Oh yes, of course. I like to have good foodie recs for when we happen to be in a particular ‘hood. Thanks!
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Has anyone seen bottles of Heiwa Shuzo KID for sale in store? I had it at a restaurant and enjoyed it enough to grab a bottle. Comes in a pink bottle.
TIA
@A5KOBE Are you in OC or LA? From what I can see, Fifth Taste Sake is involved with this brand. If you are in LA, both Fifth Taste and Heiwa Shuzo are in the above list beefnoguy posted about the Sake Festival and domaineLA will likely be stocking them.
If you are in OC, I saw them before at Hi Time Wine in Costa Mesa but don’t believe they were there on my last visit. However, their seemingly monthly sake tasting features Fifth Taste this month on Oct. 30. I would therefore presume that Heiwa Shuzo Kid will be available there sometime around then.
If neither location works, perhaps you could consider messaging Fifth Taste through their social media at https://www.instagram.com/fifth_taste/? Not sure how outside the norm that might be and their site appears to still be under construction. Also not sure who else is selling this one. Good luck! I had that one my last trip to Japan and enjoyed it as well.
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Fifth Taste is the California based distributor for the importer Sake Saki (based in NY) whose portfolio includes Manzairaku and Kid. Fifth Taste also reps some of the Floating World sake portfolio, pretty much all the Taiheizan/Chogetsu as well as the name sake by Akishika, Kaze no Mori. Currently the only available Kid sake are the Junmai Daiginjo Yamadanishiki (red characters that is probably the “pink” bottle), a Junmai (gold characters), and a nigori sake. I’d say just go to this event, taste, and pre-order/buy what you like.
Alternatively, one can just call Domaine LA as close to the event and ask if special ordering can be done on any of the sake even after the event has passed.
Kid is very easy to drink, although a bit too light bodied for me.
Alternatively if you do not want to wait, the Kid Junmai Daiginjo is available for mail order from True Sake
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Thanks for the info! I think I saw it at Hi-Times before but that was a while ago, I’ll check them out when I’m out there. Last time I was there I grabbed the Kuroushi Junmai Ginjo which was quite good. Never been to Domaine, ill check it out as well.
@beefnoguy thanks for the intel!
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Yes Hi-Time does carry some of the Sake Suki / Fifth Taste selections and you’re right they did have Kid in stock at one point but probably sold out and they didn’t get more. It might be worthwhile to attend that tasting on 10/30, as chances are you will likely be able to buy whatever is being poured that day.
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I recently met with Fifth Taste, and I can confirm that whatever is going to be poured for tasting at the 10/30 event at Hi Time, will also be available for purchase.
So whoever is interested, I highly recommend going to taste his great versatile portfolio, especially any of the nama sake. I already suggested to him to bring all three bottles of Kid but he is still deciding on exactly what to pour.
Also highly recommend that if anyone goes to buy nama sake, bring a cold storage bag with a freezer pack to keep it chilled during transit back home and get it right into your refrigerators.
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Dangit wish I wasn’t out of town on a business trip. 
Will have to stop by to see what new offerings they have after the tasting!
On a separate note, are there any sake that are fine to be stored at room temperature? Is it a best practice to store sake in refrigerators?
I was at Tokyo Central recently and saw a lot of sake on the shelves and was wondering about it. I picked up a bottle of Nanbu Bijin’s Tokubetsu Junmai “Southern Beauty” and I’m wondering if it’ll have changed much based on having sat there unrefrigerated. Maybe I should have asked the question before I bought the sake lol.
If you can still make it to Kanpai LA Fifth Taste will be there pouring as well, although I do not know if what he pours at Hi Time is different than for Kanpai LA. Also at Kanpai LA whatever you taste that you like, you can pre-order and pickup at Domaine LA. The caveat is that you have to pay $50 or so for an admission ticket, and the show is during the day (daytime drinking is a bit whack)…although Yamashiro might want all tasting tables vacated and packed up in time for dinner service.
Nanbu Bijin Tokubetsu Junmai can be stored at room temperature and you just refrigerate it prior to serving. Just keep the temperature stable, cool dark place after buying.
Tokyo Central’s storage/handling will depend on how low their ambient temperature is in the supermarket (and thus affect their quality), and what that looks like after hours. There’s also the fact the bottle has no date, and you don’t know how old the stock is. If the sake tastes fine to you, then that might be alright…but I wouldn’t do it necessarily for the higher end sake unless they are properly refrigerated.
