There are now 19 out of 28 breweries in Shizuoka Prefecture producing brews made with locally-grown sakamai/sake rice.
Sugii Brewery in Fujieda City has been experimenting with Shizuoka-grown Homarefuji/誉富士 rice right from the very beginning.
Now, they have come up for the last couple of years with a traditional brew that a lot of other breweries avoid because of its difficulty: Yamahai/山廃!
It does have a peculiar name: Yaorazu/八百萬 that even Japanese have a hard time to read! It is an allusion to a Shinto Shrine whose history dates back to the 8th Century!
Sugii Brewery: Yaoyorazu Yamahai Junmai Homarefuji Rice/杉井酒造ー八百萬山廃純米誉富士
Rice: Homare Fuji (Shizuoka-grown)
Rice milled down to 70%
Dryness: +6
Acidity: 2.3 (vry high for Shizuoka!)
Alcohol: 15~16 degrees
Bottled in Novemwber 2010
Clarity: Very clear
Color: faint yellow hue (normal for Yamahai)
Aroma: Light, sweetish. Custard, banana, macadamia nuts
Body: Fluid
Taste: Very dry attack.
Complex: dry oranges, almonds.
Turns a little sweetish later to make a quick dry comeback.
Disappears quickly for a yamahai.
Alcohol pepping up later.
Changes little with food.
Overall: More distinguished than expected for a yamahai.
A sake designed for food? Very probably as I found it in many izakayas in Fujieda City.
Strong and solid sake.
Perfect for food, especially that in izakaya.
Can be enjoyed slowly at home with a snack!
Must-see tasting websites:
-Sake: Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Good Beer & Country Boys, Another Pint, Please!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery
Sissi
Until about two weeks ago I thought shochu was the only Japanese alcohol I could enjoy. And then, while tasting a sake I had been offered by a friend, I had a positive shock and realised all I had been served in Japanese restaurants in Europe was probably the cheap sake I use for cooking… This one made me realise sake can be delicious, it smelled of pineaplle and dried pear (at least my nose felt those), and had such a delicate, mellow taste… Thanks to your post I can decipher at least some numbers at the back of the bottle. The rest stays a huge mystery, since the sake doesn’t have anything written in English. Thank you!
dragonlife
Dear Sissy!
The problem is that shochu is easy to keep, whereas you do need a lot of care (at least for goos sake) to preserve sake.
Here in Shizuoka we are so lucky as our Prefecture is recognized as the top one when it comes to quality!
More reports to come!
Cheers,
Robert-Gilles