Tag Archives: Sake Breweries

美食, 酒, 農業, Fujieda City, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, sake, Sake Brewery, Shidaizumi Brewery, Shizuoka

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Shidaizumi Brewery Honjozo “Tatsudoshi”

December 19, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

2012, or more precisely the 24th Year of the Heisei Era, will come under the Sign of the Dragon/Tatsu/龍!
I’ve always had a special fondness for dragons to the point of using them for my e-mail addresses and passwords (part of)!
Shidaizumi Brewery has a tradition of coming with a honjozo every year with a splendid label for collectors!

Shidaizumi Brewery: Honjozo-Tatsudoshi/龍歳

Rice milled down to 60%
Alcohol: 15~16 degrees
Bottled in December 2011

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Transparent
Aroma: Strong, complex and fruity. Banana, dark chocolate, pears.
Body: Fluid
Taste: Drier attack than expected, very fruity and complex.
Lingers on for a short while with a dry note backed by pleasant alcohol.
Fruity and dry. Complex. Oranges, banana, dark chocolate, macadamia nuts.
Finishes on a dry note with strong hints of nuts and a faint trace of coffee beans.
Varies little with food.
Shows more facets than expected, especially oranges and coffee beans fighting for supremacy as taste lingers away.

Overall: A sake obviously conceived to accompany and enhance food, although its high (extravagant) quality makes it eminently drinkable on its own.
Can be appreciated at room temperature and nurukan/lukewarm.
Tends to surprise with many unexpected facets appearing out of nowhere.
A surely extravagant honjozo!

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With a Glass,
Clumsyfingers by Xethia
Adventures in Bento Making, American Bento, Beanbento, Bento No1, Bento Wo Tsukurimashou, Cooking Cute, Eula, Hapabento , Happy Bento, Jacki’s Bento Blog, Kitchen Cow, Leggo My Obento, Le Petit Journal Bento & CO (French), Lunch In A Box, My Bento Box, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, The Herbed Kitchen, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat; Bento Lunch Blog (German); Adventures In Bento; Anna The Red’s Bento Factory; Cooking Cute; Timeless Gourmet; Bento Bug; Ideal Meal; Bentosaurus; Mr. Foodie (London/UK); Ohayo Bento

Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
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-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

美食, 酒, 農業, Fuji-Takasago Brewery, Fujinomiya City, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, sake, Sake Brewery, Shizuoka, 富士高砂酒造, 富士宮市

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Fuji-Takasago Brewery-“Tatsu/Dragon” Limited Edition Futsushu

December 7, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

The New Year is around the corner, and as next year is the Year of the Dragon, many breweries put out various limited brews with a Dragon label!
Fuji-Takasago Brewery in Fujinomiya City came up with a limited Futsushu/regular brew for the occasion!
Be assured that the label will be carefully stored away!

Alcohol: 15~16 degrees
Dryness: + 5.0
Bottled in November 2011

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Very faint golden hue
Aroma: Strong and fruity. Dryish. Coffee beans, vanilla.
Body: Fluid
Taste: Very powerful and fruity attack backed by pleasant alcohol warming up back of the palate.
Coffee beans, dark chocolate, vanilla, apricots.
Fairly quickly disappears on a very dry note.
Varies little with food but gets drier with some oranges joining in with dry coffee beans.
Coffee beans repeatedly make a strong comeback with every sip.

Overall: A sake obviously designed for food but eminently drinkable on its own.
The fruitiness tends to conceal the dryness at first.
Can be appreciated in any ways: chilled, room temperature or lukewarm.
Considering it is only a futsushu, one might overreact and talk of extravagance for such a cheap price!

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Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Haginishiki Brewery-Toro No Sato Tokubetsu Junmai

November 24, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

The labels of Sake Breweries make for a good support for advertising cultural assets among others to the rest of the world.
Haginishiki Brewery in Shizuoka City has long been producing a fine sake under the name of Toro no Sato/登呂の里:Toro Village to commemorate the Ruins of Toro.

The site of a village dating back to the late Yayoi Period (about 2,000 yeras ago) was unearthed on the 11th of July 1943 in the middle of Shizuoka City. It is registered as a National Historic Monument and is open to the public as well as a Museum.