I’ve tasted one Nanbu Bijin Tokubetsu Junmai I bought at a lower price at San Francisco Nijiya and it was a bit off and probably old stock…but the one I got from True Sake was good.
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Thanks for the advice! I’ll be missing the Kanpai LA because of a dentist appointment I can’t reschedule. 
Really enjoying this Shichi Hon Yari Shizuku Junmai Daiginjo. Paired it with some excellent Santa Barbara spot prawns I grilled up over charcoal and a chirashi style rice I made and it was damn good.
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John Gaunter explains Japanese sake and food pairing in a very structured, thoughtful, and insightful manner (youtube video link below, upload is dated 2014). Quite a few things I had similar thoughts about that he confirmed to be true.
Highly recommend that everyone who is following/reading this thread and appreciates sake, please take a look.
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What would Midnight Diner’s customers drink with tonjiru?
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Well if you are talking about the series, the diner only sells beer, I think shochu and shochu cut with various ingredients as highball, and perhaps one kind of unbranded house sake. The rules of the diner is a maximum of three drinks per customer. At least that’s all I’ve seen customers order in terms of alcoholic beverages from the 4 seasons I’ve watched (seasons 1 - 3 are not on Netflix, just 4). Let’s just say tonjiru in the show is not a popular item despite it being the only food item on the menu…
I would go with warmed or room temperature sake for tonjiru, without knowing what the actual house sake is. If the diner absolutely doesn’t put any thought into the sake (e.g. just some general type you can buy from cheap liquor shops to drown in sorrow or 7-Eleven type shops) then I’d just drink whatever else.
Are there any breweries or sake at the event this Saturday that you recommend as must-try?
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Good question. We’re going.
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Here is the list from the EventBrite page: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/kanpai-la-los-angeles-sake-festival-tickets-70098216653
- Miyasaka - Junmai
- Dewazakura - Ginjo*
- Seitoku - Junmai Ginjo
- Tedorigawa - Yamahai Daiginjo*
- Kamoizumi - Aged*
- Mana 1751 - Yamahai Tokubetsu Junmai Muroka Genshu*
- Yamada Shoten - Tokubetsu Junmai*
- Yuho - Junmai*
- Tensei - Tokubetsu Honjozo
- Fukucho - Junmai Ginjo
- Kiminoi - Junmai Ginjo Yamahai
- Kiminoi - Junmai Yamahai
- Yuki Otoko - Junmai
- Kirinzan - Junmai Daiginjo*
- Karen - Junmai
- Heiwa Shuzo - Junmai*
- Heiwa Shuzo - Junmai Daiginjo
- Heiwa Shuzo - Nigori
- Manzairaku - Yamahai Junmai*
- Kagatsuru - Junmai
- Taiheizan - Kimoto Junmai
- Chogetsu - Junmai Ginjo
- Hakugyokko - Yamahai Muroka Nama Genshu*
- Akishika - Muroka Nama Genshu
- Kaze no Mori - Muroka Nama*
- Tsukasabotan - Yamayuzu
- Wakatake - Daiginjo
- Narutotai - Ginjo Nama Genshu
- Shichi Hon Yari - Junmai*
- Taiheikai Tokubetsu - Junmai
- Kameizumi - Junmai Ginjo Nama Genshu
- Brooklyn Kura - Junmai*
- Brooklyn Kura - Junmai Ginjo*
I don’t know all of these, but you should try to taste as many as your BAC or SO will allow.
I have starred the ones that I am most interested in.
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and oh yeah, it sounds like they will have some shochu there
Drink shochu!
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That list might be incomplete or a little inaccurate. I just confirmed with Fifth Taste that these are the ones that will be poured at their table
Kid Junmai
Kid Junmai Daiginjo
Kid (Heiwa Shuzo) Nigori
Manzairaku Yamahai Junmai
Kagatsuru Junmai Ginjo (event lists Junmai which is incorrect)
Taiheizan Kimoto Junmai
Chogetsu (same brewery as Taiheizan, just different label name) Junmai Ginjo
Hakugyokko Fragrant Jewel Junmai Muroka Nama Genshu
Tae No Hana “Sublime Beauty” Junmai Muroka Nama Genshu
Kaze No Mori Muroka Junmai Nama Genshu
Just one new addition.
Other distributors might want to make changes last minute for whatever reason.
There are sake on this list that appeal more to traditionalists, and there are some sake that may be more appealing to beginner drinkers or are a bit softer / medium to lighter bodied that females would appreciate more, or perhaps a bit more floral.
I am unfortunately unable to attend this time, and I’ve tasted quite a few of these sake already in the past and some at Sake Day.
