Tag Archives: sake

美食, 酒, 観光, 農業, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, sake, Sake Brewery, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Haginishiki Brewery-Minami Alps Tokubetsu Honjozo Nama Genshu

August 15, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

Haginishiki Breweries, one of the seven breweries located in Shizuoka City has produced nectars with water coming directly from the Southern Alps for quite some time as Shizuoka City stretches itself up to over 3,000 metres south of the famous mountain chain. Actually more than half of the water used by breweries in Shizuoka Prefecture is directly related to the Southern Alps.

This particular limited brew is a nama/生 meaning it wasn’t pasteurized.

It is also a genshu/原酒 meaning that no pure water was added to dilute the alcohol, although pure sake alcohol was blended in as it is a Tokubetsu Honjyozo.

Rice: Biyama Nishiki (Shiga Prefecture) and Yamada Nishiki (Hyogo Prefecture)
Rice milled down to 55%
Dryness: + 4
Acidity: 1.3
Alcohol: 18~19 degrees
Bottled in July 2012

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Very light golden hue, practically transparent
Body: Fluid
Aroma: Dry, light and fruity. Vanilla, dark chocolate.
Taste: Strong fruity attack backed by pleasant alcohol.
Disappears fairly quickly.
Melon, dry almonds.
Varies very little with food.
Very easy to drink in spite of its high alcohol content.
Marries well with food. Tends to become just a little sweeter with vinegared food.
Holds its own with any food.
Otherwise will turn drier with greens making an appearance with melon.

Overall: A sake obviously conceived to accompany food.
Very pleasant to drink with food in spite of its high alcohol content.
I actually appreciated it on its own.
Can be drunk at any temperature although slightly chilled will bring about the best of it.
A sake I would take to any party (with food)!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

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, Pierre.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,Adventures in Bento Making, American Bent, Beanbento, Bento No, 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,
Susan at Arkonlite, 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
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Good Beer & Country Boys, Another Pint, Please!, Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in kanzai by Nevitt Reagan!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

美食, 酒, 観光, 農業, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Gotemba City, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, sake, Sake Brewery, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Negami Brewery-Kaido Maru Daigin Junmai Yamahai

August 3, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

Negami Brewery in Gotemba City lies in a privileged location at an altitude of 550 metres on the slopes of Mount Fuji in Gotemba City.
This allows them to brew nectars during an unusual large portion of the year.

This enables them to concoct limited brews far into the year for the greatest pleasure of sake lovers and colectors.
This Yamahai Daigin Junmai is very limited indeed: 300 bottles (720 ml) only!
And the label is a real beauty reminiscing about a famous Japanese lore character!
Anf the label has been intelligently wrapped around the bottle instead of being glued! Needless to say that I carefully unwrapped it for safekeeping!

Negami Brewery-Kaido Maru Daigin Junmai Yamahai

Rice: Yamada Nishiki and Yahan Nishiki
Rice both milled down to: 55%
Yeast: Shizuoka N-2 + brewery’s own yeast
Alcohol: 16~17 degrees (genshu)
Dryness: 0
lImited to 300 bottles
Bottled in June 2012

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Light golden hue
Aroma: Fruity backed by strong alcohol. Almonds, apricots.
Body: fluid and sirupy
Taste: Strong fruity attack alternating from dry to sweet and vice versa before verging on the dry with a puissant alcohol and assertive junmai petillant.
Complex. Vanilla, cofee beans, cherries, almonds, apricots.
Takes on an even drier turn with food although spicy food will bring out a sweet reaction.
Very pleasant to drink.
Disappears quickly along with stronger dry almonds and coffee beans.
Cherries making a comeback away from food.
Dark chocolate taking a late ride accompanied by a fine and deep sweetness.

Overall: A beauty definitely difficult to judge objectively. The fact it is a yamahai makes for even more indecisiveness. Very much a “mistery sake”. Would make blind tasters pull at their hair!
In any case, a rare discovery! Pity I didn’t buy another bottle which I could have hidden in the refrigerator for a special occasion!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

Barbecue, bbq, 牛肉, 美食, 酒, 野菜, 静岡市, 観光, 魚, 豚肉, 農業, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism

B.B.Q. Gastronomy in Shizuoka City!