Rice: Biyama Nishiki/美山錦
Rice milled down to 55%
Dryness: + 1
Acidity: + 1.4
Alcohol: 15~16 degrees
Bottled in June 2011

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Almost transparent
Aroma: Discreet, complex. Greens, faint notes of coffee beans and vanilla
Body: Fluid
Taste: Very dry attack backed by Junmai petillant.
Complex and fruity: Coffee beans, banana, dry nuts.
Starts and ends up very dry with pleasant alcohol.
Lingers on very little.
Turns even drier with food with strong hints of coffee beans and dark chocolate competing with very dry banana and greens.

Overall: A sake obviously devised for food that can be drunk lightly chilled, at room temperature or lukewarm.
More complex and drier than expected. Its dryness makes it a good sake for any food, especially izakaya fare.
Very solid and dependable. No wonder we see it often in Shizuoka Izakayas!

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Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Hana No Mai Brewery-Junmai Shiboritate Fuyu Gentei (Genshu)

November 14, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

Hana no Mai in Hamamatsu City (formerly Hamakita City) is the largest Sake Brewery In Shizuoka Prefecture although still a medium-sized one by Japanese standards.
They do export quite a lot to the US.

Every year in Autumn when they start putting out new sake they come up with a couple of gentei (limited editions) to celebrate the beginning of the brewing!

On top of local water, most of their sake are made entirely with Shizuoka Prefecture ingredients, that is, their own sake rice and yeasts!

Rice: Shizuoka-grown Yamada Nishiki
Rice milled down to 60%
Yeast: own yeast
Alcohol: 18~19 degrees (genshu)
Bottled on October 28th, 2011

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Transparent
Aroma: Strong and fruity: pineapple, pears. Alcohol.
Body: Fluid
Taste: Strong attack backed up with junmai petillant and pleasant alcohol.
Very fruity and slightly dry.
Pears, liquorice, chestnuts.
Lingers for a while warming up the palate.
Pleasant and easy to drink in spite of its high alcohol contents.
Disappears on a dry note with more chestnuts and mandarines.
Changes little with food, although gets drier with dry mandarines and pears.
Dry mandarines tend to take over after a cup or two.

Overall: In spite of the high alcohol contents it is a very pleasant and complex sake.
The same high alcohol contents make it fit to drink with food.
A slightly unusual sake for Hana No Mai Brewery which tends to concoct brews for a younger generation, especially ladies. That could explain its limited edition status!

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Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Hatsukame Brewery-Hatsukame Nama Ginjyo

November 11, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

Japanese breweries all over Japan sell their brews in small bottles containing only 300ml/cc of their sake, which makes it very easy to transport, and although ml for ml it is more expensive it means you do not have to spend too much money at once and at the same time allows you to finish the bottle quickly, especially if you drink it on your own! Moreover, it helps you taste more nectasr of the same brewery. The only problem is that breweries will put out only 3 or 4 varieties in such small bottles!

The labels of Hatsukame Brewery in Okabe (recently part of Fujieda City) are popular with collectors as their designs are simple, retro and artistic!
This particular brand being “nama/生/unpasteurised means you have to drink it up quickly. Therefore this small bottle is most practical!

Hatsukame Brewery-Hatsukame Nama Ginjyou
Rice milled down to 60%
Alcohol: 15~16 degrees
Bottled on August 8th, 2011

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Very faint golden hue
Aroma: Strong and fruity: banana, nuts, faint oranges and notes of pineapple
Body: Fluid
Taste: Softer attack than expected.
Starts sweetish to quickly end up very dry.
Fruity: oranges, almonds. Banana appears later with very dry oranges.
Complex. Changes so quickly inside palate.
Lingers only for a little while.
Very dry coffee beans pick out later backed up by more dry almonds.
Changes very little with food.

Overall: A very complex sake with ever-changing facets.
The fact it is a “nama” does come very much in play.
Beautiful sake on its own although obviously conceived to marry well with any food.
Could be happily used with strong food with cheese coming to mind!

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Shizuoka sake Tasting: Senju Brewery: Junmai Ginjyo (Rice grown free of agrochemical agents)

November 7, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

Senju Brewery in Iwata City produces what could be termed “maboroshi sake”, “hidden sake”, as it is difficult to obtain away from Iwata City. They produce superlative sake and shochu, and what’s more they have recently joined a growing number of breweries making sake with rice cultivated without any agrochemical agents!

Creating junmai ginjyo with such a rice is a proof of courage and extravagant quality!
Interestingly enough, the name “Senju” almost does not appear on the label!

