Tag Archives: Bandai Brewery

Bandai Brewery, sake, Sake Breweries, Shizuoka Prefecture, Shuzenji

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Bandai Brewery-Shuzenji Monogatari Tokubetsu Honjozo

February 22, 2018 dragonlife Leave a comment

Shuzenji in Izu City, Izu Peninsula, is witnessing a fast resurgence of its tourism, what with the increasing influx of overseas tourists and the Olympics looming large over the whole Peninsula.
Accordingly local products tend to reflect the local history and folklore more and more for the pleasure of visitors.
Bandai Brewery, the only sake sake brewery in the Peninsula has come out with a brand of its Tokubetsu Honjozo with the name of Shuzenji Monogatari/Shuzenji Story!

Rice milled down to 60%
Alcohol: 15 degrees

Clarity: very clear
Color: light golden hue
Aroma: dry and fruity. Dry plums
Taste: Dry and fruity attack.
Dry plums,loquats.
Lingers for while warming up the palate before departing on note of drier plums.
Turns smoother with food.

Overa;;: solid, dependable and straightforward sake conceived to accompany food.
A lit unusual for Shizuoka for its old fashioned approach.
Will make for a nice souvenir back home though.
Recommended pairings: Japanese yam salad, onsen tamago:hot spring eggs, marinated oysters.

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Bandai Brewery, Orange liqueur, Oranges, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Prefecture, Shizuoka Shochu, Shuzenji

Shizuoka Shochu Tasting: Umeera by Bandai Brewery!

February 10, 2018 dragonlife Leave a comment

This is another schochu by Bandai Brewery in Shuzenji, Izu City in the Izu Peninsula and is the more interesting for using another famous local farm product!

It was also awarded the Izu Peninsula Geopark label!

The name, “Umeera” means “very tasty”!

It is made with fresh water collected in deep sea water currents of the Izu Penisula and New Summer Ornages cultivated in Izu Prefecture!

Classified as liqueur in Japan
Rice white lees shochu, pure rice alcohol, Izu Peninsula New Summer Oranges, sugars, deep-sea fresh water
Single distilling method
Alcohol: 25~26 degrees

Clarity: very clear
Color: transparent
Aroma: dry and fruity. strong summer oranges
Body: very fluid
Taste: dry and fruity attack. Deep new Summer oranges
Lingers for quite a while on the palate with more soft of the same oranges and rice spreading over the palate.
Changes little with food if for a slightly sweeter turn.

Overall: another rare, elegant and intriguing shochu!
Drinks like a fine strong aperitif distilled alcohol or liqueur.
Very elegant liqueur, but low enough in alcohol to enjoy at ease.
Would well poured on a cassata ice cream!
Will do very with asparaguses, salads, and seafood in Western gastronomy!
Another splendid gift to offer anywhere in Japan and overseas!

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Bandai Brewery, Shizuoka Prefecture, Shizuoka Shochu, Shuzenji, wasabi, Wasabi Shochu

Shizuoka Shochu Tasting: Wasabi Shu by Bandai Brewery

February 7, 2018 dragonlife Leave a comment

It has been quite some time since I enjoyed the only true shochu made with wasabi in Japan, namely Wasabi Shu (can also be pronounced “Wasabi sake”)!

it is made by the only sake brewery/shochu distillery in Izu Peninsula in Shuzenji, Izu City!

Although made with rice shochu and wasabi essence it is sold as a liqueur for various lawful reasons!

Classified as liqueur in Japan
Rice white lees shochu, wasabi essence (20%)
Single distilling method
Alcohol: 20 degrees

Clarity: very clear
Color: transparent
Aroma: dry and fruity. mild wasabi
Body: very fluid
Taste: dry and fruity attack.
Soft and mild wasabi
Lingers for quite a while on the palate with more soft wasabi and rice spreading over the palate.
Changes little with food if for a drier turn.

Overall: A rare, elegant and intriguing shochu!
The rare kind that even ladies would drink straight at any time of an evening or of a celebration.
Thoroughly enjoyable at any temperature or on the rocks, although best on its own.
Probably best enjoyed on its own as a nightcap but will go with any Japanese food, especially sashimi and light vegetables dishes.
Will do very with asparaguses and oysters in Western gastronomy!
A splendid gift to offer anywhere in Japan and overseas!

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Bandai Brewery, Izu City, sake, Sake Brewery, Shizuoka Prefecture, Shuzenji

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Bandai Brewery-Izu Banyou Junmai Ginjo Homarefuji

June 3, 2016 dragonlife Leave a comment

Bandai is a very old brewery located in ancient hot spring city of Shuzenji now merged to Izu City in the centre of Izu Peninsula.
As Bandai Brewery it is not the oldest brewery in the Prefecture but it has existed under other names for more than 500 years!

In spite of being the sole brewery left in Izu Peninsula somewhat isolated in Shizuoka Prefecture, making it difficult to find their bottles, it keeps abreast of modern ideas and has used Shizuoka-grown Homarefuji sake rice for some time.