July 9, 2012 dragonlife 4 Comments

The notion of a B.B.Q./barbecue in Japan is slightly different from that encountered in Western countries.
It is certainly organized with more precision and good service in mind!

Team Kumagusu is a group of like-minded chefs and friends who endeavor to promote the products of Shizuoka through different events. This particular B.B.Q., in its third edition, is the culmination of their efforts.
The number of participants (more than 60 this year!) meant that they had to change the locality of the B.B.Q. for need of more space.

SATO is a space owned by a local timber and architecture company up in the mountains in Ashikubo, Aoi Ku, Shizuoka City.
It can easily cater up to 100 people with great outdoors facilities complete with washroom and shower!

They even have wooden lodges for kid’s play!

A view of the company workplace.

Smokers are invited to indulge in their habit far away from the crowd!

First of all let me introduce the characters behind the event by starting with Team Kumagusu’s leader, Kenya Yoshimura/吉村健也, owner/chef of Uzu Izakaya!

Takahiro Nagashima/長島孝博 (and his wife), owner of Nagashima Wine shop in Shizuoka City, the main back-up of the event!

Kazutaka Takashima/高嶋一孝, owner and master-brewer of Takashima Brewery (Hakuin Masamune) in Hara, Numazu City.

Yuusuke Tozaki/戸崎雄介, owner-chef of Hana Oto Chinese Izakaya in Shizuoka City!

Junya Kimbara/金原純也, second chef at Hana Oto!

Takao Shimura/志村剛生, owner-chef of Narusei Tempura Restaurant in Shizuoka City.

Masataka Mochizuki/望月正隆, owner of Kanzawagawa Brewery (Shosetsu) in Yui, Shimizu Ku, Shizuoka City.

Toshiyaki Horie/堀江利彰, owner of Horie Chicken Farm in Shuzenji, Izu Peninsula, the only farm raising Amagi Shamo Chickens!

The day had started under in dry weather but overcast skies.

When it started raining all the charcoal bbq fires could be safely moved under the eaves of the building!

The ingredients of the day were published on brush-painted sheets of paper for all to see!
It certainly made for great reading!
I will send more precise pictures on request!

Red Ore Tomatoes, real fruits!

Organic green and yellow zucchinis from Biofarm Matsuki in Fujinomiya City!

Fresh wasabi roots from Sugiyama Farm in Umegashima, Aoi ku, Shizuoka City!

More organic vegetables!

Plenty of extravagant sake served by our two local brewery owners!

Shosetsu/正行き brand by Kanzawagawa Brewery!

Hakuin Masamune/白隠正宗 brand by Takashima Brewery!

Warm sake for the connoisseurs!

The brewers had even brought water from their own wells for all guests to drink!

Shigeru Sano/佐野茂治 preparing a salad of nagaimo, potato and lotus!

Mr. Keiji Sano/佐野佳治 of Sanoman Co. in Fujinomiya City who had contributed his own products to the even biding his time!

The guests starting enjoying themselves in earnest in spite of the rain outside. Note that the majority are ladies!

These ladies never miss such an event (I know them well!)!

Grating fresh wasabi for all these guests required a lot of wrist work!

Toshiyaki Horie/堀江利彰 demonstrating how to prepare his Amagi Shamo chickens for a BBQ!

The kids were invited to prepare the sweets of the day!

Extravagant rainbow trout sashimi from Kunugi Farm in Fujinomiya City!

Superlative leaf ginger from Kuno, Suruga Ku, Shizuoka City!

The vegetables, tofu and fish served while the meat was cooking!

The Amagi Shamo chicken cut and ready to be grilled!

Couldn’t wait to savor it!

Pork sausages from Sanoman Co.!

Truly extravagant dry ice-aged beef from Sanoman Co.!

I had pinched an Amagi Shamo chicken neck to grill all for myself! Actually I couldn’t resist the pleas of some friends and gave it away!

Takao Shimura/志村剛生 preparing the organic vegetables and chicken tempura!

Corn and onion tempura!