You will find it on the cap!

Rice milled down to 55%
Alcohol: 15~16 degrees
Bottled in July 2011

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Faint golden hue
Aroma: Discreet, dryish and fruity.
Body: Fluid
Taste: Dryish and fruity attack backed up by a little junmai petillant.
Complex and sophisticated.
Greens, dry apples, coffee beans, notes of mandarines and liquorice.
Drinks very easily.
Disappears quickly on a sweetish note.
Turns slightly drier with food with more greens appearing.

Overall: Definitely a sake conceived for tasting although it beautifully marries with food thanks to its pronounced dryness.
Feminine in approach, a sake greatly appreciated for its own sake although I particularly enjoyed it with deep-fried vegetables!
Tends to disappear quickly, making it so easy to drink!

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7th Sake Festival-Let’s Meet the Brewers in Shizuoka City!

November 4, 2011 dragonlife 2 Comments

Good sake knows no borders!

Among many very active events promoting sake and Shizuoka Sake in general the Meigara Tanhou Kura no Kai/Dai Nanakai Kuramoto to Kataru Kai/ Sake Matsuri/銘柄探訪　蔵の会　第７回　蔵元と語る会　２０１１　酒祭/Discover the Brands Breweries Association/7th Let’s Speak with Brewers Association/2011/ Sake Festival is drawing increasing attention.
Its 7th edition was held on the 3rd of November In Granship, Shizuoka City and gathered no less than 250 guests (for a demand double of that number!) and 14 brewers from Shizuoka Prefecture and 10 brewers from Akita, Yamagata, Fukushima, Ishikawa, Gifu, Okayama, Hiroshima and Kochi Prefectures!

The guests certainly came in early to check the tables and brewers,…

while others participated in earnest to the tasting competition!

Mr. Doi, Chairman of the Shizuoka Sake Brewers Association and owner of Doi Brewery (Kaiun) in Kakegawa City!

I barely had the time to greet and photograph the participating breweries!

Yamanaka Brewery (Aoitenka) from kakegawa City!

Morimoto Brewery (Sayogoromo) from Kikugawa Citry!

Oumuraya Brewery (Wakatake) from Shimada City!

Suruga Brewery (Tenko) from Shizuoka City!

Sanwa Brewery (Garyubai) from Shimizu Ku, Shizuoka City!

Kansawagawa Brewery (Shosetsu) from Yui, Shimizu Ku, Shizuoka City!

Eikun Brewery from Yui, Shimizu Ku, Shizuoka City!

Fujinishiki Brewery from Fujinomiya City!

Fujimasa Brewery (Chiyonomine) from Fujinomiya City!

Makino Brewery (Shiraito) from Fujinomiya City!

Fuji-Takasago Brewery (Takasago) from Fujinomiya City!

Takashima Brewery (Hakuin Masamune) from Numazu City!

Hamamatsu-Tenjingura Brewery (Shusseijyo) from Hamamtsu City!

Guest brewers from other Prefectures!

More of them!

All (paying) guests were offered an excellent two-tier bento box!

The first tier!

The second tier!

As for the kampai sake our table shared a honjyozo called “Yamatake Shirayuri/Mountain White Lily” by Makino Brewery in Fujinomiya City!

Once again a great, if a bit short, day to enjoy great sake and great company! Not to mention all the new friends!
See you again next year!

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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: Kokko Brewery-Kokko Ginjyou

October 14, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

Kokko Brewery in Fukuroi City holds a special place in the history of the sake of Shizuoka Prefecture as it was the first brewery to use the Shizuoka sake yeast which revolutionized the whole industry in Shizuoka and helped our Prefecture out of the doldrums (dregs) up to the very top in Japan!

Usually the brewery does not write information apart of that required by law.
Alcohol: 16~17 degrees (genshu/no water added)
Bottled in August 2011

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Transparent
Aroma: Fruity, dry, discreet. Bananas.
Body: Fluid
Taste: Very dry attack backed up by strong and pleasant alcohol.
Complex. Fruity: Bananas, coffee beans, dry almonds.
Disappears fairly quickly with dry apricots and coffee beans, warming up the palate.
Turns sweeter with food although makes a quick comeback to dry as soon as away from food again with more coffee beans and a note of dark chocolate.

