A whale of a time

What happens when you let the drinkers design a sake? Kochi Prefecture brewery Suigei (Drunken Whale) found out when they recruited 20 members of the general public for their Nihonshu no Toki Kenkyushitsu project (Sake Time Laboratory, 日本酒の時間研究室). 

Recruitment was through the Sugiei fan community Kujira no Negura* (Whale’s Rest, クジラのねぐら) and a fan community site for notebook brand NOLTY, called Toki Labo (Time Lab, 時間ラボ). Nolty also make a sake tasting notebook for Suigei, which was used during the process. The lucky 20 consumers learned about sake characteristics in online sessions before developing the concept for the new sake.

The resulting sake, called Kanon (香温, literally “aroma temperature”), showcases sake‘s ability to display different aroma and flavour profiles at different temperatures. When chilled, it has rich, intense aromas and subtle sweetness, but when warmed these change to mellow, sweet aromas with solid rice-derived umami.

Kanon is made with Okayama Omachi rice polished to 45%, and two yeast strains: an in-house yeast derived from Association Yeast #9 and the Kochi yeast AA-41. It is relatively light at 14% ABV, and is filtered within a few days of pressing and bottled unpasteurised. The sake is on sale from 11 Sep to 31 Oct 2024, and ships from 7 Oct 2024. A 720 ml bottle costs JPY 3,300 (EUR 20/USD 21.50). The label was chosen from submissions by the general public.

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*Possibly a pun with the pronunciation overlapping with “kura” for sake brewery.
温度帯によって味わいや香りの感じ方が変わる！高知県・酔鯨酒造が「酔鯨 純米吟醸 香温－カノン－」を、10/7(月)より出荷開始 (10 Oct 2024, Saketimes,Japanese)

Publicity photo of Suigei Kanon outside the Suigei brewery. (Saketimes)