Now, who is this guy in his cups? LOL (a good friend of mine, actually!)

No need to say we shall meet again next year same place, same time with even more guests!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

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, Pierre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, 47 Japanese Farms Through The Eyes of Its Rural Communities, 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,Adventures in Bento Making, American Bent, Beanbento, Bento No, 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,
Susan at Arkonlite, 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:

美食, 酒, 観光, 農業, Food, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, sake, Sake Brewery, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Haginishiki Brewery: Suruga Yoi-Junmai-Homare Fuji

July 4, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

Haginishiki Brewery sits on its own well in the Southern part of Shizuoka City, a short way from the sea and has the grace to share its own water for free with the locals!

They produce this particular limited brand in June every year and call it Suruga Yoi/Suruga stands for both the Surugay Bay and Suruga Ku/Ward (south of Shizuoka JR Station) while Yoi means “jolly good drunk”!

This is also a “nama/生, that is, it has not been heat pasteurized.
The rice used is Homare Fuji, a Yamada Nishiki strain exclusively grown in Shizuoka Prefecture!

Rice: Homare Fuji 100%
Rice milled down to 60%
Dryness: + 3
Acidity: 1.4
Bottled in June 2012

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Faint golden hue
Aroma: Assertive and fruity. Vanilla, Macadamia nuts, dark chocolate
Body: Fluid
Taste: Fruity attack backed up by strong junmai petillant and pleasant alcohol.
Complex. needs quite a few cups to catch all the facets.
Oranges, coffee beans, traces of citruses.
Disappears fairly quickly on a deep dry note with nuts.
Turns very dry with food.
Very easy to drink especially with food.

Overall: A great sake for great Japanese traditional food!
Can be enjoyed slightly chilled, at room temperature or lukewarm although my preference was for room temperature in spite of its “nama” status but I suspect many people would appreciate it slightly chilled.
Another great sake for the summer!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

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, Pierre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, 47 Japanese Farms Through The Eyes of Its Rural Communities, 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,Adventures in Bento Making, American Bent, Beanbento, Bento No, 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,
Susan at Arkonlite, 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:

美食, 酒, 観光, 農業, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, sake, Sake Brewery, Shizuoka, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Doi Brewery-Ryou Ryou Junmai Ginjyou

July 3, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

Doi Brewery in Kakegawa City is an ancient establishment that has been forcefully promoting Shizuoka sake for many years.
Their brewmasters have been coming from Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture for a long time and have helped the brewery earn a deserved name far outside the borders of our Prefecture!

Ryou Ryou/涼々 in Japanese means “refreshing”, and this limited brand is made available at the beginning of summer for this very reason!

Doi Brewery-Ryou Ryou Junmai Ginjyou

Rice: Yamada Nishiki 100%
Rice milled down to 55%
Alcohol: 15~16 degrees
Bottled in May 2012

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Transparent
Aroma: Assertive and fruity. Banana, dark chocolate, vanilla.
Body: Fluid
Taste: Very fruity backed strong junmai petillant and pleasant alcohol.
Complex. Vanilla, melon, macadamia nuts, faint almonds.
Disappears fairly quickly warming up back of the palate.
Take a big turn to dryness with food with more almonds and Macadamia nuts.
Marries well with any food.

Overall: A very pleasant and elegant sake conceived for food in spite of its elevated status.
Drinks so easily. Tends to disappear quickly from the bottle!
Perfect sake for the summer as it can enjoyed slightly chilled, especially with food!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

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, Pierre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, 47 Japanese Farms Through The Eyes of Its Rural Communities, 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,Adventures in Bento Making, American Bent, Beanbento, Bento No, 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,
Susan at Arkonlite, 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:

美食, Drinks, 酒, 観光, 農業, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, sake, Sake Brewery, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Tourism

“Shizuoka Rice Comes of Age”-On Shizuoka Sake by Marcus Grandon

June 17, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

All pictures and Article by Marcus Grandon.

Shizuoka sake has always had a a special place in the hearts of sake fans both foreign and domestic. Every year, a group of Shizuoka producers hosts a dinner party to showcase their latest offerings. This year is no exception, and marked the 20th consecutive year for the gala event, which for the first time was held in the Aoi-tower in downtown Shizuoka City.

