Tag Archives: Shizuoka sake

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

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Suruga Brewery: Tenkou Tokubetsu Junmai

October 28, 2013 dragonlife Leave a comment

After acquiring the defunct Yoshiya Brewery (Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku) license and continuing their brands such as Chumasa, Oni Goroshi and Tokaido, Suruga Brewery in Suruga Ku, Shizuoka City adopted the brand name of “Tenkou/天虹” meaning “heaven rainbow”!

It is a tokubetsu junmai!

Rice: Biyama Nishiki (Shiga Prefecture)
Rice milled down to 60%
Alcohol: 15~16 degrees
Dryness: + 2
Acidity: 1.9
Bottled in October 2013

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Very faint golden hue
Aroma: Strong. Pears, apples.
Body: Fluid
Taste: Strong attack backed up by assertive junmai petillant and pleasant alcohol and welcome acidity.
Complex and fruity. Pears, custard.
Disappears quickly on an even drier note with more custard and nuts and faint greens.
Takes a back step with food but reasserts itself quickly once away from it again.

Overall: A typical Shizuoka sake with all the usual facets, although stronger in approach than most.
The comparatively higher acidity makes it utterly enjoyable on its own.
Another sure value to keep in mind at all times of the year!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

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, 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, 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: 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

美食, Drinks, 酒, 静岡県, 静岡市, 観光, 農業, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, sake, Sake Brewery, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Sanwa Brewery-Garyubai Junmai Ginjo

October 26, 2013 dragonlife Leave a comment

Sanwa Brewery in Shimizu Ku, Shizuoka City has this famous label for one of its Junmai Ginjo representing two drinkers of the Edo Period and I know a lot of people who like to collect it!

Most of their sake are called Garyubai these days, a name which can be traced back to a local temple!

Rice: Gohyakumangoku (Toyama Prefecture)
Rice milled down to 60%
Alcohol: 15~16 degrees
Dryness: + 3
Acidity: 1.4
Bottled in August 2013

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Faint golden hue
Aroma: Dry and fruity. Pears, macadamia nuts, custard
Body: Fluid, slightly sirupy
Taste: Very dry attack backed up by puissant junmai petillant.
Very nutty at first with hints of oranges and custard.
Lingers for a while warming up back of the palate and tongue.
Mellows somewhat with food.
Turns quickly back to strong dryness away from food.

Overall: Straight forward dry sake best suited for food, especially heavy izakaya food.
Sake concept very different from mainstream shizuoka brews. The toji/brewmaster is of the Nanbu School from Iwate Prefecture and never uses the Shizuoka yeasts.
can be enjoyed at all temperatures in spite of its elevated status. Would do well at a BBQ!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

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

Shizuoka Sake Breweries: The One That Disappeared-Yagi Brewery (Tanchou/丹頂) in Shimada City!

October 17, 2013 dragonlife Leave a comment

During My visit to the Shimada Obi Festival last Monday I walked past a small private museum/display of Shimada craftsmen’s tools and artifacts.
I made an interesting discovery proving that you can’t overlook anything!
The photo above is taht of a sake bottle bag printed with the word “Tanchou/丹頂” the brand name of the late sake Brewery called “Yagi Brewery/八木酒造”
The brewery disappeared some ten years ago before I really started delving into Shizuoka sake history.
The reasons for its demise are quite simple: the brewery was basically making sake on order for the big breweries in Nada (Kobe) region. When the sake boom of the 70’s receded the orders decreased and finally stopped. On the other hand the other brewery in Shimada City, namely Ooumuraya brewery/大村屋酒造 famous all over Japan for its brand names such Onna Nakase/女泣かせ, Onigoroshi/鬼殺し and Wakatake/若竹 was striving as it has opted for a local market for some time and stopped producing for the Nada breweries a long time ago.

This is when I realized that their shop, Tanchou Honten/丹頂本店 was just across the road!

The ground floor of the decrepit building is still used as a bike shop!
An article for my friend at Abandoned Kansai?

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: Another Pint, Please!, Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in Kansai by Nevitt Reagan!
-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

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

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Hana No Mai Brewery-Tokubetsu Junmai Cenova 2nd Anniversary

October 13, 2013 dragonlife Leave a comment

hanan No Mai, located in Hamamatsu City, is the largest sake brewery in Shizuoka Prefecture and makes a good use of all events in our Prefecture to well their products.

