Tag Archives: Takashima Brewery

sake, Sake Breweries, Shizuoka Prefecture, Takashima Brewery

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Takashima Brewery-Hakuin Masamune Homarefuji Junmai Shu, “Natsu”

August 3, 2016 dragonlife Leave a comment

Summer in Shizuoka Prefecture witnesses the creation of limited or regular editions dedicated to our hot summers and Takashima Brewery in Numazu City is no exception!

Even if you cannot read Japanese you will easily guess it is a sake to be enjoyed in summer!
Incidentally the rice used is Homarefuji, exclusively grown in Shizuoka Prefecture, and takashima Brewery produces only junmai-style sake (no pure rice alcohol blended)!

Rice: Homarefuji (Shizuoka Prefecture)
Rice milled down to 60%
Alcohol: 15 degrees
Bottled in June 2016

Clarity: very clear
Color: very faint golden hue
Aroma: dry and fruity. Pears, vanilla, melon
Body: fluid
Taste: very dry, assertive and fruity attack backed up with a reasonably strong junmai petillant.
Complex: lychees, pears, custard.
Lingers only for a short while before departing on more dry notes of custard.
Changes little with food but for a softer note of oranges and more dry custard.

Overall: A strong, fruity, complex and extremely pleasant and satisfying summer sake!
Very elegant in spite of its marked dryness.
A treacherous nectar that will disappear before the end of the meal!
Suggested pairings: salads, marinated vegetables, oden, grilled fish.

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Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Takashima Brewery-Hakuin Masamune Tokubetsu Junmai (conducted at la Sommeliere in Shizuoka City)

July 9, 2016 dragonlife Leave a comment

I don’t mind repeating it all the time but I prefer conducting sake tastings in the right environment but not many places are propitious for that exercise or willing to help.
But La Sommeliere in Miyuki Cho, Aoi Ku, Shizuoka City is certainly becoming a habit as not only I can conduct my tasting in the best conditions possible but also exchange views at the same time!

This time we tasted a nectar concocted by Takashima Brewery in Numazu City!
Hakuin Masamune Tokubetsu junmai!

Rice: Homarefuji (Shizuoka Prefecture)
Rice milled down to 60%
Alcohol: 15~16 degrees
Bottled in June 2016

Clarity: very clear
Color: light golden hue
Aroma: dry and fruity. Custard, banana, dry passion fruit, gardenia jasmin, almonds, immature persimmon
Body: fluid, slightly sirupy
Taste: dry and very fruity attack with only a little junmai petillant.
Complex: dark chocolate, coffee beans, almonds.
Lingers for a while before departing on drier notes of almonds an apricots.
Oranges perk up with rise in temperature.

Overall: dry but so elegant!
Drinks more like a complex white wine than a sake!
Tends to show new facets according to its temperature.
Almost tropical aroma.
Can be enjoyed with any food. Chilled, would make a supreme aperitif while becoming a soft digestif at room temperature.

Suggested pairings: Chilled-Aquapaza, flatfish or cuttle fish sashimi (seasoned with salt, not soy sauce!), sakamushi, chawanmushi, scallops.
At room temperature-yakitori (seasoned with salt, not soy sauce!)

LA SOMMELIERE

420-0857 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Miyuki Cho, 7-5, Aiseido Bldg, 1F
Tel. & Fax: 054-266-5085
Opening hours: 11:00~22:00, 12:00~18:00 on Sundays & National Holidays
FACEBOOK (Japanese)
Entirely non-smoking!

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Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Takashima Brewery-Hakuin Masamune Junmai Homarefuji “Mount Fuji Day”

May 25, 2016 dragonlife Leave a comment

On Sunday May 22nd, I had the occasion to taste again a nectar by a favorite brewery of mine, Takashima Brewery in Numazu City, at a great izakaya in Shizuoka City, Kin no Okan, which took part in the annual Shizuoka De Hashigo Sake event!

This particular brand is created every year to be bottled on March 22nd which Mount Fuji Day!
It is a junmai made with a Shizuoka-grown sake rice called Homarefuji!