Oumuuraya Brewery sake!

The party, attended by over 500 guests, contained a choice selection from a virtual who’s who of sake makers: Hatsukame, Shidaizumi, Isojiman, Kikuyoi (Aoshima Brewery), and Oumuraya (Wakatake) Breweries.

Oumuraya Brewery

While each and every sip from the various makers pretty much melted into the palate like liquid gold one after another after another, a very big piece of news emerged from the event this year. Shizuoka sake is known as the Champagne of Sakes for good reason. One of the key ingredients in making sake is water, and water in Shizuoka Prefecture is among the purest in the entire country. However, usually the rice used in the brewing process for Shizuoka sake comes from a different prefecture.
The Oumuraya sake company wanted to use local rice to create a 100% local product, and in recent years began experimenting with using local rice in their sake. Conventional wisdom says that it takes ten years for sake makers to produce high quality sake with a new rice. Wouldn’t you know that this year is the tenth year for Oumuraya to be making such sake? And guess what? It’s the bomb! I was able to taste the sake in this bottle, and it was a smooth as any sake I’ve ever had!

Ten years is the charm! People flocked around that bottle like white on rice (Sorry, but I just had to). The sad thing is that I missed the really good stuff:

Oumuraya Brewery sake!

By the time I got here, this bottle was all gone. Not to worry though, it can be had at local department stores for ¥10.500 per big bottle. Not cheap for sake, but certainly worth the price for a 100% local product.
My suggestion? Get it while you can!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

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, Pierre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, 47 Japanese Farms Through The Eyes of Its Rural Communities, 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,Adventures in Bento Making, American Bent, Beanbento, Bento No, 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,
Susan at Arkonlite, 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:

焼酎, 美食, 酒, 観光, 農業, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Numazu City, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Shochu, Tourism

Shizuoka Shochu Tasting: Takashima Distillery-Brewery: Dai Ippoh

June 7, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

Takashima Brewery in Numazu City does not brew only superlative Japanese sake but also distill some incredibly extravagant rice shochu as well!
Their latest jewel is Dai Ippoh!

When you look at the simple calligraphic design you will understand it represents the nearby Mount Fuji!

Dai Ippoh/第壱峰 (old-style calligraphy) means “The First Peak”!

Alcohol: 25 degrees
Ingredients: Rice and rice malt

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Transparent
Aroma: Almost sweetish and spicy. Alcohol. Rice.
Body: Fluid
Taste: At first sweetish and complex attack.
Dry dark cherries.
Turns quickly drier.
Does not linger long in mouth or under palate.
Very clean, elegant and fruity approach.
Alcohol impact relatively soft with fruits appearing with each new sip.

Overall: A very elegant rice shochu which should be drunk on its own first at room temperature without ice or water for a true appreciation and taste discovery.
All the qualities and more of a superlative rice shochu.
Varies little with food.
At the most pour it over a lot of ice but there is no reason to mix with anything!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

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, Pierre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, 47 Japanese Farms Through The Eyes of Its Rural Communities, 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,Adventures in Bento Making, American Bent, Beanbento, Bento No, 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,
Susan at Arkonlite, 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:

美食, 酒, 観光, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Kakegawa City, sake, Sake Brewery, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Tourism

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Yamanaka Brewery-Aoitenka-“Jin”-Junmai

May 27, 2012 dragonlife 4 Comments

Yamanaka Brewery and its main brand, Aoitenka, are not much known in Japan and little away from the Western part of our Prefecture, but they certainly deserve all their praise in spite of their rarity!

This particular limited sake is called Jin/陣. “Jin” is a military term meaning “camp” or “position”.
In the old days the “jin” was marked with banners bearing the Arms/”mon” of the army overlord or commander.
The label features some of these “mon” for a beautiful design!

The “mon” represented with the bottleneck label is that of Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu to retired to Shizuoka (called Sumpu at the time) at the beginning of the 17th Century!