Cenova Department store in Shizuoka City just celebrated its 2nd Anniversary and like for the opening and 1st Anniversary hana no Mai produced a tokubetsu Junami limited to 100 numbered bottles. I got No 11!

“Local Souvenir”!

Hana No Mai Brewery has a habit of printing the exact bottling date on their labels!

Rice locally grown
rice milled down to 55%
Alcohol: 15~16 degrees
Bottled on September 30th 2013

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Light golden hue
Aroma: Assertive and fruity. Custard
Body: Fluid, lightly sirupy
Taste: Soft attack at first, immediately followed by puissant junmai petillant warming up back of the palate.
Fruity and dryish. Custard, macadamia nuts, almonds, oranges.
Lingers for a while before softly disappearing with more macadamia nuts and ornages.
Takes a small back step with food on a slightly drier note with more dry oranges.
Away again from food sees a solid appearance by chestnuts.

Overall: A typical sake from Hana No Mai Brewery with a comparatively soft approach.
A sake probably best enjoyed before food.
Should please younger people and ladies alike.
A sake fit for beginners, too.
Would make for a beautiful sweet aperitif when chilled!

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: Another Pint, Please!, Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in Kansai by Nevitt Reagan!
-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

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

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Kumpai Brewery-Momiji Junmai Ginjo Genshu

September 28, 2013 dragonlife Leave a comment

Kumpai Brewery in Shizuoka City for all its being the smallest one in the Prefecture is a brewery you have to keep a constant eye on because of its superlative seasonal and limited products!
Fall is about to come and soon the Japanese maples trees/momiji/紅葉 will turn red, hence the name of this brew!

Actually, the hiragana writing “もみじ” makes for an evenb better design!

Rice: Biyama Nishiki
Rice milled down to 50%
Dryness: – 5 (very sweet by Shizuoka standards!
Alcohol: 17 degrees
Bottled in September 2013

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Light golden
Aroma: Light, fruity and complex: pears, apples.
Body: Fluid, slightly sirupy
Taste: Well-rounded and fruity attack.
Complex. Fruity and sweetish: pears, almonds, apples, macadamia nuts.
Sweetish at first but takes a leave on a drier note with little haste.
Tends to veer onto a drier turn with food.
Very easy to drink in spite of the high alcohol content.
The junmai petillant is discreet, too, making for a sake eminently enjoyable on its own.

Overall: An intriguing sake by Shizuoka standards which do not usually offer negative dryness.
Chilled, it would be enjoyed as a great aperitif, at room temperature would turn out as a beautiful digestif.
Eminently enjoyable both with salty food, especially cheese, and sweet food, notably with chocolate.
Greta with food but I’m convinced it should be enjoyed on its own especially as a night cap if you sleep on your own or as a great love drink with special company!

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: Another Pint, Please!, Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in Kansai by Nevitt Reagan!
-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

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

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Hana No Mai Brewery-Homare Fuji Junmai Sekai Isan

September 23, 2013 dragonlife Leave a comment

Although Mount Fuji is far from Hamamatsu City, as Hamamatsu City is inside Shizuoka Prefecture they also felt compelled to mark the event, Sekai Isan/World Heritage!

This sake is 100% Shizuoka-made with Shizuoka-grown Homare Fuji rice, local water and Shizuoka yeast!

The brewery advertised this particular brew as slighly dry and light in approach!

Rice: Homare Fuji (Shizuoka-grown)
Rice millled down to 60%
Alcohol: 15~16 degrees
Bottled on August 1st, 2013

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Very light golden hue
Aroma: Discreet, hard to catch. Fruity. Rice
Body: Fluid
Taste: Dry fruity well-rounded attack.
Complex.
Almonds, coffee beans, vanilla, apricots.
Very light in approach, almost feminine.
Disappears quickly.
Tends to take a step back with food with a drier character.

Overall: A typical Hana No Mai Brewery sake who tends to produce sake to attract a younger or feminine clientele.
As they do export a lot to the States and Canada in Particular, their sake, including this one, are conceived for a wide-ranging market.
very pleasant and easy to drink at all seasons, preferably slighly chilled.

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: Another Pint, Please!, Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in Kansai by Nevitt Reagan!
-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

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

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Sanwa Brewery-Garyubai Hoosu Muroka Junmai Ginjo Nama Genshu

September 23, 2013 dragonlife Leave a comment

Sanwa Brewery, in spite of being the local sake brewery in Shizuoka Prefecture not using one of the Shizuoka yeasts nonetheless produces some remarkable nectars including this yearly limited production called Hoosu.

