In this issue:

• Kinpaku sake - where gold flakes are falling!
• Kijoshu sake - where sweetness is an old friend
• New Year's Eve & Day Party Suggestions
• New Store Arrivals
• Special Events
• "Ask Beau"
• The SECRET WORD!

So you haven't seen gold flakes in sake before? You haven't seen the snow-globes for adults know as "Celebration Sake?" Kinpaku is the Japanese word for gold leaf or pounded gold that is made to adorn Buddhist alters, clothing, artistic expressions, extremely expensive cuisine, and of course it is infused in sake. Basically it may be considered high-end decoration and one still hears stories about the roaring 80's when Japanese businessmen only handed out gold business cards! Kinpaku in our context is added to sake to represent good times and celebrations. It is usually given as a gift, and a good number of breweries in Japan produce Kinpaku sake with typically their Ginjo or Dai Ginjo sakes. Holidays, birthdays, promotions, engagement parties, victories all would call for this extra bit of decadence.

As gold is inert it does not affect the flavor or consistency of sake in any capacity. In fact there is gold foil under the majority of bottle caps for the large 1.8L bottles of sake to keep the plastic stopper from touching the sake within. Just ask your local sushi chef to show you the bottle top sometime to see for yourself. Now the amount of shredded gold foil flakes varies from brewery to brewery. Some go crazy and their sakes literally look like a snowstorm of gold. And others use very few pieces. The sizes of the flakes vary as well. And no gold foil flakes are not like the worm in the bottle of tequila that "soaks up all the booze." In fact you don't even feel the flakes when they go down!

Currently True Sake carries three different Kinpaku sakes from Tamon, Wakaebisu, and Kamotsuru in 1.8L, 720ml, and 180ml respectively.

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Kijoshu sake is a bit of an anomaly in the sake world. In fact many have likened the result of this special brewing process to that of a sherry or a port. Quite simply instead of adding more water to the deliberate brewing stages the brewers add sake to the mix. Thus instead of expanding with more water the mix collapses with a more concentrated sweetness. The result is a superbly sweet sake that many call a "desert sake." And the color of Kijoshu is often times a deep ruby or all most a soy-sauce hue that doesn't look like any sake that you are familiar with.

I once did a radio show interview here in San Francisco on ABC Radio with Gene Burns, and I brought a Kijoshu for Gene to sample as one of the extremes of how rice and water can taste. Firstly I love doing radio tastings trying to convey how a sake tastes to listeners - a funny concept indeed - because it makes you really search for the proper words that best describe the sakes that are unseen. In the case of the Kijoshu I uttered the now famous line that the "curtains don't match the carpet" as the nose of this particular Kijoshu is hugely meaty with old mushroom and damp wet soil hints and the flavor has a rollicking sweetness that is vastly different than the earthy aroma.

True Sake carries one Kijoshu that has been aged for 8 years. Hanahato Kijoshu has an SMV of -44 and an acidity of 3.5 which is just shy of wacky (please see my web site www.truesake.com for SMV and Acidity descriptions) The importers of this sake and I agree say that it is the perfect chocolate dessert accompaniment. So if you are serving a chocolate mousse or a triple chocolate mudslide of some sorts consider a Kijoshu to be the perfect dessert bedmate. And cigar smokers please take note that Kijoshu and Cubans go together like Rock and Roll.

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Sake is very much a part of New Year's Day celebrations. Historically sake was offered to the gods for good luck and good fortune, and this continues to this day. Families will include sake in their New Year's Day celebration for well-being and life appreciation. It is and will continue to be passed along as an honored tradition, which even allows for the children to get a taste of the nectar of the gods. Some families open the bottle New Year's Eve partake a little bit and then steep the remainder in herbs and serve warmed on New Year's Day. In the American context, sake should very much be part of your celebration plans - especially those who loathe the dreaded champagne hangover. Why not toast to the season with sparkling sake, or let your cup runneth over with your favorite nigori? Call the store (415.355.9555) and let our True Sake Team explain to you which sakes would make your typical New Year's celebration one to remember!