Rice: Gohyakumangoku 100% grown in Shizuoka Prefecture
Rice milled down to 60%
Alcohol: 15~16 degrees
Dryness: + 2.0
Acidity: 1.4
Yeast: No 1401
Bottled in March 2012

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Transparent
Aroma: Fruity and fleeting. Nice alcohol. Cocoa, cherries
Body: Fluid
Taste: Dry and fruity attack backed up by junmai petillant.
Complex. Dark chocolate, coffee beans, oranges.
Starts soft to finish on a very dry note.
Becomes a lot drier with food with a predominance by oranges.
Dark chocolate making a strong comeback away from food, adding a soft note again all over the palate.

Overall: A sake obviously designed to be enjoyed with food but worth tasting both away and with food for interesting comparison.
Could be drunk at all temperatures for more fun and more discoveries.
A solid and dependable sake for all seasons in spite of its limited production!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

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, Pierre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, 47 Japanese Farms Through The Eyes of Its Rural Communities, 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,Adventures in Bento Making, American Bent, Beanbento, Bento No, 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,
Susan at Arkonlite, 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:

美食, 酒, 観光, 農業, Food, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, sake, Sake Brewery, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Suruga Brewery-Abekaido Tokubetsu Honjozo

May 26, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

“Abekaido” which means “Abe River Route” was part of the old “Tokaido/East Route” which ran from Edo to Kyoto.
People then had no recourse but to cross the Abe River in Shizuoka City, then called Sunpu, unless they wished the country beyond the Southern Alps.

The Abekaido brand was originally created by the defunct Yoshiya Brewery that the present Suruga Brewery acquired upon the retirement of its last sake masterbrewer!

Rice milled down to 60%
Dryness: + 5~; 8
Acidity: 1.0~1.2
Alcohol: 15~16 degrees
Bottled in December 2011

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Transparent
Aroma: Dry and fruity. Banana, dark chocolate
Body: Fluid
Taste: Dry and fruity strong attack backed by pleasant alcohol.
Warming up the back of the palate. Complex.
Lingers for a while on a dry note.
Dark chocoleate, banana, dry almonds, oranges.
Fairly strong but pleasant.
Assertive but attractive.
Gets drier with food with a stronger accent on oranges and almonds with an appearance of lemons.
Dark chocolate reappears away from the food with a sweeter note.

Overall: A sake definitely conceived for food as it doesn’t vary much.
Marries very well with any food, even curry!
A bottle you could keep carrying around as you never know… a B.B.Q., a new friend, an old one, or…

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

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, Pierre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, 47 Japanese Farms Through The Eyes of Its Rural Communities, 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,Adventures in Bento Making, American Bent, Beanbento, Bento No, 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,
Susan at Arkonlite, 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:

美食, 酒, 農業, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, sake, Sake Brewery, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Masu Ichi Brewery- The Last Bottle? Masu Ichi Junmai Dai Ginjyo

May 14, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

Masu Ichi Brewery has not been making sake for the past year and will not ever as his owner/masterbrewer Denjirou Masui/増井伝次郎 just passed away at the age of 49 leaving no successor willing to take over the brewery founded in 1882.

Denjirou Masui

Denjirou was his brewer’s name given by his mentor Denbei kawamura, the godfather of Shizuoka Sake and the creator of the Shizuoka sake yeast. He was one of the only three brewers of the Shida School.
His sake is fast disappearing and this particular one of a series of “last bottles” I’m scouring the Prefecture to get my hands on for posterity!
This is therefore the fourth and maybe last bottle!

This is a Junmai Dai ginjyo, meaning the top premium variety with no alcohol blending!

Rice milled down to 35%
Alcohol: 15~16 degrees
Bottled in March 2012

Clarity: very clear
Color: Very faint golden hue
Aroma: Assertive and fruity. Banana.
Body: Fluid
Taste: Complex, fruity and back of the palate warming attack.
Dry and deep. Banana, dark chocolate, oranges, coffee beans.
Disappears fairly quickly on a drier note with more coffee beans.
Very elegant and pleasant.
Turns even drier on second sip with a slightly stronger junmai petillant.
Tends to show different facets with every sip adding to complexity.
Although originally not really conceived to accompany food, changes little with just more oranges and coffee beans.

