In this issue:

• Gobble This – Turkey and Sake = No Leftovers!
• The Nice "N" Word - Nigori
• New Store Arrivals – A 3-Pack To Be Proud Of
• Sake Spotlight – Narutotai Yamahai Ginjo Genshu Part II
• Special Events – The Lesson Here Is To Book Fast!
• "Ask Beau" - Pairing with Comfort Foods
• The SECRET WORD

One year ago I wrote the following heading for the Newsletter:

Welcome to the third installment of America's sake-centric newsletter. I dare you all to incorporate sake into this year's Thanksgiving Dinner. Sake definitely goes with fowl that is prepared well, and lots of sake goes well with that over-done turkey that granny makes each November. Think about the other elements, ala cranberry sauce and butter, and instead of your full-bodied white or dry red try a full- bodied kimoto style junmai or a plump junmai ginjo to make that perfect mouth pairing. Sake works wonders!

Well did you? I did get a lot of feedback from folks who wanted to "shake up" Thanksgiving, but they were more impressed with how the sake performed. Some were skeptical that a full-bodied Junmai Ginjo or old style Kimoto or Yamahai sake could stand up like a glass of some huge Cab or a dry white. But the overall reactions were quite positive. I recall one reader who emailed that she didn't know that a starch beverage could go well with her "mom's famous mash potatoes," but as she put it "the pairing made me look like a rock star."

The funny thing is that I have been working so hard to get people to grasp the concept that sake need not be that rubbing alcohol jet fuel hot plonk that they are so used to in a hot sake, and if fact it is quite soft, light and filled with nuance. That was the easy sell, and now I have to wheel the big ship back the other way to show that not all sakes are soft, clean and easily overwhelmed by flavors such as cranberry, gravy, or garlic. Sake has balls when it needs to, and there are a ton of really unique and flavorful brews that go so perfectly with the "T-bird." (Hell, we even have a fantastic nihonshu (sake) to go with a Tofuty-bird)

I look for a robust acidity when I pair with meat, game or fowl. Add to that butter and other mouth filling flavors I like sakes that have some staying power in terms of flavor. I select fatter sakes that fill the mouth, rather than the light clean ones that fire right through the palate. Think meaty sakes for meaty flavors, and also use a larger glass than usual to mix up that acidity. Go with your big reds glasses, and don't worry about the next day big reds hangovers.

Sake is really a slam dunk this Thanksgiving, and to make it even more easy I will hang little turkeys around the necks of the sakes that excel with the bird in the True Sake store. By all means phone in – 415.355.9555 – and we will shout these out. Give the rice drink a shot at your mom's potatoes or you Aunt's version of "deep fried Turkey." You will not be disappointed. Here are "Five To Try" and they are in alphabetical order:

1. Hiraizumi Yamahai Junmai
2. Kikuhime Yamahai Junmai
3. Masumi Yamahai Junmai Ginjo
4. Taiheizan Kimoto Junmai
5. Tenzan Junmai Genshu

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Nigori or unfiltered sake is that really unique brew that has the fog/clouds/fluff at the bottom of each bottle. What the heck is that stuff? As unappealing as it sounds it's really the unfermented rice particles that were not removed. You mean it's like cold Uncle Ben's rice juice? Not a chance. Remember the process of brewing sake is to convert a starch (rice) into a sugar (glucose). Then the brewers add yeasts that eat up all the sugar and cough out alcohol and carbon dioxide. So what rice doesn't get munched by the killer yeasts usually is sweet, and as such most nigoris tend to be on the fruitier and sweet side with SMV's (Sake Meter Value) ranging from –20 to +3.

Arguably if you have tasted a Nigori here in the US it was more than likely made here in the US. The Takara Sake Brewery in Berkeley, California and the Ozeki Brewery in Southern California make very affordable and "drinkable" nigoris that are fluffy and sweet. They are relatively inexpensive as compared to imported nigoris, and that is why restaurants and bars carry these products to make more money on increased margins. The result in my humble opinion is that we here in the West have embraced a liking for the sweeter nigoris. Heck when compared to some of the really bad "hot sake" flavors that we have tasted the cold and creamy nigoris scream drink me!