Overall: Very dry, even by Shizuoka standards.
A ginjyou that marries beautifully with any food.
Very sophisticated although its sharp character will please people looking for a sake off the beaten tracks, that is, in Shizuoka Prefecture!
In spite of its ginjyou elevated status I would drink it with food, especially salads!

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Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Shidaizumi Brewery-Hiyaoroshi Futsushu Funeshibori

October 3, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

Shidaizumi Brewery in Fujieda City is not only celebrated for its great nectars but also for its research in all types of sake!
They explained me that they do have a local clientele who exclusively drink their sake as futsushu/”normal sake” (as opposed to premium sake)!

They also came up with this bright yellow label both in Japanese and English to appeal to local foreigners!

This sake is a Hiyaoroshi/ひやおろし, meaning it has been pasteurized only once!
“Funeshibori/ふねしぼり” means that is has been pressed in a large rectangular vessel filled with bags of sake taken out of the fermenting vats.
It is also a genshu/原酒 meaning that no pure water was added!

Now, this sake being futsushu/normal sake it is pretty well opened to experiment as you will see below:

Rice: Hyakumangoku 20% + normal rice (futsumai!) 80%
Hyakumangoku Rice milled down to 65% (absolutely extravagant!)
Yeast: Shizuoka Yeast N02
Dryness: + 6.0
Acidity: 1.3
Alcohol: 17~18 degrees (genshu)
Bottled in September 2011

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Light golden hue
Aroma: Strong, dry and fruity. Vanilla, almonds, apricots, alcohol
Body: Fluid
Taste: Fruity with pleasant big alcohol attack
Disappears fairly quickly with warmth spreading all over the palate.
Complex. Dry but very fruity: Apricots, macadamia nuts, almonds.
Very solid throughout. Varies little with food, except for an accentuated dryness with oranges.

Overall: If futsushu, so-called normal sake, were all like this, there would little incentive to taste or buy premium sake! But this is Shizuoka Prefecture where all sake are extravagant as a matter of course! A sake you can savor with any food or on its own although it was obviously designed to accompany simple everyday meals!

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Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Morimoto Brewery-Sayogoromo Koshu Roman 2003

September 18, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

Hidetoshi Morimoto, owner-masterbrewer at Morimoto Brewery In Kikugawa City, began making koshu/古酒, old sake back in 2002 shortly after the taxation law changed from dues being perceived upon making sake to being levied upon sales only.
But typically he used some of his best sakes to experiment in this new venture as demonstrated in this brew made in 2003 and released only this month: Junmai Ginjyo Genshu!

Rice milled down to 55%
Alcohol: 17~18 degrees
Brewed in 2003
Bottled in 2011
Limited to 300 bottles (720 ml)

Clarity: Very Clear
Color: Light amber color (normal for old sake)
Aroma: Dry, reminiscent of dry sherry
Body: Fluid
Taste: Dry attack backed by junmai petillant. Very deep, complex snd fruity.
Coffee beans, dark chocolate, oranges, dark cherries.
Turns slightly sweetish and deeper inside the palate.
Disappears a bit slowly with a comforting feeling.
Taste and texture closer to wine than sake.
Extremely pleasant and intriguing.

Overall: One might feel he/she was drinking wine if he/she hadn’t been told beforehand.
Very reminiscent of a half dry sherry or even a Sauternes wine.
Extremely complex and intriguing.
This is the second time I sampled this sake, although of a different year and I must admit I was flabbergasted!
I drank it chilled, but I’m sure it would explode with more facets and faces if sampled lukewarm/nurukan!
As it is a very limited edition I might have to order a few bottles and keep them sitting inside the fridge!

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Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Sugii Brewery-Junmai, Bodai Moto No Suke, Homare Fuji

September 4, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

Sugii Brewery in Fujieda City with Takashima Brewery in Numazu City and Morimoto Brewery in Kikugawa City is a member of what I have dubbed their group the “Maverick Band”.
These three breweries have never been afraid of experimenting away from the more conservative breweries in our Prefecture.

This particular brew was made with locally grown Homare Fuji Sake rice.
As for the fermenting process it was done according to the ancient methods prevalent in the Edo Period when breweries left more responsibility to the environmental nature. The difference is that it was better controlled than in ancient times!