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You already know what a Dai Ginjo is right? It is a sake that has been polished by at least 50% with at least 50% or each grain remaining. Well some breweries take this milling thing to the limit! Many of you have heard about Kubota Manju, which is milled to 33% with 67% of each grain removed. But have you heard about Senshin or Tokugetsu, which are sakes that have been polished to 28% with 72% or each grain of rice removed? These incredibly shrinking-riced sakes are now referred to as "Ultra Dai Ginjos." But just when you thought, "how low can they go?" along comes True Sake's latest Ultra Dai Ginjo from a Brewery called Asahi-Shuzo from Yamaguchi Prefecture - not to be confused with the brewers of Manju, Senshin, and Tokugetsu, which is Asahi-Shuzo from Niigata.

Dassai, which translates to "Otter Festival", has introduced two new sakes that are well worth checking out. The first is a Junmai Ginjo called Dassai "50" and the second is the Ultra Dai Ginjo called Dassai "Ni-wari San-bun" which the brewers say is a sake that "defines our brewery."

Dassai "50" - This is a Junmai Ginjo that has been polished to Dai Ginjo levels, thus the "50" which is the milling rate. By far this is the best-valued sake in the store. At $23/bottle you are paying Ginjo prices for a Dai Ginjo- a superb Dai Ginjo at that. I am so sold on this sake that I am including it in the Dai Ginjo section of my book for Chronicle Books, which is why I cannot print my review on the taste and profile of this beauty. Both this sake and it's Ultra Dai Ginjo sister have very unique necks and caps, which are similar to the 1.8L bottles and do not have the typical 720ml twist offs.

Dassai "Ni-wari San-bun" - ("say hello to my little friend" said in the best Al Pacino accent one can type!) This Junmai Dai Ginjo is the new ranking champion in the cockfight known as sake rice milling rates! At a whopping 23% this Dai Ginjo throws 77% of each grain of rice out to the pig farmers. I am sure many of you are asking "but don't you lose the essence of rice at such ridiculous milling rates?" And the answer is no. This sake won a Gold Medal at the Monde Selection in 2002. So there must be some flavor left! Remember however the more you polish, the more you pay! This extremely polished sake carries a $70/bottle price tag, but you only live once.

You can review sakes on our web site: www.truesake.com

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True Sake will not be holding a tasting event in December on account of the fact that we have been booked to the hilt for private functions. There will be a tasting in January, perhaps involving lightly warmed sakes (nurukan). If you are at all interested in hosting a private or corporate sake-tasting event please contact info@truesake.com.

• FYI - Tsunami Sushi and Sake Bar (1306 Fulton #1 Cnr Divisadero - 415.567.7664) has an amazing sake sampler flight at the moment. It is offering three single pasteurized sakes from Wakatake, Narutotai, and Urakasumi. We sell these as the Autumn Namas at True Sake, but for a quick taste try them at Tsunami and tell them True Sake sent you!

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Brian P from Denver, Colorado asks: "Can I serve my sake on the rocks?"

Brian, it is a free country and sake is a free booze - well not really free! - so do whatever makes you feel good. If you like the taste then by all means add some ice. That said, even though many breweries recommend that you can add ice to your sake I do not. Why? Firstly, the water that makes up the ice is not the same water used for brewing - not even close! Thus, you will alter the taste of the sake. In this light I would use ice cubes made from filtered or distilled water. Secondly most sake is already diluted from a high of 20% down to roughly 15%. When you dilute you change the structure of the sake, and I feel structure is one of the endearing qualities of sake. Typically if you were to add ice to a sake, you would add ice to a genshu which is an undiluted sake. But once again Brian it is all about you, and that is why there is no right or wrong! However, I have a question. Do you add ice to your white wines?

Please send your sake specific questions to askbeau2 @ truesake.com. (This address is not for general questions and I only review the questions once per month. All correspondence should use info @ truesake.com.)

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Said in my best game show host's voice "The secret word is ... Chopsticks!" If you come to the store and say the SECRET WORD you will receive half off of two special sakes. The first is a single pasteurized Honjozo from Akitabare Brewery that usually sells for $22 - you get it for $11 and the second is a Junmai Ginjo from Otokoyama called "Utamaro" which sells for $32 - you get it for $16. One bottle of each sake per Newsletter reader please.

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Happy Holidays and Have A Brilliant New Years From Your Friends At TRUE SAKE.

Sincerely,

True Sake