At one point in time all sake was nigori sake. In fact if you go way back sake resembled more of an oatmeal that one ate with chopsticks of sorts. I mean why bother to filter out all of the unfermented rice polishings? Well as tastes and flavors changed consumers soon preferred sakes that had the "lees" removed. How did they remove the lees? Think of a bottle of nigori. When standing straight up, eventually the lees settle on the bottom. Same thing happens in a fermentation tank. The heavier rice particles rest on the bottom, and brewers discovered that they could drain off the top of the tanks to achieve a particle free brew! In fact and ironically the top of a batch of fermented sake or the cream that rises to the top, was anything but! It was however the more desirable sake and as such the more expensive.

But like all things soon the government was looking for ways to tax the popular sake industry and they concluded that they would tax all sake that was filtered or had the lees removed. Thus, whenever a government official saw sake that was cloudy this immediately indicated that it was untaxed or "bootlegger" sake, that was probably made in somebody's basement. In word nigori sake was illegal. Imagine going to jail for the crime of Nigori-ing! I guess "moonshiners" can relate!

This all changed 41 years ago when a brewery in Fushimi outside of Kyoto said "Wait a second, we like nigori sake and we want to brew it again." Well maybe they didn't say it exactly like that, but they did invite the dreaded Tax Department down to their brewery to watch the process of making nigori sake using a large filter that didn't remove all of the lees. In a sense, it was still filtered sake they argued, and the Tax guys agreed! So this brewery (Tsukinokatsura – True Sake sells two of their amazing nigoris) re-engineered the modern nigori movement. Thanks to them you can enjoy sake with clouds!

True Sake has the largest selection of Nigoris outside of Japan. We do not carry locally made unfiltered sakes, but we do offer 13 imported Nigoris and 5 more are on the way. Many have heard me bemoan the fact that there isn't enough complexity and nuance for me in unfiltered sakes. This is changing. Today some of these beasts truly capture a complexity that is quite different than that of their filtered brothers. And they come in all forms of consistency from super thick and creamy to quite thin and extremely dry.

If you are a filtered snob like me, I say give Nigoris a second look. There are some really unique flavors jumping around, and they pair really well with certain dishes that filtered sakes cannot touch like Thai or spicy cuisine or cheesy foods with lots of cream and fat. And if you love your "foggy" sakes then branch out and try some of our unpasteurized Nigoris or some of the new dry examples. It is a white wonderland waiting for your exploration!

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Over the summer I went to a food trade show put on by a local distributor of Japanese food and sake. This second annual event had many more sake "stands" than the year before, and they actually had a flyer which stated "make money sell sake" that promoted the event. Typically what you will find are representatives of the breweries who travel over from Japan to speak about their brews that this company distributes. In many cases the big man of each brewery will come to speak to the American customers. I like this a lot as it reminds me that they value our "overseas" market. The owners of Dassai and Sudo Honke (makers of Sato No Homare and Kakunko) have been to the event twice.

This year I had a great time meeting and tasting the product from a brewery called Take no Tsuyu out of Yamagata Prefecture. The owner Masao Aisawa immediately became a sake blood brother as he came to the show with sake bottles filled with the brewery's water. I love that! In fact when I do tasting at breweries I always ask to taste their brewing water when I try their line-up of sakes. I feel that it is important to taste, what ends up being 80% of the final product in raw form. And in this case the water was brilliant.

Masao-san has three products – soon to be four – that are on our shores in the US, and they are tremendous. Never before have I added three sakes from the same brewery at the same time in a "New Store Arrival" fashion. But behold, three really impressive sakes from Yamagata that drink super smooth, but better yet, have loads of flavor! They are all made with lower acidity levels and this may account for their really soft textures and complexions.

	Takenotsuyu "Bamboo Tears" Yamagata Prefecture – Junmai SMV: +2 Acidity: 1.4 The nose on this superb Junmai is filled with cherry, plums, dried fruit and saw dust aromas. Talk about a soft sake. This brilliant brew is both clean and light and incredibly silky with layers of plump flavors. Yet flavorful is an understatement as hints of richness conceal a mild sweetness that ends in a semi-dry finish. An elegant sake that drinks way too easy, and represents another great example of a Yamagata-style sake that screams "Drink me!" WORD: Easy WINE: Pinot Noir/Chewy whites BEER: Light ales FOODS: Salty and savory fare, grilled everything, and sushi surprises. $24/720ml
	Takenotsuyu Hakuro Suishu "Winter Water" Yamagata Prefecture – Junmai Ginjo SMV: +1 Acidity: 1.2 Bingo! One of the best noses in the sake world filled with grape, sweet rice, ash, mineral, balsa wood, and cotton candy aromas. Welcome to liquid style! This tremendous Ginjo is silky, plump and luscious. How can something be so watery-clean and luscious? Who knows, and who cares because you will be amazed at how soft and elegant this semi-sweet brew drinks. There are mild fruit tones including pear and apple and these are enhanced in a larger glass. So clean and no aftertaste, must be the awesome water! WORD: Juicy WINE: Plump Pinot Noir/Chardonnay BEER: Honey Ales FOODS: Think cuisines that have natural sweetness, shellfish, avocados, and pastas that are clean and savory. $35/720ml
	Takenotsuyu Yuki Honoka "Pure Snow" SMV: +1 Acidity: 1.3 Yamagata Prefecture – Junmai Ginjo Hatsushibori A whisper soft nose filled with skating ice, grape skins, and hints of cedar tones. A very gentle draft sake with a gracious amount of subtlety that results in a treasure hunt of flavors that are deeply layered and hidden waiting to be unearthed. Simple flavor, simple feeling, but a serious sake that extols the virtues found in rice and water. Look for hidden flavors such as toffee and marshmallow, and enjoy this fresh sake that is silky and semi-sweet. One of the best valued sakes in the store! WORD: Silky WINE: Cabernet/ Rieslings BEER: Light beers FOODS: Lightly flavored dishes, sushi, and mellow pastas. $8/300ml

And lastly, and this is sort of a hush because I only have two cases available for now. True Sake has added the Junmai Dai Ginjo from one of our favorite breweries – Urakasumi – makers of a great Junmai, brilliant Junmai Ginjo called Zen, and a Fall Draft Junmai. This is one of "those" kind of sakes that just yells class! $79/720ml.

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

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In last month's Sake Spotlight we spoke with Kazuo Matsuura owner of Matsuura Shuzo Brewery in Tokushima Prefecture. He is the maker of the Narutotai Yamahai Junmai Ginjo Genshu. Because of time constraints I had to post the October Newsletter without getting his final thoughts about his sake, and subsequently he would email me more on his favorite product that they produce. Herewith are Kazuo's final thoughts on this wonderful sake. Sorry for the double exposure, but I feel that it is amazing insight on an amazing sake.

I had to prod him with specific questions, but I must say that his answers are purely professional. It may be a bit much, but for those who want to know sake, this guy is a clearinghouse of information:

BT: Will you speak a little bit more about the Yamahai.... why do you make it a genshu?

KM: Yamahai is a kind of starter on sake making. In Japanese sake mashing, starter is called "Moto" which is one of the most important process of making. As same as wine brewing, "Moto" or starter will decide the quality of product. "Moto" gives the properties of taste of sake. If we would like to make the sake, which has full body taste, we should choose the specific type of "Moto", that is the Yamahai Moto. In general, recent Japanese sake making use the "Sokujyo Moto" that is a kind of simplified starter. There is the deference between "Sokujyo" and "Yamahai" in the number of species of microorganisms. We can identify just one kind of yeast in "Sokujyo Moto", which is Saccharomyces Cerevisie as same type as wine yeast. However, there are many types of microorganisms in "Yamahai Moto". These are Yeast, lactic bacteria and other type of bacteria. The microorganisms make a flora in "Moto", at first period, a bacteria that assimilates Nitrate will grow in Yamahai moto. They eat the Nitrate in water added to starter. Then, the Nitrate is de-oxided by the bacteria. In the condition containing de-oxided nitrate, the other microorganisms will be killed by de- oxide nitrate.

The specific aim of this period is that the wild type yeast is killed. In second step in Yamahai Moto, Lactic bacteria will grow. This type of lactic bacteria have a tolerance to the de-oxided nitrate. The lactic bacteria make lactic acid, so the taste of Yamahai moto will be sourer. Under the condition, wild type yeast never alive. Through this long period, suitable type yeast that makes good taste and flavor of sake will grow. Now this is Yamahai Moto. It takes twice periods of normal Sokujyo Moto. Since Yamahai Moto is made by many kinds of microorganisms, the produced sake has complex flavor and taste, which is smoky aroma like a specific type of honey. We would like to give Yamahai Genshu of Narutotai the complex flavor.

BT: When you taste this Ginjo what flavors do you find... what do you enjoy about it as a drinker and not a maker?

KM: As describing above, we can taste the complex smoky flavor which similar to cinnamon or roasted wood, Yamahai sake matches food or cuisine that has little strong taste, smoked salmon with olive oil, meat with tomato sauce you can fine the dish at Chanterelle in NY. Especially, Michael Wise said that Yamahai Genshu matches the cuisine with green leaves. Green leaves are containing bitter taste component, which may be called Sinaline. It is a popular component of green leaves according to Prof. Wise who is the professor of Culinary Institute of America.

BT: Why do you like the sake, and what foods do you pair with it?

KM: I like Yamahai Genshu the best, because Yamahai Genshu has original flavor we can't detect in other type sake. The property of Yamahai Genshu is the specific flavor. The flavor will musk the fish's raw flavor, match the taste of roasted soy sauce flavor. You will be able to predict easily the roasted flavor of soy sauce. There is a bridge between Yamahai flavor and roasted soy sauce flavor. It is a result of Japanese food culture by excellent yeasts and natural microorganisms.

Just a great guy, who so happens to make one hell of a great sake. I will include my review again:

Narutotai Genshu "Red Snapper" From Tokushima prefecture. Yamahai Junmai Ginjo Genshu. SMV: +4 Acidity: 1.5 This genshu (undiluted sake with 17% alcohol) has a subtle aroma profile that hints of damp wood, whipping cream and a tingle of licorice. It is a deep and rich sake that drinks thin even though it feels robust. With a layered acidity, it's a perfect genshu for pairing with largely flavored Western-style cuisines. Look for the red snapper on the label as this sake was constructed to pair perfectly with this fish marinated in soy sauce. WORD: Deep WINE: Merlots/Soft Reds BEER: Pale Ales FOODS: Cooked fish, juicy game dishes, vegetable tempura, holiday turkey and ham.

And don't forget to try Kazuo's Junmai Ginjo Fall Draft "Hiyaoroshi" that is only available for a limited time. This sake was brewed in February, pasteurized once and then stored for 8 months. They release it without pasteurizing it again when they feel the flavor has achieved its peak. It is dry and really yummy, and quite frankly I love warming it (Nuru-kan). This and the other two Fall Drafts will be gone soon!

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FREE SAKE - Medicine Restaurant In SF (Offer expires Nov. 14th. They have extended this offer for customers of True Sake and readers of the Newsletter.)

Well, sort of free! If you have not yet been to Medicine (why not?) this offer should surely make you want to visit this killer "Monk- Food" inspired restaurant that specializes in clean, vegetarian, vegan cuisine that the monks munch in Japan (Shojin Ryori). They have a superb sake menu, that yours truly designed, and they have made a special offer to readers of this Newsletter and visitors of True Sake. Stop by the store and get a postcard or go directly to Medicine and mention the True Sake Newsletter and they will offer you a "complimentary tasting of three premium sakes at dinner, Mon- Fri from 5:30-8:30pm." This is a great deal for sake fans and foodies looking for a brilliant meal. Medicine 161 Sutter Street @ The Crocker Galleria San Francisco. 415.677.4405

Nov 16th – The Crab Sake Tasting (ONE SEAT Remaining!)

Crab Sake? Yes you heard us right! This dinner will pair crab (November is peak crab season) with sake on all levels. From crab sashimi to crab balls to crab soup and drinking hot sake out of crab shells (Kani-sake), this event will pair at least 6 sakes with all things crab! Because this is such an exotic tasting the chef of a local Japanese restaurant (in Japan Town) has asked me to keep the event to a maximum of 10 guests. Tickets are $150 per person and for this price you get to take the crab shell home! No parties larger than two people please! Please call True Sake to order your tickets. 415.355.9555

December 7th – Sake For Singles Tasting Event

Singles! Join us on the evening of Tuesday, December 7th to share the union of sake and Japanese shojin cuisine and experience the love the two bring. When: Wednesday, December 7th 6:00-8:30 Where: Medicine New-Shojin Eatstation 161 Sutter Street at the Crocker Galleria (Few public parking garage near by) What: Blind tasting, family-style sit-down, and mingling, all designed for you to meet every sake and everyone! Cost: $40 ($10 to reserve and $30 when you show up please) This event is coordinated by Miwa, who describes the evening as such: "He seems nice but not quite accessible. She is looking beautiful but hard to understand. Every so often we venture out to the world in search of Miss. and Mr. Right. Many encounters but making real connection is harder than it appears. Here we are, still around empty hearted. Yes, we are talking about you and sake. Let's all get together to find one another. Perhaps a magical moment is just around the corner."

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Ken P from Cyberland writes:

"Hello, I was wondering if you sake experts would be so kind as to recommend an entire dinner from appetizers to dessert that could be accompanied by good enough sake that would make my friends and I believe that sake wasn't just for Japanese food, thanks!"

Ken this is a great question and for you I will do this one better. I will include a great sake pairing that I did with Jeff Inahara at "Sur La Table" last year that I called my "Comfort/Take-Out Food Pairing" where we matched sake to foods that you can have delivered to your door or that you can make in ten minutes. The point is to show the flexibility of sake, and to show yet again that sake need not only go with Japanese food. Here was the evening pairing of sakes to the specific foods, with a brief review about each sake:

	PIZZA: Wakatake Onikoroshi – "Demon Slayer" From Shizuoka Prefecture. Junmai Ginjo. SMV: +3 Acidity: 1.5 This ginjo has a sprightly filled nose of veggies and watermelon hints wrapped in an enduring scent. The first sip feels strong, but is greeted with a gentle and smooth follow up of subtle green apple and mineral flavors. The thickness is quite noticeable and makes for a nice chewy experience ending in long dry legs down the back of the throat. The mouth speed is quite slow and this is made all the more enjoyable by an abundance of fruit tones and sincere dryness. A very solid starter ginjo for beginners and a friend to the well versed. Word: Thick Wine: Pinot Noirs/Dry Chardonnay Beer: Honey Ales/Ambers Foods: Miso-based dishes, dark veggies, chawanmushi, shrimp dumplings, spaghetti with basil. (The subtle layers of watermelon in the sake worked very well with the tomato sauce to give a nice smoky feel to the pairing.)
	POSOLE (Vegan Mexican Soup): Kira – "Devil" From Fukushima Prefecture 1850. Honjozo. SMV: +15 Acidity: 1.4 Rice: Gohakumangoku milled to 60%. Kira is a honjozo – added distilled alcohol – that has a fruity nose filled with peach tones. This sake is very dry and this is evident From the first chewy sip that evens out into a thin and almost watery departure from the mouth. Flavors such as mineral water, walnuts, and pine nuts glide throughout the mouth in a nice and slippery movement, and the finish is a dry sake drinker's wet dream. Kira has the backbone to stand up to stronger flavored foods. Word: Robust Wine: Large Reds/Dry Whites Beer: Pilsners/Stouts Foods: SautÈed fish in butter, spicy tuna rolls, cuisine with a chili or pepper zing. (The big dryness of Kira brought out the natural sweetness found in the vegetables of the soup.)
	SWEET & SOUR PORK: Umenishiki "Sakehitosuji" – "Gorgeous Plum" From Ihime Prefecture 1821 SMV: +1.5 Acidity: 1.9 Junmai Ginjo Genshu This undiluted ginjo has a subtle fruity nose mixed with koji rice and vanilla. The flavor in this thick genshu is all forward with a nice round middle and a complete and confident finish. There is no denying the fruit-filled flavors but the clean and crisp acidity blends perfectly with the over-all mouth to make a harmonized sake full of potency and subtlety. A great example of a ginjo that goes both ways – well with food and well on its own. Word: Balanced Wine: Confident Reds/Strong Whites Beer: Pilsners/Ambers Foods: Crab and white fish dishes, will stand up to spice and compliments meats, game and oily fish. (The chewy sweet tones and big acidity of the sake jumped all over the pork and perfectly balanced the sweetness into a romantic sweet and savory flavor.)
	MAC & CHEESE: Kamoizumi "Nigori Genshu" – "Summer Snow" From Hiroshima Prefecture. Junmai Ginjo Nigori Genshu. SMV: -3 Acidity: 1.6 Rice: Hattan milled to 60%. This unfiltered sake is a nigori fan's dream come true. It is bottled, undiluted and without pasteurization for a true "fresh- From-the vat" taste experience. With a nose of fresh cut hay and grapes the first sip tells you that this sake is a luscious carnival of goodness. A gentle viscosity meets a full melon and cotton candy flavor rush that settles into a dry and subtle ending. This nigori looks like egg-drop soup or a snow-globe and the taste is equally as dramatic with a rich and creamy walk from start to finish. One tends to forget the 18% alcohol content as such a sublime and dreamy flavor is guided by a sure-footed feel that some call the "velvet hammer". Word: Voluptuous Wine: Sweet dessert wines Beer: Sweet Ales Foods: Creamy dishes, duck-filled summer rolls, coconut rice dishes. (A killer pairing as the hugely flavored nigori turned to cream in the mouth when meeting the cheesiness of the Mac.)

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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Ah, at last we have reached the end of this Newsletter and that of course means that we have come to the now-famous SECRET WORD. For those that are new the SECRET WORD is a chance for you to try a sake of note for half of that sake's original price. Just for reading this Newsletter. It is our way of saying thank you for trying to understand the wonders of sake. And in this regard we typically select a sake with a story, and this month's story is Yamahai Old-style sake. We have selected a very popular Yamahai Junmai Ginjo from Kyoto. This is a rich tasting sake using Omachi brewing rice that provides a firm acidity play. Please remember the rules: only one bottle per reader, and don't tell your buddy at the moment if he/she isn't a Newsletter subscriber, always use a hushed or secret agent voice when saying the SECRET WORD, and lastly for those who have their sakes shipped I can only include the SECRET WORD sake in a four-pack purchase – meaning you must buy three other sakes. Tamanohikari Yamahai usually sells for $20 but for you glorious sake-jockeys your cost is $10. And the SECRET WORD is "Lost In Translation."

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Thank you for reading!

True Sake

TRUE SAKE: America's First Sake Store.