The same brewery also tends to put long names on their sakes!
“Garyubai” is the main brand and “Hoosu” is the name of this particular brew.
“Murooka” means “unfliltered, “Junami” means that no pure alcohol was added, “Ginjo” is the premium grade level, “nama” means “unpasteurized” and “Genshu” means that no water was added. All this to mean that this sake has not been “tempered with” whatsoever!

Rice: 100% Yamada Nishiki (Hyogo Prefecture)
Rice milled down to 55%
Alcohol: 16~17 degrees
Dryness: + 4
Acidity: 1.4
Bottles in August 2013

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Very light golden hue
Aroma: Fruity and sweetish. Pears (La France pears)
Body: Fluid
Taste: Assertive attack back up by strong junmai petillant warming uo back of the palate.
Strong alcohol but easy and pleasant to drink.
Very fruity.
Complex: Pears, oranges, apricots.
Lingers for a while before departing on a slightly drier note.
Very refreshing for an unpasteurized and practically unaltered sake.
Not changing noticeably with food, except for more dry pears.

Overall: In spite of its “rough” approach, a very enjoyable sake for all genders at all times, temperature, with or without food.
A pity it is only a limited brew!
The kind of sake to keep you deliciously warm in winter!

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: Another Pint, Please!, Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in Kansai by Nevitt Reagan!
-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

美食, Drinks, 酒, 観光, 農業, Fujinomiya City, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, sake, Sake Brewery, Shizuoka, Shizuoka Cuisine, Torigai

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Fuji-Takasago Brewery-Junmai Ginjo “Nama”

September 14, 2013 dragonlife 2 Comments

It’s been a long time since I enjoyed a “nama”/unpasteurized sake by Fuji-Takasago Brewery in Fujinomiya City!
If you don’t want to spend or drink too much it is always a good idea to buy smaller bottles containing only 180 ml, or even drink two them if you want variation in low quantities!

I can recommend Cenova Department Store in Shizuoka as they take the pains of adding extra information!

Rice milled down to 60%
Alcohol: 14.5 degrees
Dryness: + 4
Bottled in May 2013

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Light golden
Aroma: Assertive. Dry and fruity. Pineapple, citruses.
Body: Fluid
Taste: Very dry attack wit strong junmai petillant.
Complex.
Lots of nuts.Oranges.
Lingers for a little while warming up the back of the palate.
Ends up on an even drier note with oranges, nuts, almonds, chestnuts.
tends to take a back step with food although junmai petillant is still very strong and dryness more accentuated with more nuts.

Overall: A sake for dry sake lovers!
Enjoyable with and away from food.
Strong in spite of normal alcohol content.
Tends to take a mellow turn once away fro food again.
Although I appreciated it on its ow, it is probably conceived to be drunk with heavy izakaya food.

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
The Wine Wankers by Stuart in Australia!
-Beer: Another Pint, Please!, Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in Kansai by Nevitt Reagan!
-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

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

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Senju Brewery-Oo Kara Kuchi-Kyoku +20 Honjozo

September 14, 2013 dragonlife Leave a comment

I already tasted this limited sake from Senju brewery in Iwata last year and am always looking frward to tasting it again every year as sake is never the same!
+ 20 means it is extremely dry, probably the record in Shizuoka Prefecture!

In any case they almost overstate it: Oo (very) Kara Juchi (dry) Kyoku (exceptional)!
This is an honjozo meaning that it needed a lot of work blending it with pure rice alcohol!

Rice milled down to 65%
Alcohol: 14~15 degrees
Bottled in August 2013

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Very light golden hue
Aroma: very light. Pears, custard. Dry and fruity
Body: very fluid
Taste: Very dry attack.
Complex, hard to “catch”.
Greens, nuts.
Marries exceptionally well with heavy izakaya food.
Disappears quickly on dry nutty note.
Always seems to incite you into the next cup!

Overall: A sake for izakaya food. Full stop.
Not the kind of sake you really want to extol on, but just drink!
Its extreme dryness makes for a great experience though.
Could be enjoyed at any temperatures but it should definitely be enjoyed lukewarm!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

美食, Drinks, 酒, 観光, 農業, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Iwata City, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Shochu

Shizuoka Shochu Tasting: Senju Brewery/Distillery-Ginjo Shikomi Honkaku Shochu 37

September 9, 2013 dragonlife Leave a comment

Once again Sissi should be interested with this shochu made in Shizuoka!

it is a shochu made by Senju Brewery/distillery in Iwata City with sake lees.
Apparently making shochu directly from rice requires a different license! Otherwise it still can be called a rice shochu although by law it is a sake white lees shochu!

