I’ll check it out. Thanks!
Hi @A5KOBE,
Wow thanks! Dreams Come True for only $200? Then again seeing it at restaurants around $500 (2.5x) I guess is within reason.
@beefnoguy how’s the BORN Chogin Junmai Daiginjo next to it? I’ve never seen that before. Worth the price?
A few things:
- check the bottling date before purchasing. The price was discounted for a reason, best to check why.
- while the Hi Time wine cellar temperature is fairly low it’s not 0 degrees C or lower. I believe both sake were matured at somewhere between-5 to -8 C before release. If the bottling date is closing in on a year, hard to say how long the bottle was stored above maturation temperature and what the quality is like now, but hopefully not bad. Since it is likely not an unpasteurized sake, it should still taste somewhat ok in theory…
- I believe Dreams Come True is polished to 35% but the bottle is 1000 mL. Chogin is somewhere around 20 to 22 without looking at the specs directly. Never had Chogin before.
- Compare the bottling date of what restaurants get it for.
Better yet, check other sources that sell it retail, ask if they can special order a new/fresh one from the distributor for you. You may pay a bit more but at least piece of mind that it’s not a sale item. Of course if you have a friend in the industry with a wholesale account, and if you can have that person get one for you at wholesale/cost, so much the better.
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Finally checked out new east village location of Sakagura in NYC. I prefer the menu at their midtown east location (more options for traditional drinking snacks: shuto!).
Urakasumi “Zen” Junmai Ginjo & Sohomare Tokubetsu Junmai Kimoto.
Both so good! Really really enjoyed the Sohomare with its amped up umami.
Was tempted by the Tatsuriki Junmai Daiginjo, but at close to $100 a glass, I might just save up for a bottle at retail price.
Speaking of high end sake, do any of the folks here with industry insight know if the coravin system has been successfully used to extend the shelf life of opened sake?
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great question! I’m curious as well
I would assume in principle it should work.
$630 for Tatsuriki Akitsu and $93 a glass? Ouch…
It’s about 10,000 yen retail direct for a 720 mL. Wholesale might be around the $150 to $200 mark in the US. I think I paid $310 once for it from a wine shop in California a few years back. Cheaper alternatives to Akitsu would be Kami Tojo, Kami Mikusa, Yokawa Yoneda, Kinkai, and Jingu, but none of these are cheap as well.
Hmmm Banshu Ikkon Kaede No Shizuku… I’m really curious how that one tastes as an exported version (actually more interested in how degraded it tastes as export after the handling). I think it’s East Coast only through Wine Of Japan. It’s very mellow and light (easy to drink) and I’ve had it in Japan back in February, and I’ve visited the brewery as well. Strangely Kaede No Shizuku is not available in Tokyo, only Hyogo Prefecture, if in Japan.
I’ve seen sake shops and bars use a temperature controlled storage unit with a Coravin looking system that appears to be part of the whole unit, and I suppose it’s probably ok for a few days, but it also depends on the structure of the sake. Some just don’t bode well even with all the systems in place, once exposed to oxygen and even if placed back into storage after pouring some out.
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I actually make the Sake on Air podcast! Thanks for spreading the word about the show. If you have topics you would like to see addressed on the show, please let me know and I can pass it on.
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Great! Welcome to FTC!
@beefnoguy thanks for the rec. I grabbed a bottle of the Born Muroka Nama Genshu and it was a nice flavor and slightly dry finish I was looking for. Definitely not as buttery as the Stella, but definitely something for richer bold foods.
I drank this with some Korean fried chicken.
I also was shopping at Wing Hop Fung and came across there higher price sake.
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LOL $1600 for that Juyondai 1.8L Daiginjo, and it’s not refrigerated. Wonder if they got it from Hong Kong or Singapore, or Rakuten. I guess someone is going to pick that up when they buy some Chinese sausage, premium dried abalone and fish maw?
Glad you liked the Born Muroka Nama Genshu Junmai Daiginjo! It’s got a lot of umami and has a nice viscosity to it. It works nicely with sauteed or pan seared foie gras (goose or duck/faux gras) and even a fatty ankimo. True Sake did recommend a fatty soy sauce steamed fish (or simmered fish). You could try this with galbi jjim (non spicy) as well, or KBBQ, and it should be good fun. Beware of the 19+% alcohol and it will hit you sooner or later.
Try to find 2019 bottles next time, there has got to be some in OC/SoCal.
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Classic Wing Hop Fung curation…
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Hello and a belated welcome to you Frank. I’d personally love to hear some interviews with tojis.
Surprised it’s not juxtaposed with Moutai and First Growth Bordeaux with a Maserati parked out back.
Don’t forget the 888 cases of '82 Lafite, to be used as sangria base.
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Chateau Lafei sounds better
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Liholiho Yacht Club in SF
Anything look interesting? Note: they said sake isn’t a big seller. I wonder if they store it properly.
Corkage is $35. Btw
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Den #5, Kirinzan Potari Junmai Ginjo Nama, Shinkame but only if you are super adventurous… I would not recommend unless you are an advanced drinker.
Depends also what food you are having. Den and Kirinzan by the glass would be fine. Check the bottling date for Kirinzan. Go for Den Batch #6 if that is available instead.
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What date range is preferable?
Not advanced. Somewhat adventurous. They have it by the glass, so I’m going for it. This is a sample menu - I’ll ask about Den batch #6
The menu has changed (no hopper shrimp @PorkyBelly!) But I’m thinking (small plates mostly):
- Tuna Poke
- Duck Liver Mousse or Beef Tongue Bun
- Manila Clams, Coconut Curry & Naan
- Colossal Asparagus Katsu, Asparagus Kimchi, Wasabi Aioli
- Brokaw Avocado, Chicken Fried Broccolini, Mandarins
- Roasted Cauliflower, Bone Marrow Hollandaise, Pickled Onions, Shoestring Potatoes
- Grilled Shortrib, Escargot-bone marrow, Twice Baked Potato, Shrooms, Horseradish - For the gentleman who will be drinking an Old-fashioned.
I can’t wait!