Hiyaoroshi -ひやおろし-

 

As soon as summer is over, that season starts…yes, the season for “Hiyaoroshi”. I feel autumn when I see the signs at breweries and sake stores that says” Hiyaoroshi has just arrived!”

夏が終わるとあの季節…

そうです、「ひやおろし」の季節です。各酒屋の軒先で「ひやおろし入荷しました」という看板を見ると、秋が来たなと実感します。

 

“Hiyaoroshi” literally means “Cold bottling”. Hiyaoroshi sake is stored and matured in storehouse during summer and shipped in autumn around September when air temperature is as below as sake temperature. Many brewers produce the taste of autumn!

「ひやおろし」とは冬に仕込んだ新酒を酒蔵でひと夏貯蔵して、九月の初めから出荷される日本酒のことをいいます。夏の暑さが去り、気温が酒蔵で貯蔵されているお酒と同じ温度になる秋に各酒蔵が出す秋の味わいです。

It is much milder and softer than spring fresh brewed sake because of maturing. It has matured rich rice flavor and goes well with autumn food like pacific saury, mushroom, bonito and autumn eggplant!
春先の新酒に比べて、搾りたての荒さがなくなったまろやかで膨らみのある味わいは秋の味覚にピッタリです。熟成で増したお米の旨みと秋の味覚である秋刀魚、キノコ、戻りガツオや秋茄子が絶妙に合うのでぜひお試しを！

 

In general, sake is pasteurized twice before shipping to stop fermentation, kill bacteria and keep its flavors. (This pasteurization is called “Hi-ire”.) Hiyaoroshi sake is pasteurized only once and because of that, you can taste the original flavor of sake! However it skips pasteurization, you have to drink as soon as possible once you get it. But again, this is the taste of autumn, so the best drinking time is September to November and there is no problem if you like to enjoy with autumn food!

 

日本酒は、発酵を止め、雑菌を殺し、香味を保つために火入れと呼ばれる加熱殺菌を行います。この「ひやおろし」は通常二回行う火入れ作業を一度しか行わない為、作りたてのお酒そのものの味を楽しむことができるのです。逆に言えば、二回火入れをしているお酒に比べて保存は効かないですが…まぁ、秋に楽しむのがベストなお酒なので購入したらすぐに飲めば問題ないですよ。

 

Since Singapore is always summer, I am sharing beautiful autumn pictures from Japan to make you feel autumn! It is too beautiful to express it in words…!

 

真夏のシンガポールで秋を感じていただく為に…

去年の日本の紅葉の様子を少しだけお見せします‼

やっぱり日本の秋は綺麗だなぁ。