In this IKKON style, you will talk about IKKON and sake from the perspective of a sake brewery.

Daisuke Suzuki, who is the representative director of the Nagaizo Suzuki brewing store, who brews sake as Mr. Tsuji. We will send you three stories of deep sake and sake. Please look forward to it!

―In developing only three types of IKKON that have different shapes, making use of double baking, President Suzuki has received cooperation from the prototype stage. How about visiting IKKON again?

I thought I shouldn’t think of interesting things (laughs). The taste of liquor depends on the shape of the vessel. However, since the inside shape is not known from the appearance, you can enjoy the difference in taste without the prejudice that comes from the sight. I thought that idea was interesting.

―Is there any principle in the relationship between the shape of the vessel and the taste of sake?

Yes, we have it. The taste-sensitive miso cells are lined up in the middle of the tongue, and the taste changes depending on how the liquor enters. In other words, the volume and speed vary depending on the shape of the sake bottle. Also, the speed of entering the tongue varies depending on the thickness of the part that hits the mouth.

―I see. Is scent and vessel related?

I agree. When enjoying the scent, it is generally better to have a slightly depressed shape. On the other hand, for those with a low scent, a round shape or an open mouth is better.

―Now, IKKON comes in three types: round, narrow, and straight. How does each match the type of liquor?

The round type goes well with all-round sake. I think that the one with a slightly deeper taste and the type to drink with a little warming go well.
For the narrow type, this is quite difficult (laughs). Normally, this shape will change the temperature because the heat of the hand is transmitted, so the liquor that enjoys the fragrance is suitable, but IKKON is double baked, so it is difficult to transmit the heat and the temperature does not change for a long time. So, if anything, liquor that is lighter, more delicate, and rhythmic than a scented one might be better.
The straight type is good for such delicate liquors, but it is also suitable for more heavy types.

―So what kind of sake do you like to drink in?

I like all-around sake. This is the pure rice sake that we make. It is delicious whether it is cold, room temperature or rice cake. A gentle drink that can be used with various dishes. It goes well with simple boiled foods, deep-flavored foods, and Western foods. Surprisingly it goes well with cheese.
There are various kinds of sake bottles. He enjoys different types of pottery, glass, etc., including white porcelain wells made by his friend potter. But the easiest thing to drink is sakaki. Because you can drink just by returning your wrist.

―Samurai is quite small and flat.

Yes, that is the best container for Japanese people. Ordinary pot mouth contains about 60ml, but the bowl is about 30ml. There is a size that Japanese people who are not resistant to alcohol do not drink too much, but “pouring pours” into a small bowl is the sake culture. In addition, sake is enjoyed together with food, so you can taste sake while watching the food with your eyes. This is completely different from a beer that when the mug is tilted, it feels good if the ceiling is high (laughs).

―I see. IKKON will also develop a kite next time (laughs). By the way, what kind of drink do you use when drinking sake at work?

Use the “handed Higuchi” shaped like a stone. Taverns often have white lacquers with blue circles (snake eyes) on the bottom, but the real thing is called “honedness” and is made thinner and larger. When we look at the taste of the sake we made, we will “suck and drink” from the right hand. Rather than tasting it, it’s rather a way of drinking to discover the shortcomings. If you suck and drink, you can carry a certain amount to the mouth. In my case, it is fixed at 5ml, and the taste changes depending on whether it is more or less.

―It ’s a very delicate world. By the way, you were studying taste at university.

After graduating from Tokyo University of Agriculture, I was studying how the taste changes by adding fragrance ingredients to sake. By adding a certain scented ingredient, it is investigated whether sweetness increases, acidity increases, astringency and bitterness. If sweetness comes out, the ingredients have a positive effect, so look for microorganisms that produce the scent, or examine the physiological conditions of the yeast that produces the scent. That was such basic research.

Suzuki Sake Brewery

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The double-baking used by IKKON is also a feature of the traditional crafts of Namie, Fukushima Prefecture, Soma-yaki Ohori. The Suzuki Sake Brewery (Honzo), located in the Ume district of Namie-cho, was closed due to the subsequent nuclear accident. The Suzuki family moved to Nagai City, Yamagata Prefecture, acquired all the shares of Toyo Sake Brewery, which has a long history in the region. The main brands are “Hagi Castle Pass”, which has been loved in Namie Town for a long time, and “Lifetime Happiness” inherited from Toyo Sake Brewery.

HP：http://www.iw-kotobuki.co.jp/