Sake (rice) white lees
Yeast: Shizuoka yeast
alcohol: 37 degrees

Clarity: very clear
Color: transparent
Aroma: distinctly fruity and extremely complex. Pears, nuts, vanilla, custard, almonds, umidofu (tofu variety)
Body: fluid
Taste: Very well-rounded and fruity attack.
Strong alcohol but very elegant and easy to drink.
Complex and very difficult to catch.
Dry chestnuts, dry custard, pears, fresh cream.
Stays very dry on the palate but tends to disappear on a sweeter note, this being certainly due to the variety of yeast used to make the sake whose white lees have been distilled into that shochu.
Extremely sophisticated for a shochu!

Overall: Best enjoyed on its own despite the strong alcohol at room temperature.
The distillers advise to enjoy it straight on plenty of ice.
At the most could be mixed with water.
Anything else would be tantamount to infanticide!
Drink it away or before/after a meal!
The perfect nightcap? Mind you it is strong so better use a chaser before hitting the sack!

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: Another Pint, Please!, Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in Kansai by Nevitt Reagan!
-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

美食, Drinks, 酒, 観光, 農業, Fujieda City, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Mirin, Sake Brewery, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Tourism, 味醂

Shizuoka Mirin Tasting: Sugii Brewery-Atsukayama

August 28, 2013 dragonlife 2 Comments

This is the very first time I felt compelled to write a tasting report on a mirin (cooking sweet sake)!
But Atsukayama brewed by Sugii Brewery in Fujieda City has nothing in common with even the best mirin used in Japanese cooking!
I recently used it for making umeshu with plenty of it and shochu distilled by the same brewery, with the diffrence I didn’t have to use any sugar!
Mind you, it is pretty famous all over the country and not easy to obtain but I can assure you this is a must if you want to enjoy a sweet drink away from the beaten tracks at your next repast!

Atsukayama
Junmai Hon Mirin (true mirin made with junmai sake!)
Alcohol: 14~15 degrees
Essence: 44%
Bottled in July 2013

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Rich golden
Aroma: Strong and assertive. Fruity. Oranges, loquats, almonds, honey.
Body: Fluid, slightly sirupy
Taste: Very sweet attack backed up with junmai petillant.
Complex and fruity. Apricots, plums, nuts, honey.
Disappears more quickly than expected on a surprisingly drier note with hints of nuts and almonds.
Especially enjoyable at all temperatures.
For all its sweetness drinks more like a mellow sweet sake or a liquorish white wine with such an incredible complexity.

Overall: A mirin for cooking? That would be extremely extravagant unless you use it on its own to accentuate a dish.
A rare “dish ingredient” that should be ignored as such and drunk on its own at a temperature of your liking as an aperitif, a digestif or as a night cap.
Chilled, it reveals itself as a superb nectar. Would do marvelously well in cocktails, too.
You must sample it with blue cheese!

More than a discovery, a blessing!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

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, 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, 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: 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!
-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

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

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Hamamatsu-Tenjingura Brewery-Shusseijyo Homare Fuji Muroka Nama Genshu

August 26, 2013 dragonlife Leave a comment

August usually sees some extraordinary limited brews taken out some secret nook of breweries for the utter pleasure of sake lovers in pursuit of unusual nectars.
Hamamatsu-Tenjingura Brewery in Hamamatsu has just put one out with another long name!

incidentally “nakakumi/中汲み” means that only the middle part of the pressed sake was considered whereas 24BY means Year 2013.
This a very local sake as the rice is Homare Fuji, a shizuoka-grown variety and the yeast also a Shizuoka-developed yeast.

Muroka means it was unfiltered, Nama that is was unpasteurized and Genshu that no pure water was added to lower the alcohol contents.