Rice: Homare Fuji
Rice milled down to 70%
Alcohol: 14.8 degrees
Dryness: 2.5
Acidity: 2.1
Brewed in 2010
Bottled in July 2011

Clarity: very clear
Color: Faint golden hue
Aroma: Slightly dry but fruity: banana, almonds, macadamia nuts, bitter chocolate
Body: Fluid
Taste: Strong junmai petillant attack backed up with a lot of fruit: mandarines, almonds.
Disappears with more oranges, coffee beans, bitter chocolate and dark cherries.
Junmai petillant staying strong all the way.
Ends up on an even drier note with further sips.
Takes a bit of a step back with food with an even stronger dry and acid accent.
Very complex and revealing more facets with the next sip.

Overall: Although a sake very untypical of Shizuoka Prefecture, it is a typical brew of Sugii Brewery!
A complex, surprising and very pleasant sake, best appreciated on its own at room temperature or “nurukan/lukewarm”, although a long distance away from the beaten tracks.
Difficult to categorize but so intriguing.
A true experience on a new path!

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Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Morimoto Brewery-Junmai Dai-Ginjyou Yamada Nishiki

August 28, 2011 dragonlife 2 Comments

When one can combine work and pleasure… What more can you ask?
This is the third report of a three-article assignment on sake brewed by Morimoto Brewery in Kikugawa City, Shizuoka Prefecture!

Rice: Yamada Nishiki (Shizuoka-grown)
Rice milled down to:40%
Alcohol: 15~16 degrees
Dryness: +3.0
Acidity: 1.6
Brewed in 2010 and bottled in 2011

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Faint golden hue
Aroma: Discreet, fleeting. Fruity: custard, dark chocolate, banana.
Body: Fluid
Taste: Dry and fruity attack backed by junmai petillant.
Strong start from bananas before perception of coffee beans and dark chocolate.
Disappears quickly on a drier note.
Dark chocolate and coffee beans make a comeback with almonds with further sips.
Eleagant but very assertive.

Overall: A sake to be enjoyed for its own sake!
Even chilled shows complex facets and elegance.
Keeps surprising you with new impressions lurking behind each sip.
To be enjoyed at leisure preferably in great comapany.
There is no need to accompany it with food although it is assertive enough to happily marry with light vegetable salads in particular.

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Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Morimoto Brewery-Junmai Ginjyou Yamada Nishiki

August 28, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

When one can combine work and pleasure… What more can you ask?
This is the second report of a three-article assignment on sake brewed by Morimoto Brewery in Kikugawa City, Shizuoka Prefecture!

Rice: Yamada Nishiki (Shizuoka-grown)
Rice milled down to: 50
Alcohol: 15~16 degrees
Dryness: +1
Acidity: 1.3
Brewed in 2010 and bottled in 2011

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Very faint golden hue
Aroma: Dry and fruity. Fleeting. Banana, custard
Body: Fluid
Taste: Smooth attack. Fruity: banana, custard.
Just dry enough to allow for an easy appreciation.
Disappears quickly with lots of custard and almonds on a warm note.
Coffee beans and dark chocolate appear with further sips

Overall: An elegant, complex and fruity sake whose facets tend to surprise as they strike your tongue and palate.
A sake to be savored on its own as an aperitif if chilled on a hot evening, or if at room temperature as a great digestif on a winter evening.
Naturally marries well with any food but would gain more by being enjoyed on its own in special company!

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Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Morimoto Brewery-Sayogoromo Tokubetsu Junmai

August 28, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

When one can combine work and pleasure… What more can you ask?
This is the first report of a three-article assignment on sake brewed by Morimoto Brewery in Kikugawa City, Shizuoka Prefecture!

Rice: Homare Fuji (Shizuoka-grown)
Rice milled down to: 60%
Alcohol: 15 degrees
Dryness: +3.5
Acidity: 1.4
Brewed in 2010 and bottled in 2011

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Very faint golden hue
Aroma: Fruity. Complex. Banana, vanilla.
Body: Fluid
Taste: Dry attack. Fruity: banana, coffee beans.
Disappears quickly on an even drier note.
Very little junmai petillant.
Dark chocolate and almonds appear with second sip before vanishing on a very dry note.

Overall: Very dry but smooth sake typical of Morimoto Brewery, which has always entertained the image of a “maverick” brewer in Shizuoka Prefecture.
Eminently drinkable on its own although it would make for the perfect accompaniment to heavy izakaya-style food.
Would also marry well to desserts, especially chocolate.
A brew for the dry sake lovers!

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