Sake Talk Anyone?

Yes the Shiboritate is the cloudier one on the left. The sakes were chilled around what you’d find for white wines ~ 50 degrees if I were to guess. I enjoyed drinking sake out of a wine glass, I need to do this more often, it definitely does a nice job channeling the aromas.

Didn’t try the food, they were quite overwhelmed yesterday keeping up with drink orders. Should have brought my own shiokara… Sunrise market is opening a new food multi themed concept in the area this spring, will be a great stopover to pick up some sake eats.

It will be very interesting to see how and where American brewers take sake, especially given how well wine and beers have evolved on our shores.

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Hi @Sgee

I was thinking this as I read your and @beefnoguy’s conversation.

Interesting observations. Thanks for sharing.

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I think about exposure when it comes to a lot of things I eat and drink. But can I ask, what is “above waterline” and “below waterline”? Is it the same as on deck or below deck? Anyone?

Anyone here. :wink:

On deck = containers are stacked on deck. Containers on the perimeter (sides/top) are exposed to sun. Temps inside exposed containers can get upwards of 150f during daylight hours.

Below deck: boxes are stowed below deck, no exposure to sun. Cargo temps will be close to ambient air temperature, around 80f during Panama passage.

Below waterline: below deck, below the waterline. Idea being cargo temps will stay around the temp of the surrounding water.

If the integrity of your cargo is predicated on below waterline stowage, you’d better ship in a reefer. No steamshipline will guarantee below waterline or even below deck stow. They can only note your request, and “do their best”.

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Wow. Thanks!

My first entry in what is revealing itself to be a long and interesting journey - Sake!

Fukucho “Moon on the Water” Junmai Ginjo


The master brewer is a lady! This is slightly citrusy, with a touch of vanilla or clove(?). It is dry and light but with a minerality and light sweetness that keeps it lively. I forgot to take a picture of it in the glass, but the color is almost like the skin of a pear.

@beefnoguy says Aburiya Raku once offered it, but no longer. $36.99 at K&L Wines in Hollywood.

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I seem to have a better palate for sake than wine. With wine I know what tastes good to me - cherry, peppery, chocolatey reds or light, tropical fruit tasting sauvignon blancs. Beyond that I’m like Jack in Sideways, and never get what others are describing. When I drink sake then read the tasting notes they almost always match my flavor experience. In the words of Martha Stewart “That is a good thing”. :blush:

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Excellent first sake review! Please keep it up :slight_smile:

Later this year, maybe in a few more months, Vine Connections should be releasing the Fukucho Suigetsu (Moon On The Water) limited unpasteurized version (nama) of this sake for 2018. I doubt K&L will get it, but you can always ask or see if you can special order it. It’s worth trying once, as it is quite different and unusual than this regular version. Hopefully you tried pairing this bottle a variety of food like you would with a White Burgundy Chablis and it would certainly work with izakaya fare and sushi, and perhaps some French or Italian style fish dishes.

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Thanks @beefnoguy!

Excited. I don’t know if K&L will do special orders. But I have a feeling we will do a lot of mail-order once we’ve exhausted their offerings.

We have tried other recs of yours (will report soon). No food pairing yet. I haven’t been cooking, but will remedy that as soon as our new fridge arrives. Long story, but we have a mini-fridge and an ice chest right now. :smile:

TBC…

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Actually, we did have “Moon on the Water” with some take-home Tagliolini Al Limone (pasta w/lemon cream sauce) from Angelini Osteria. It went very well.

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going to Kinjiro tonight, anyone have a good starter sake to try? not too expensive, preferably medium range? maybe $30-$50 dollar for a bottle? (is that a good restaurant price for a decent sake?)

a couple of suggestions on sake would be great especially if someone has an idea of what they have there.