Rice: Homarefuji (Shizuoka Prefecture)
Rice milled down to 60%
Dryness: + 3~+ 4
Acidity: 1.3~1.4
Alcohol: 16 degrees
Bottled on March 22nd=23rd, 2016

Clarity: very clear
Color: almost transparent
Tasted as “nurukan” according to Takashima Brewery’s wish
Aroma: light and discreet. Pineapple, banana.
Body: fluid
Taste: strong, dry and fruity attack backed with puissant junmai petillant
Complex: banana, melon, faint lemon.
Lingers for a while on the palate before departing on drier notes of pineapple.
Varies little food but for a drier note.
Very easy and enjoyable to drink as it invites to the next cup and the next one!

Overall: another splendid sake especially suited for “nurukan/about 40 degrees temperature”!
It would useful to know that Takashima Brewery produces only junmai-type sake these days!
A sake to enjoy with higher-class izakaya cuisine!
Suggested pairings: BBQ, kusaya, sausages, yakitori.

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Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Takashima Brewery-Hakuin Masamune, Fujisan No Hi

April 10, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

The actual and very long name for their sake is:
Takashima Brewery, Hakuin Masamune, Heisei Nijusannen (2011), Fujisan No Hi (Mount Fuji Day), Asashibori (pressed in the morning), Homare Fuji (rice variety), Junmai (no alcohol added), Genshu (no water added), Origarami (natural pressing)!

Takashima Brewery has always been keen to create limited brews for local events and this particular one was not only made with Shizuoka-grown sake rice but also for Mount Fuji Day!

Rice: Homare Fuji 100%
Rice milled down to 60%
Alcohol: 17~18 degrees
Pressed on February 23rd, 2011

Clarity: very clear
Color: Transparent if not stirred as it contains white lees
Aroma: Sweetish, custard, banana. Very pleasant
Body: fluid, light
Taste: Sweetish attack. Complex. Welcome alcohol. Turns dry later.
Lighter but deeper than expected.
Pineapple, macadamia nuts, custard, dry almonds.
Lingers only a little with a very dry note.
Changes little with food. Especially great with fresh vegetables.
Junmai and white lees (sake kasu) very present for some extra impressions.

Overall: A very interesting sake with a more complex taste than expected.
Light enough in spite of its high alcohol content.
A sake that should please true sake lovers in search of unusual brews!

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
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Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Takashima Brewery/Hakuin Masamune

April 20, 2010 dragonlife Leave a comment

Takashima Brewery in Numazu has been receiving a lot of attention in Japan these last two years after being given the accolade by DANCYU magazine last year. Its brews are avidly searched through the nation. Although they are readuly available in Shizuoka, they are still a rarity elsewhere, except maybe in Tokyo.

Takashima Brewery: Hakuin Masamune, Shoukumi Mizu Junmaishyu Season III

This is a sake out of the ordinary as only 100% (1 to 1) ratio of water has been used in brewing the sake, whereas modern method makes use of 130~140% of water (rice being the basic 100% ratio base).
Furthermore it had been made in the old fashion when sake traders added water to sake bought in kegs to make it milder to the taste.
The alcohol was also lower than in present days.
Accordingly, takashima Brewery kept the alcohol level of this particular brew lower than usual as an experiment

Rice: Homarefuji and Aichi no Kaori (Shizuoka Prefecture)
Rice milled down to 60% (Homarefuji) and 65% (Aichi no Kaori)
Alcohol: under 15 degrees
Contents: 1.8l
Bottled in March 2010

Clarity: very clear

Colour: Golden hue

Aroma: Complex, flowery and fruity: pineapple, almonds.

Body: fluid

Taste: Soft and dry attack backed by junmai petilllant tingle.
Linger for a short while with a sweetish flowery note.
Complex, dry and fruity. Pienapple, almonds, brown sugar and apricots.
Very soft and pleasant on the palate.
Holds its own well with food with welcome acid note.

Overall: A sake for all seasons.
To be enjoyed chilled, at room temperature or “nurukan” (45 degrees).
Typical of Takashima Brewery.
Should please both ladies and gentlemen on its own or with any kind of meal.
An extremely underrated beauty!

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