Category Archives: Sake Breweries

Japan, Japan Gastronomy, La Sommeliere in Shizuoka City, sake, Sake Breweries, Shizuoka City, Suruga Brewery

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Suruga Brewery-Tenko Junmai Dai Ginjo Muroka Genshu (conducted at la Sommeliere in Shizuoka City)

March 16, 2016 dragonlife Leave a comment

I don’t mind repeating it all the time but I prefer conducting sake tastings in the right environment but not many places are propitious for that exercise or willing to help.
But La Sommeliere in Miyuki Cho, Aoi Ku, Shizuoka City is certainly becoming a habit as not only I can conduct my tasting in the best conditions possible but also exchange views at the same time!

This time we tasted a nectar brewed by an increasingly popular Suruga Brewery (Shizuoka City) which is already a lot of attention throughout Japan despite its very short history!

“Tenko/Heavens Rainbow” Junmai (no pure sake alcohol blended in) Daiginjo Muroka (unfiltered) Genshu (no pure water added)!

Rice: Yamada Nishiki (Hyogo Prefecture)
Rice milled down to 40%
Dryness: + 2
Acidity: 1.2
Alcohol: 16~17 degrees
Bottled in December 2015

Clarity: very clear
Color: light gold
Aroma: dry and very fruity.
Pears, banana, custard, chestnuts, young coconuts, green melon
Body: fluid, almost sirupy
Taste: dry and fruity attack backed with puissant junmai petillant.
Complex: custard, cream soda, banana, yogurt.
Always seems to reach the brink of sweetness without reaching it.
Lingers on for a short while before departing on a slightly drier note of custard, oranges and faint almonds.
Will become markedly drier with salty foods.

Overall: Very rich sake if there were such a term!
Both elegant and very satisfying.
Very fruity and sweetish at first but beautifully counterbalanced with swift, but in the right amount, acidity.
Could definitely be used as a superlative dessert wine!
Suggested pairings: Blue cheese!

LA SOMMELIERE

420-0857 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Miyuki Cho, 7-5, Aiseido Bldg, 1F
Tel. & Fax: 054-266-5085
Opening hours: 11:00~22:00, 12:00~18:00 on Sundays & National Holidays
FACEBOOK (Japanese)
Entirely non-smoking!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

So Good Sushi Restaurant in Nice France
Navigating Nagoya by Paige, Shop with Intent by Debbie, BULA KANA in Fiji, Kraemer’s Culinary blog by Frank Kraemer in New York,Tokyo Food File by Robbie Swinnerton, Green Tea Club by Satoshi Nihonyanagi in Shizuoka!, Mind Some by Tina in Taiwan, Le Manger by Camille Oger (French), The Indian Tourist, Masala Herb by Helene Dsouza in Goa, India, Mummy I Can Cook! by Shu Han in London, Pie
rre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento, Hapabento, Kitchen Cow, Lunch In A Box, Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Ohayo Bento

Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Ichi For The Michi by Rebekah Wilson-Lye in Tokyo, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Another Pint, Please!, Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in Kansai by Nevitt Reagan!
ABRACADABREW, Magical Craftbeer from Japan
-Whisky: Nonjatta: All about whisky in Japan by Stefan Van Eycken
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

Hamamatsu-Tenjingura Brewery, sake, Sake Breweries, Shizuoka Prefecture

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Hamamatsu Shuzou (formerly Hamamatsu-Tenjingura Brewery)-Shusseijo Tokubetsu Junmai Nama Genshu Shizuku Shibori

February 29, 2016 dragonlife Leave a comment

Hamamatsu-Tenjingura Brewery has been through some significant changes recently.
It was sold to the Totsuka Family in Kakegawa City who already owns Hiraki Brewery and Shizuoka-Hiraki Brewery in Shizuoka City. And the name has apparently been changed to Hamamatsu Shuzou Co. Ltd. I do not know it is such a positive step although this has ensured a next generation of owners.
On the other hand, lady Master Brewer Miwa Masui/増井美和さん has definitely been accepted and furthermore hailed for her efforts as the only lady Sake Master Brewer, or “touji/杜氏” in Japanese, a feat the more remarkable that she does not come from a sake brewery family!

She even appears of the label of her latest creation, Shusseijo Tokubetsu Junmai Nama Genshu Shizuku Shibori, a very limited edition!

it is a Tokubetsu Junmai (meaning no pure alcohol was blended) Nama (unpasteurized) genshu (no pure water was blended in)!

Moreover, it is a Shizuku Shibori, meaning that the sake was not pressed but that it was left to drip out naturally from suspended bags, an extravagant method if there is one!

Rice: Yamada Nishiki (Shizuoka Prefecture)
Rice milled down to 60%
Yeast Shizuoka NEW-5
Alcohol: 17~18 degrees
Dryness: -5
Acidity: 1.7
Bottled in February 2016

Clarity: Smoky as it is only partially filtered but very clean
Color: Faint golden hue with thin white lees
Body: slightly sirupy
Aroma: Sweetish and fruity. Rice, melon
Taste: Strong, spicy and sweetish attack backed up by puissant junami petillant.
Melon, rice, rice lees.
Lingers for quite a while before departing on strong notes of oranges and faint almonds.
Rice lees and junmai petillant will come up stronger with food.

Overall: Strong, straightforward, “nigori-style/containing white lees” sake, a bit unusual for Shizuoka prefecture, considering it is sweeter than the norm.
Definitively conceived to accompany heavy izakaya cuisine.
Should do well at any temperature.
For the “nigori-style” sake lovers and definitely above average for such a style!
Suggested pairings: Izakaya Cuisine, BBQ meats!

HAMAMATSU SHUZOU Co. LTD.

430-0808 Hamamatsu City, Naka Ku, Tenjin Machi, 3-57
Tel.: 053-540-2082
HOMEPAGE

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

Fujieda City, sake, Sake Breweries, Shizuoka Prefecture

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Sugii Brewery-Junmai Bodaimoto

February 22, 2016 dragonlife Leave a comment

Sugii Brewery in Fujieda City has made itself a name all over the country when it comes to experimentation in the brewing of sake and their latest nectar is another illustration!

Junmai Bodaimoto!
Bodaimoto/菩提酛 is an old way of making the moto/酛/sake starter dating back to the Muromachi Era (14th~16th Century) with a mixture of steamed and non steamed (raw) rice, natural lactic acid and yeast.

Rice: Shizuoka Prefecture rices
Rice milled down to 60%
Alcohol: 13.8 %
Dryness: + 5.5
Acidity: 2.0
Bottled in February 2016

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Faint golden hue
Aroma: Discreet, elegant and fruity. Green apples, persimmon
Body: sirupy
Taste: Very dry and fruity attack. Little junmai petillant.
Prunes, dry muscat.
Lingers only for a little while before departing on a drier note withdry apricots and persimmon.
Turns drier, more discreet and acidic with food.
Alcohol will surge forth in spite of its low contents.

Overall: A discovery from another era when taste buds were definitely different!
I personally loved its down to earth approach and fully appreciated with food although it might shock people used to milder sake.
A sake to enjoy informally!
Suggested pairings: izakaya heavy food, stews, pickles.

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES