Since his early travels, Mr Hidetoshi Nakata focused in the areas of agriculture, traditional art & crafts, cultures, ryokans (inns) and breweries.It was during this time, that he picked up his latest passion of sake – a profound drink with a rich history and an image problem – a tipple that could do with some high-profile help.
The Japanese have always been proud of their country’s most famous alcoholic beverage, Sake. It has long been an inseparable part of their culture in that having some knowledge of sake can add to one’s understanding of Japanese history, traditions and society, as well as the social environment in Japan today.
Many social traditions involving sake continue to be a part of the modern lifestyle. Today, there are approximately 1,300 Sake Breweries in Japan.
Starting in the southern islands of Okinawa and ending in northern of Hokkaido last December. Mr Hidetoshi Nakata has visited over 250 of them during the past 7 years of his travels throughout Japan.
Nakata also tasted over 1,000 products. He researched the different methods of distillery and discovered the profound fascination of sake and its soothing taste.
After his numerous visits to breweries, Nakata has finally found one with an exquisite, outrageous, floral, natural and accomplished sake of his choice.
As a result, Nakata has decided to launch his own sake brand. NAKATA aims to approach to the world with one of the most important, traditional and aesthetic craft of his nation.
“N” is a result of Hidetoshi Nakata’s realization that unlike wine, Scotch and Cognac, there are no instantly recognizable sake labels.
Nakata has produced a niche product of premium quality in a limited production. The quality of the product and the exquisite packaging will make it a popular choice in the fine dining restaurants of the world, making it the top of the top. The long-term goal, once the premium range is established, is to produce a more reachable secondary product.
So what makes “N” Special?
N sake is made from “Special A” ranked Yamadanishiki and Aiyama rice farmed in Yokawa-cho, a designated region in Hyogo prefecture.
The popular rice brands for sake making such as Yamadanishiki, Miyamanishiki, Aiyama, Hyakumangoku, etc are produced in about 30 different prefectures and used in approximately 30 brands. Among them, Yamada nishiki is the most expensive. The rice for sake, unlike what we usually eat, holds low protein and easily absorbs water and each grain is large. The bigger the core of grain is, the better. Protein is said to give roughness to the taste therefore breweries choose rice that contain low protein.
The rice that is suitable for sake brewing is harvested in mountain areas with ranging temperatures. The rice grows fragile and tall and easily falls down making it difficult to harvest. Therefore it is more expensive than the rice we cook.
Out of the mountain areas, there are a very few portions of land in Japan that are known as most suitable to harvest rice for sake. With the best climate, sunlight, fertile soil and good wind, the northwestern region in the Hyogo prefecture is known as “SPECIAL A” land and the rice harvested in this area is labeled “SPECIAL A” ranked rice.
The “Special A” Yamadanishiki and Aiyama rice, when blended and mixed with pure water, gives a particularly fruity flavor. The rice, which is expensive to cultivate and harvest, is polished before the time-consuming sake-making process begins.
For more details, check out their website: http://www.nakatasake.com
Want to try how it taste like? Visit premium establishements like Waku Ghin and La Terre.
Want to own a bottle? Email:katelim@schmidtmarketing.com if you want to know the price of this special Sake. (We heard its in the region of thousands!)