Exceptional, highly memorable, 10/10 would buy if I could.
• 7-8 : Excellent, well above most in its category, worth considering buy-zone.
• 4-6 : Good, okay, alright; a few flaws, but acceptable; not bad, but not my personal preference; still worth trying, could be a buy if the price is right.
• 1-3 : Not good; really did not enjoy; wouldn't even recommend trying.
• 0 : Un-scored, might be damaged, new make, or very unusual.

Kanpai!

@111hotpot