Rice: Shizuoka-grown Homare Fuji
Rice milled down to 60%
Alcohol: 18~19 degrees
Yeast: Shizuoka Yeast
Bottled in August 2013

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Silvery golden
Aroma: Deep and fruity. Pears, apples, pineapple
Body: fluid, slightly sirupy
Taste: Very rich and fruity attack with puissant alcohol.
Extraordinarily assertive pears reminding La France variety grown in Japan!
Pears, pineapple, apples, oranges.
Lingers only for a while ending on a rich dry fruity note with the same fruits accompanied by dry almonds.
Complex as it almost wildly starts on a fruity sweetish note to rapidly escape on a very dry deep note revealing more fruits.

Overall: Little need to drink such a sake with food!
Makes for the perfect aperitif and even digestif.
Shows its qualities best when chilled.
Splendidly marries with cheese if you must absolutely enjoy it with food!

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: Another Pint, Please!, Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in Kansai by Nevitt Reagan!
-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

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

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Fuji Takasago Brewery-Sekai Bunka Isan Tooroku-Yamahai Junmai Ginjo

August 22, 2013 dragonlife Leave a comment

Fuji-Takasago Brewery is located in Fujinomiya City and as I said since Mount Fuji has been accepted by the UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage, the brewery felt obliged to advertise the event!

I suspect they printed that particular “flying label” for all their bottles! LOL

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Very light golden hue
Aroma: Faint, almost shy. Fruity and sweetish. rice
Body: Fluid
Taste: Well-rounded fruity and sweetish attack with assertive junmai petillant.
Complex. Pears, almonds, hints of chocolate. Later, hints of sweet milk coffee.
Lingers for a while warming up the palate.
Tends to sweeten up with second long sip.
Marries well with food.
Surprisingly sweetish and pleasant sake for a yamahai.

Overall: A sake obviously designed to be enjoyed with heavy izakaya food, although thoroughly enjoyable on its own chilled.
Probably best enjoyed by ladies thanks to its sweetish approach.
Try it with cheese!

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: Another Pint, Please!, Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in Kansai by Nevitt Reagan!
-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

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

Shizuoka Shochu Tasting: Sugii Brewery-Saisuke Imo Shochu

August 9, 2013 dragonlife 2 Comments

Sugii Brewery in Fujieda City not only creates superlative sake renown all over the country, but they also produce a whole range of extravagant shochu made mainly from local products!

Shizuoka-grown Azuma sweet potatoes
Yeast: Shizuoka NEW-5 (sake yeast!)
Alcohol: 25.5 degrees
Bottled in March 2013

Clarity: very clear
Color: Transparent
Aroma: Dry “sweet Potato”
Body: Fluid
Taste: Assertive but almost shy and dry well-rounded attack.
Complex: Raw sweet potato or potato without the sweetness!
Dryness tends to expand all over the palate.
Very strong character typical of all sweet potato shochu, but with more elegance than expected.
Drinks superbly poured on plenty of ice, but like all good shochu can be enjoyed with cold green tea, mineral water or with hot water and umeboshi.
Actually, such a good shochu calls for an unlimited number of combinations although I thoroughly enjoyed it on its own!

Overall: The perfect drink for strong and heavy izakaya gastronomy, but I I know a lot of friends including Sissi, would drink it straight or on the rocks!

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!, Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in kanzai by Nevitt Reagan!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

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

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Fujinishiki Brewery-Fujinishiki Fuji Sekai Bunka Isan Junmai

August 7, 2013 dragonlife Leave a comment

As I said before, with the advent of Mount Fuji and Matsubara Beach being chosen as the New UNESCO World Culture Heritage, the sake breweries have been scrambling to put on sale brews commemorating the event!
Fujinishiki Brewery located in Fujinomiya City at the foot of Mount Fuji, came up with a beautiful label representing Mount Fuji in different seasons!

The small label on the bottle neck states the recent registration and election of Mount Fuji and Matsubara Beach as a new UNESCO World Cultural Heritage!

Rice milled down to 65 degrees
Alcohol: 15~16 degrees
Bottled in June 2013

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Very faint golden hue
Aroma: Fruity. Coffee beans, nuts, loquats.
Body: fluid, slightly syrupy
Taste: Sweetish attack backed up with assertive junmai petillant.
Fruity and complex.
Nuts, chestnuts, loquats, apricots, notes of coffee beans.
Linger for a while before disappearing on a drier note.
Tends to mellow with food.
Marries beautifully with food, although it tends to take a back step.

Overall: A typical sake from Fujinishiki Brewery conceived to marry beautifully with food, especially izakaya food, although it tends to make itself discreet then.
Eminently drinkable on its own at all temperatures.
Take it to great BBQ outdoors or as a present!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES