by Veronica Castro
In consideration to any readers whose web browsers might not not translate the accent mark at the "e" spelled on Saké, from here on I will refer to this unique beverage as sake (without the accent mark). Ok! Let's move on!
First off, an announcement: If you are not already aware, our big Sake event is today (Wednesday, May 18th) at the Winebar from 6:00-8:00pm. Please make it if you can!
This is a highly-anticipated Sake tasting that we are having at Hi-Time, with 10 Sakes, ranging in tastes from dry as a Martini, to a sake tasting like you've just bit in to a slice of fresh cantaloupe, to the ethereal, to the best plum wine I've ever had. All of the Sakes are limited and highly regarded, so it is an honor to have these available to our customers.
If you want to gain a quick appreciation of the painstaking process of making Sake, check out the movie,"The Birth of Sake"(available on Netflix). Click here to view the trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2K2bIAikUg4For some small-production Sakes, like some which we will be tasting, the workers live at the Sake brewery, away from their families for 6 months out of the year in spartan communal settings, tending to the Sake around the clock. There's a lot of personal sacrifice that goes into this craft which we rarely consider... it's fascinating. We will also taste two sakes from the brewery featured in the movie.
The tasting will cost $20 and will include snacks. Seating is first come, first served, no reservations required.
Here is the line-up of what we will be tasting. Boom!
Kokuryu Junmai "Kuzuryu" (Nine-Headed Dragon), Kokuryu Junmai Ginjo (Black Dragon), Kokuryu Junmai Daiginjo "Ryu" (Gold Dragon), Tamagawa "Kinsho" (Heart of Gold), Tedorigawa Junmai Daiginjo "Iki na Onna" (Lady Luck), Tedorigawa Nama Daiginjo "Kinka" (Gold Blossom), Koshi no Kanbai Ginjo "Tokusen" (Vanishing Point), Dewazakura Ginjo "Oka" (Cherry Bouquet), Dewazakura Ginjo "Izumi Judan" (Tenth Degree), Dewazakura Junmai Daiginjo "Ichiro" (Abbey Road), Kamoizumi "Umeshu" (Umelicious, plum wine).
This will be a great tasting and a lot of fun. Tassho Pearce from World Sake Imports will be pouring and presenting the Sakes. Hope to see you there!
Last week was a whirlwind of activity, as we had many producers and importers from Japan visiting in Southern California to show us the latest and greatest in the Sake world.
It was a huge honor and treat to hear Sake legends John Gauntner and Marcus Pakiser speak and get advice. John (pictured right) is the author of many books on Sake, and teaches a professional Sake course (see http://sake-world.com/for more information), and Marcus (left) is Director of Sake for Young’s Market Company. Marcus is a Sake ambassador. During their presentations, they made the message clear, that Sake is not just to pair with Sushi… it can be much more, and pair with just about any type of food. Grilled meats, pastas, you name it! Did you know that Sake is both Sulfite free and Gluten free? Yes, indeed!
We were also fortunate to meet Tetsuyasu Sato, President of Takasago Sake Brewery in Hokkaido (the northernmost prefecture in Japan, at right) who makes the limpid, beautiful, delicate Ginga Shizuku “Divine Droplets” Junmai Daiginjo.
“Divine Droplets” is made drop-by-drop or by "drip-press method" (Shizuku), using fermented sake rice in cloth bags, then hanging them in an igloo (of sorts) for fermentation. The sake is made with a minimal amount of pressure, keeping the sake with deep impact and with beautiful aromatics. This is the only sake in the world that is made in such a way. Above is a picture of the Ice Dome.
We move on to Miho Fujit, one of the few female Presidents of a Sake brewery (pictured below). Her brewery, Mioya Shuzo in Ishikawa prefecture, makes the Sake known as Yuho. The sake with the yellow label, “Rhythm of the Centuries” is brewed in the method called Yama-oroshi, a rhythmic pole-ramming technique used to mix the yeast starter for this Kimoto sake. It gives the sake complex, pronounced flavors. The sake is aged for approximately four years, which rounds out the edges of the sake’s flavor and creates overall smoothness, and intensity of flavor. This traditional method has been used at Mioya brewery for over a century. Miho suggests to drink this sake at room temperature in order to experience the full umami presence. She even advises to leave the sake open and unrefrigerated for days (or even weeks) during the time you consume it.
Did you know that (in most cases) an opened bottle of Sake which has been refrigerated can last weeks or even months? Yes, indeed!
This (pictured right) is Yuichiro Tanaka of Rihaku Shuzo in Shimane Prefecture. He is both President and Toji (Master Sake brewer) for Rihaku, and is holding a bottle of Wandering Poet, a sake which is both fruity and earthy. The Rihaku brewery is named in honor of Chinese poet, Li Po (which translates to Rihaku in Japanese), who had a fondness for Sake, and is known to have said, "I drink a bottle, and can write 100 poems.”
Did I mention this was a fun-filled, sake-filled week? Let's progress!
Monday treated us to a special tasting held at the Sushi Institute of America, in Los Angeles. I was thrilled to learn that such a place even existed. Here, we had the chance to listen to the experienced Master of Sake, Toshio Ueno (pictured above left), as he presented us with a selection of ultra-premium Sakes. This was one of those rare opportunities to taste Sakes which many of us never saw, nor tasted.
We tasted Born Chogin (center bottle pictured to the right) was rich, but with many layers peeling off effortlessly. This particular sake, Toshio mentioned that he had only tasted once before. A humbling experience. It was impressive to say the least.
We also tasted Born Nihon no Tsubasa aged Junmai Daiginjo "Wing of Japan" (pictured left). "Wing of Japan" was quite complex, with both savory and mildly sweet flavors, something a wine-drinker might warm up to, with cherry and apple notes, changing to light vegetal flavors, and savory and back to fruit. It was a sake to spend the evening contemplating.
Do you like pears? As for myself, I love them-- and that was the major flavor I found present in the sake from Tatenokawa. This (the sake known as Tatenokawa 18, named in reference to it's rice polishing rate) was a richly textured sake and rounded on the palate, sake full of lychee, pineapple, banana and pear, finishing with a clean finish. Beautiful, complex, and thoroughly enjoyable. After the tasting, I noticed others also speaking of this sake. I mean, who doesn't like pear. Right?