Overall: A very elegant sake best enjoyed on its own for a special occasion.
Extravagant millage down to 35%!
Although I enjoyed it much at room temperature it should become ethereal if a little chilled.
A sake for very special occasions!
I certainly felt guilty drinking it up on my own!
The last bottle?
Definitely and I was blessed to discover it!
Out of respect for such a great brewmaster I will not be sad when I finish it. I will be so thankful!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

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, Pierre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, 47 Japanese Farms Through The Eyes of Its Rural Communities, 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,Adventures in Bento Making, American Bent, Beanbento, Bento No, 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,
Susan at Arkonlite, 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
-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

美食, 酒, 観光, 農業, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, sake, Sake Brewery, Shizuoka, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Fuji-Takasago Brewery-Shiboritate Diamond Fuji Tokubetsu Junmai

April 27, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

Fuji Takasago Brewery in Fujinomiya City chose a Diamond as their emblem some time ago and they are producing a whole series with their mark on labels.

You will find it even on their caps!
Actually the emblem is a Diamond with Mount Fuji inside!

The pink color and the small label across the bottle are definitely celebrating the cherry blossoms!

Rice milled down to 60%
Dryness: + 5
Alcohol: 15~16 degrees
Pasteurized inside the bottle
Limited production
Bottled in February 2012

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Almost transparent
Aroma: Assertive and fruity. Banana, melon. Sweet alcohol
Body: Fluid and slightly syrupy
Taste: Strong junmai petillant attack with a lot of fruit.
Complex. Turning very dry inside the palate.
Melon, oranges, almonds. Disappears on an ever drier note
Dry oranges take the upper hand with food.
Stays very dry with food.
Stays dry but acquires more fruitiness once away from food with a comeback by nuts and oranges.

Overall: A very pleasant sake probably best appreciated slightly chilled.
Typical Shizuoka sake for all seasons.
Equally enjoyed on its own or with food.
The strong junmai petillant and oranges make for a heady sake!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

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

美食, 酒, 観光, 農業, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, sake, Sake Brewery, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Tourism

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Takashima Brewery-Hakuin Masamune-Junmai Daiginjyo Yamahai

April 19, 2012 dragonlife 2 Comments

Yamahai is a traditional way of making sake which leaves a lot to nature.
It is difficult to master and most breweries avoid even mentioning the name!

But Takashima Brewery in Numazu City are extremely proud of their Yamahai and do not hesitate to advertise it clearly for all to see on their labels!

And making a top-premium Junmai Daiginjyo out of a Yamahai is not only extravagant, it is also a true tour de force!
One ought to enjoy such nectar slowly out of an high quality earthenware sake cup!

Takashima Brewery-Hakuin Masamune-Junmai Daiginjyo Yamahai-Genshu

Rice: Komachi
Milled down to: 45%
Alcohol: 16~17 degrees (genshu/no pure water added)
Yeast: Shizuoka NEW-5
Dryness: + 4
Acidity: 1.5
Bottled in February 2012

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Faint golden hue
Aroma: Assertive and fruity. Bananas, oranges
Body: Fluid and a little liquorish
Taste: Fruity attack, sweetish at first but turning quickly dry.
Strong junmai petillant.
Banana backed by dark chocolate and sweet nuts with a late appearance from oranges.
Lingers for a while warming the back of the palate and throat.
Complex. Dark chocolate asserting itself with the second sip with further attack from junmai petillant and dry almonds.
So pleasant and easy to drink.
Gets drier with food with very strong junmai petillant and oranges.

Comment: A discovery!
To turn a Yamahai in such a superlative sake is simply a mark of the extraordinary skills of Takashima Brewery!
Can be indifferently enjoyed on its own or with food, a feat not easily done with Junmai Daiginjyo!
Will definitely rate as one of best 5 sakes drunk in 2012 even by April!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

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

美食, 酒, 観光, 農業, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Masu Ichi Brewery- The Last Bottle? Masu Ichi Dai Ginjyo

April 5, 2012 dragonlife 2 Comments

Denjirou Masui

Denjirou was his brewer’s name given by his mentor Denbei kawamura, the godfather of Shizuoka Sake and the creator of the Shizuoka sake yeast. He was one of the only three brewers of the Shida School.
His sake is fast disappearing and this particular one is the first of a series of “last bottles” I’m scouring the Prefecture to get my hands on for posterity!
This is therefore the third bottle! (More coming!)