Background, i am a total beginner when it comes to sake, or wine.

i do like beer (IPA, Sours), and Whiskey (bourbon, rye)

i don’t know if that helps…

@Hungrydrunk My recs based on this menu from Yelp! dated 11/17/2017:

Bottles offered near your range include:
$45 - Otokoyama Tokubetsu Junmai
$55 - Kimura Akita Issui Junmai Genshu
$75 - Kakeya Unpasteurized Junmai
$55 - Hakkaisan Junmai Ginjo
$55 - Cowboy Yamahai Junmai Ginjo
$60 - Dewazakura Oka “Cherry Bouquet” Ginjo
$60 - Dewazakura Izumijudan Ginjo
$55 - Makiri Kimoto Junmai Ginjo
$55 - Kamoizumi Junmai Daiginjo
$55 - Dassai Junmai Daiginjo

Most of these also appear to be offered by the glass for $10-$12.

For the sake beginner…
Styles: Junmai Ginjo
From this list, I recommend: $55 - Hakkaisan Junmai Ginjo
Because: This is an extremely popular offering from an extremely popular sake brewer. This is a straight-down-the-middle fastball.

For the IPA drinker…
Styles: nama sake, genshu
From this list, I recommend: $75 - Kakeya Unpasteurized Junmai
Because: This sake is unpasteurized, which almost always results in more pronounced, fruity flavors. Extra points (and flavor) because this sake is muroka nama genshu.

For the whiskey drinker…
Styles: koshu (aged sake), kimoto, yamahai
From this list, I recommend: $55 - Cowboy Yamahai Junmai Ginjo or $55 - Kamoizumi Junmai Daiginjo
Because: Both of these are outside-the-norm sake. Cowboy Yamahai is dry with powerful flavors, Kamoizumi has a distinct shiitake-ish umami profile.

My choice: $75 - Kakeya Unpasteurized Junmai

Enjoy!

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Thank you! this is so helpful!
once again i am blown away by the depth of knowledge on this board.

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What did you end up deciding on?

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i ended up trying the Junmai Ginjo, No one else wanted to drink Sake so i ended up getting it by the glass. i enjoyed my first Sake experience and plan to use this list next time i go back to Kinjiro.

Thanks again for the recommendations, i might have to jump into the Sake pool and do a mini dive.

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K&L Wine - Hollywood


This seems cool for $15.

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Yup this is a perfect opportunity for anyone to taste their portfolio via World Sake and learn about the higher end stuff. You should definitely go!

Likely the pours will be (based on what they currently have on offer)

Tedorigawa Ikka Na Onna Daiginjo (brewed for the Association of Female Sake Retailers in Japan, also popular with many other higher end restaurants, no brainer that n/Naka stocks this)

Dewazakura Daiginjo (Mountain Cherry) and Dewazakura Yukimanman (Snow Country) - both of these are excellent and versatile

Koshi No Kanbai Kinmuku (Milky way) - one of my first early favorites, though I probably don’t appreciate it as much now. Super clean and probably has a quick dry finish… one of the staples at Mori Sushi.

If these are the Daiginjo grade pours, $15 is a very, very good price.

If anyone goes, please post a photo of the lineup!

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Hi @beefnoguy!

Absolutely! We bought our tickets. Thanks again for sharing all your knowledge!

:sake:

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Also, as good as these excellent sake are, the man pouring them, Kerry, is even better.
This is the perfect opportunity to learn about some wonderful sake from a highly passionate expert.

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A long shot, but whoever gets to this event, if they can field my questions to Kerry (assuming he works for World Sake) or field them to his superiors, I would highly appreciate it:

  1. World Sake carries some Dewazakura in their portfolio. Any chance they can import a Dewazakura (e.g. a Junmai Ginjo) brewed with a Yamagata sake rice varietal Ai Megami 愛女神, where IWC 2018 Sake competition was held and some of the competition submissions were of sake brewed with Ai Megami rice? Kind of sucks that big markets like Hong Kong can get something so niche over there so quickly (one shop in Causeway Bay already carries the Dewazakura Ai Megami), but we are unable to.

  2. Any chance of expanding their Tamagawa lower end lineup, and make the “white label” more widely accessible? Or seasonally offering the 3U side of the regular lineup (Unpasteurized, unfiltered, undiluted) so US markets and account holders/restaurants/retailers can get them more easily?

  3. Any chance of importing more Denshu beyond the excellent Tokubetsu Junmai?

:slight_smile:

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