Unpasteurized Sake - "Namazake"

生酒について

At Sakemama, we are proud to showcase many seasonal Namazake 生酒 from our breweries due to our 100% cold-chain shipping and sub-zero cold storage.

A favourite with Sake Aficionados - properly handled Namazake can be a real treat, very often lively with more ripe aromas, often chest-nutty and rich, with a touch of effervescence from the active enzymes, tasting the way a fresh pressed sake would, right after pressing.

How do you know if a sake is unpasteurised? Just look for the 生 character on the label.

Most sake are pasteurized twice, once after fermentation is completed and once at bottling. Without pasteurisation, many sake are susceptible to environmental changes, especially when there is major temperature fluctuation or light exposure.

Ultimately over time, it can change in any number of ways - The additional heat can deactivate live enzymes which would accelerate aging and it eliminates the potential for sake deteriorating bacteria to flourish.

As such, Namazake 生酒 should always be stored at cold temperatures - preferably below 5 degrees celsius.

An unpasteurised sake should always be transported through cold chain shipping at every step of the way so not every importer is willing to jump through those expensive hoops and many breweries are reluctant to release them for export for fear they will spoil before reaching the consumer.

This is the reason why Namazake 生酒 are rare and not all that prevalent here in Singapore.

Always remember to refrigerate and don't wait too long to consume your Nama, unless you are willing to experiment with aged Nama, not unheard of, especially amongst the sake die-hards.

Our new selection of seasonal unpasteurised sakes are now available!