This is a Dai ginjyo, meaning the top premium variety blended with pure rice alcohol!

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Transparent
Aroma: Light, elegant and fruity. Melon, pineapple, banana.
Body: Fluid
Taste: Dry and fruity attack backed up by pleasant alcohol.
Complex. Oranges, melon, pineapple.
Disappears quickly.
Very elegant in spite of its dryness.
Drinks very easily.
Oranges asserting themselves with the second sip.
Varies little with food with a drier note.

Overall: Very elegant sake!
Best appreciated on its own, as food tends to interfere with it more than marrying with it. Nevertheless would make for an extravagant aperitif and would enhance the taste of light vegetables such as white asparaguses!
Obviously a sake conceived for tasting!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

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, Pierre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, 47 Japanese Farms Through The Eyes of Its Rural Communities, 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,Adventures in Bento Making, American Bent, Beanbento, Bento No, 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,
Susan at Arkonlite, 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
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Good Beer & Country Boys, Another Pint, Please!, CATCHCARRI
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

美食, 酒, 観光, 農業, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, sake, Sake Brewery, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Masu Ichi Brewery- The Last Bottle? Masu Ichi Junmai Ginjyo

April 5, 2012 dragonlife 2 Comments

Denjirou Masui

Denjirou was his brewer’s name given by his mentor Denbei kawamura, the godfather of Shizuoka Sake and the creator of the Shizuoka sake yeast. He was one of the only three brewers of the Shida School.
His sake is fast disappearing and this particular one is the first of a series of “last bottles” I’m scouring the Prefecture to get my hands on for posterity!
This is therefore the second bottle! (More coming!)

That beautiful bottle cap is also going to disappear…

It is a junmai ginjyo, meaning no alcohol was blended in and that is a premium sake of ginjyo level!

Rice milled down to 50 %
Alcohol: 15~16 degrees
Bottled in March 2012

Clarity: very clear
Color: Transparent
Aroma: Assertive and fruity. Complex.
Melon. Liquorice. Pleasant alcohol.
Body: Fluid
Taste: Very deep attack backed with junmai petillant. Fruity. Complex.
Almonds, melon and faint oranges.
Disappears on a dry coffee beans note.
Varies little with food with a strong accent on oranges and dry almonds.
Coffee beans and dark chocolate make a strong comeback once away from food.

Overall: A very dry but elegant sake!
Very enjoyable on its own but particularly pleasant with vegetables.
Actually happily marries with any food, be it Japanese or Western gastronomy.
Would also make for a great aperitif, although its dryness would be the perfect match for chocolate!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

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!, CATCHCARRI
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

美食, 酒, 観光, 農業, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, sake, Sake Brewery, Shizuoka, Tourism

Shizuoka Sake: 2012 Shizuoka Prefecture New Sake Tasting Annual Meet

March 27, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

All pictures credited to MARCUS GRANDON

On the 26th of March 2012 was the 2012 Edition of the Shizuoka New Sake Tasting Annual Meet (in Japanese 静岡県清酒鑑評会出品酒きき酒会) held on the 4th floor of Aoi Tower in front of Shizuoka JR Station.

I still managed to go to the wrong building and arrived late. But my good friend Marcus Grandon I have succeeded in turning into a true Japanese sake fan saved my day and had started taking pictures! For once I didn’t have to worry about this aspect of reporting as Marcus is a professional photographer!

This kind of event has become quite a big affair and the organizing Shizuoka Prefecture Sake Breweries Association does have to limit numbers!
Professionals, amateurs, bloggers and sake lovers were already in the midst of serious tasting business and quite a few were taking notes!

A dedicated taster!

A great opportunity to meet some old and new friends!

Kokkou/国香, one of the vaunted Shizuoka sake!
The event, although based on personal (some people did crash, though!) invitations was free of charge and each guest was provided with a tasting glass and pamphlets describing the sake on display!