Nigori Sake

Sake is usually filtered to remove grain solids left behind after the fermentation process. Nigori sake is filtered using a broader mesh, resulting in the permeating of fine rice particles and a far cloudier drink. Unfiltered sake is known as doburoku (どぶろく, but also 濁酒) and was originally brewed across Japan by farming families. However, it was banned in the Meiji period, though it has since been revived as a local brewing tradition. The area around Mihara village in southern Shikoku is especially well known for its doburoku breweries. Nigori sake is generally the sweetest of all sake, with a fruity nose and a mild flavor, making a great drink to complement spicy foods or as a dessert wine. Before serving, the bottle is shaken properly to mix the sediment with the sake, to obtain the full range of flavor and its signature look. It is advised that it be served well-chilled, storing it in an ice bucket to keep it from warming up between servings. It is recommended, as with most sake, to consume the entire bottle once opened before it begins to oxidize, altering its flavor.Nigori sake is more popular abroad than in Japan, as are other less traditional varieties, which has led to an increase of American sake brewers