If any of you have already tasted some of these sake before at restaurants you could put them on the back burner and taste only if you want to re-taste.
I’m in general agreement with @Starchtrade 's picks. Although I wasn’t a big fan of Mana 1751 and Yamada Shoten “Everlasting Roots”. Mana 1751 or at least the bottle I had, somehow had all sorts of profiles smashed together into one without nuance or layers, but hopefully what I had was a one off bottling or brewing quality.
My picks would be:
Tedorigawa - Yamahai Daiginjo
Kamoizumi - Aged- this should be the one called Red Maple which is aged two years, and was brewed specifically for World Sake to distribute overseas.
Yuho - Junmai. There are two varietals, one is a purple label which is a baseline Junmai that is very rich and full bodied, a bit sweet with earthiness, caramel, blueberry notes but has a lot of wonderful umami. The yellow label is a yamaoroshi (in English labeled as Kimoto) which is a touch more pungent but really wonderful in a larger/wider glass. Suggest trying both. K&L I believe has this for the absolute best price (I think $24 range, FYI). They will be at the Vine Connections table along with Tensei, Yamada Shoten, Fukucho, Mana 1751.
Tensei - not the Honjozo but if they pour the Junmai Ginjo (song of the sea) it’s worth to have a taste. Otherwise the Honjozo could probably be skipped unless one has room.
Fukucho Junmai Ginjo - if you are female and haven’t tasted this, I recommend it. Guys could probably skip. The master brewer is female and recently got even more famous by being featured as one of the three leads in the documentary: Kanpai For the Love Of Sake 2. Another one that females might enjoy is Kameizumi Junmai Ginjo Nama Genshu, it is rather sweet and has high acidity, and should have effervescence…basically a sparkling apertif kind of fun drink. Haven’t tasted this myself but seems interesting in Japan. “Karen” Junmai is probably good for the ladies too, low alcohol…I think it has a tinge of color, either purplish or pink? It’s a fun starter but not very complex.
Heiwa Shuzo makes the sake called “Kid” and is enjoying celebrity status (almost) in Japan for being a modern type that is light, flavorful and very easy to drink. It’s a bit too light for me for the Junmai and Junmai Ginjo, but I think everyone should try it if they have not. @Starchtrade please try the (usu) Nigori of Kid’s…I wasn’t sure at first but it’s quite lively and attention grabbing even for us types. I recommend everyone try them all.
I would also recommend everyone to stop by the Fifth Taste table and at the very least, taste all of their nama sake. So Hakugyokko, Akishika especially those who love super dry sake that finishes pristinely clean…the latest batch is far superior than a few years ago, Kaze No Mori (a must), Tae No Hana Arabashiri which is only polished to 90% (it’s a beast for a sake made by a female toji). Just make sure to rinse your mouth and if there is a bucket, dump any remainder. Hopefully at the event they will give out small water bottles or have water dispenser stations. Use that opportunity to rinse your cups.
Taiheizan/Chogetsu might be worth tasting but keep those as a backup / if you have time and room.
Do not miss tasting both versions of Brooklyn Sake. They are both nama sake, brewed using Brooklyn/NY water. These should be at the Vine Connections table.
For those serious, think about bringing a white wine glass for the sake you really really want to try and see how they hold up in them. Small tasting glasses give you a lot of flavor concentrated in a smaller volume and you won’t get the full spectrum of aromas.
I highly recommend everyone try to make it. Pretty sure you will see some industry folks there (think wine and sake somms, certain restaurant people). Taste the non nama sake first, and save the nama sake for last (light to heavier flavors), plus nama sake generally has much higher alcohol content.
Have fun and hydrate yourselves often! Treat this like you’re at a wine tasting. Swallowing is acceptable, but only do it if you want to experience the finish, use the pour/spit buckets as needed so you don’t get overwhelmed. Take copious notes because before you leave you have some important decisions to make, whether to special order the bottles or not, and pick them up at Domaine LA! Don’t forget to ask the people pouring for the ones you want to buy what are the best serving and storage temperatures for the bottles. For nama sake, bring cooler bags with freezer packs for transport. Please also ask the people pouring nama sake how they will ensure Domaine LA keeps them in cold storage (I’m sure they will have thought of that, I’m guessing it’s mostly Fifth Taste).
Last but not least when you taste the sake, think about what food (or restaurants) you will want to enjoy them with, doesn’t have to be Japanese! Most of these I would imagine would be fun at a SergioPalooza kind of place.
Someone please create a thread on the LA board and post pictures, I would love to see them!!
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