The name of this particular brand, “Banyou/満燿” is linked to the origin of the brewery back in 1497 as mentioned by Houjyou Souun/北条早雲, himself a native of Izu Peninsula!

Rice: Homarefuji (Shizuoka Prefecture)
Rice milled down to 60%
Alcohol: 16~17 degrees
Bottled in January 2016

Clarity: very clear
Color: almost transparent
Aroma: discreet, dry and fruity. Melon.
Body: fluid
Taste: very dry and fruity attack backed up by puissant junmai petillant.
Complex: apricot, melons, muscat.
Lingers for a while on the palate before departing on a drier note of muscat and nuts.
Sweetness will increase with temperature along the discovery o more “facets”.
Varies little with food.

Overall: A bit of a discovery although I have known the brewery for quite some time.
Ought to be better known in spite of the distance to travel to Shuzenji.
Very complex and fruity.
Can be enjoyed on its own or with food at any temperature.
Pairings: oden! (Japanese pot-au-feu)

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Shizuoka Shochu Tasting: Bandai Brewery-Wasabi Shochu!

October 31, 2011 dragonlife 2 Comments

Shizuoka Prefecture produces not only 80% of all wasabi grown in Japan, it is also the home of the only true wasabi shochu!
True to say, one cannot make shochu out of wasabi only as it does not contain starch to help the fermentation and distillation, but Bandai Brewery in Shuzenji, Izu Peninsula, concocted it with 75% of top-class rice shochu made from the sake lees of their own sake and 25% of pure essence of wasabi grown in Izu Peninsula!

More precisely, the wasabi is grown on the Amagi Plateau/Amagi Kougen/天城高原 in the northern part of the Peninsula.
At the same time Bandai Brewerry uses pure source water gushing from the Plateau to brew its sake and shochu!

Although it is a true shochu in concept mixed with wasabi essence, Bandai Brewery advertizes it as a sake or liqueur!
It might explain the choice of bottle, a bit unusual for shochu, but easy to handle and store!

Bandai Brewery-Wasabi Sake/Wasabi Shochu

Rice shochu: 75%
Wasabi essence: 25%
Water: Natural source water from Amagi Plateau
Alcohol: 20 degrees

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Transparent
Aroma: Sweetish. Rice, wasabi, faint notes of banana
Body: fluid
Taste: Softer attack than expected.
Very sophisticated, as complex as a sake!
Pleasant and soft wasabi flavor. Almost a liqueur without the sugar and the cloy aftertaste!
No piquancy at all.
Faint notes of bananas appearing later as it disappears quickly warming up the back of the palate.

Overall: A discovery!
A shochu? Yes!
The fact it is made in the simplest manner possible, that is a high quality rice shochu blended with pure wasabi essence makes it both sophisticated and extravagant.
Its comparatively low alcohol content, 20 degrees, makes it eminently drinkable as it is without any ice, water or whatever!
Most appreciated straight at room temperature.
Could definitely be served as a heady and mysterious aperitif!

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Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Bandai Brewery-Junmai Ginjo Genshu Homare Fuji

October 10, 2010 dragonlife Leave a comment

Bandai Brewery is located in one of the most scenic cities of Shizuoka Prefecture, Izu Peninsula formerly called Shuzenji. The city has recently been included into a larger city called Izu City, but people and tourists certainly don’t mix the two when they say they are going to Shuzenji!
One can reach this city also famous for its hotsprings and Japanese inns by taking a local train from Mishima City.
When you go down at Shuzenji Station, don’t forget to visit the souvenir shop where you will find all the products of Bandai Brewery, including real wasabi shochu!

Bandai Brewery is one of the oldest breweries in the Prefecture and its history under other names can be traced back to the 16th Century!
Like most of the other sake breweries in Shizuoka Prefecture, it has started to use locally grown sake rice to ensure a stable output.

Rice: Homare Fuji 100% (grown in Shizuoka Prefecture)
Rice milled down to 60%
Dryness: +3
Alcohol: 16~17 degrees (genshu: no water added)
Bottled in July 2010

Clarity: very clear
Colour: faint golden hue
Aroma: Strong and fruity: banana, vanilla, hints of pineapple
Body: fluid
Taste: Strongish attack with junmai petillant and a lot of fruit. Warms back of the palate. Well-rounded backed up by pleasant alcohol.
Complex: banana, gum-candy, almonds with memories of coffee beans later.
Softens with food to turn dry again on its own.
Almonds and banana tend to follow each other alternatively.

Overall: A sake you might as well drink chilled as it is quite sweet in spite of a +3 dryness level (quite dry by Shizuoka standards).
One of those sake you can pour over an ice-cream!
Very pleasant. Tends to get drier with food.
Would very well accompany blue cheese like a Port wine, or being drunk as a digestif!

Must-see tasting websites:
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-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
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