Have you ever lifted a glass of nihon-shu to your nose, sniffed, and asked yourself why it smells like bananas? Has the brewer decided to jazz up his product and give it a bit of confectionary appeal by adding a little banana extract perhaps? Well, in the ungrammatical words of that hit song from way back in 1923, the answer is a positive plus a negative…, and if you’re not confused by that, I am, so let’s go grammatical with a clear and simple “No.” The banana aroma most likely arises from the yeast chosen for fermentation. The Brewing Society of Japan has a wide array of yeasts whose attributes have been codified and numbered. These are known as Kyokai kobo (the “Society’s yeasts,” if you will). Kyokai kobo #14, which made its appearance in 1991 and hails from Kanazawa, is known to possess a strong aroma of isoamyl acetate, which smells like bananas. You might find this in some wines, as well.
Next week there will be more on yeast.
Drinking Japan 