Welcome to the December Issue of America's sake-centric newsletter. It's that crazy time of year when "cheery" is the norm, and "grumpy" is the exception. Well in theory at least! The good news is that sake is right there for you in both a comfort zone sort of way and of course in the gift giving capacity. Let's not forget the sparkling sake for the 31st, and if you are cold and daring put some heat to your favorite Dai Ginjo. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from your pals at True Sake!

In this issue:

• 'Tis The Season To Give The Perfect Gift - 10 Sake Gifts To Cheer About
• New Year's Eve - Go Sparkling Sake or Go Home!
• Warming Dai Ginjos? - You Must Be Mad!
• True Sake in The News - New York Post and Wine Enthusiast
• New Store Arrivals - Bunraku Triple Header!
• "Ask Beau" - "Are You A Brewery Snob?"
• The SECRET WORD

We all need a slam-dunk in the game of life once in a while. We need that easy 8-letter word for "coastal property depletion." And of course we all could use that newly opened check-out counter when you are sixth in line and they point to you to come on over! Easy is good! There I said it.

Sure, we have heard all of Dad's moral messages about nothing worthwhile comes easy in life, or the lower fruit isn't as sweet, or you'll appreciate the difficult struggle more. Phooey! Who needs a difficult struggle this time of year? Who would rather reach up and grab that low hanging fruit instead of getting the ladder out, checking on the personal liability coverage, and asking the guy with the eye patch and cane to hold your ladder steady for your ascent?

The holidays are struggle enough! With this in mind, we at True Sake wanted to remind you about the gift that keeps on giving! (Well to us it does!) The gift of sake is as easy and classy as it gets! Who wants another bottle of Scotch? "Ohhhhh wine again - Great!" "Hey thanks so much for my 4 pears in a box!" Or how about my all-time favorite, "Wow, a can with 3 types of popcorn - whoooohoooo!"

Herewith are 10 sake presents that cannot get any easier on the "just get it over with" scale:

	10)	Wakaebisu Junmai Ginjo Kinpaku $32/720ml. Talk about a celebration sake. This tasty Ginjo has pounded gold flake floating throughout, and tastes 1 million times better than the often- stated "Goldschlagger." It comes in a really stylish box as well, and just so happens to be Beau's father's favorite brew.
	9)	Takenotsuyu Honjozo $40/720ml. This amazingly soft and layered Honjozo comes in a traditional sake jug and also has an O'choko (sake cup) for a cap! Once the really yummy Honjozo is gone the traditional ceramic jug will live on! This also comes in a really cool box!
	8)	Shirataki "Sara Wind" Junmai $25/500ml. Yes, this is one of the top "eye-catching" gift giving sakes! Sara Wind comes in a really cool frosted clear bottle and also has a glass sake cup as a cap. But when you tie this entire package in a bandana, look out! The sake is extremely user-friendly and is a cannot miss Junmai brew that appeals to all. A very cool stocking stuffer.
	7)	Umenishiki "Red Box" Junmai Dai Ginjo $65/720ml. This is one of the tried and true gift giving sakes in Japan. In fact the brew is known as "The Red Box" because it comes in a really fine massive red velvet box. The best part about this sake is that it is superb! It's not just another pretty sake face. It is the real deal and those who know sake know this gift!
	6)	Hatsuhana "First Flower Nap" Junmai $25/500ml. Yet another beautifully packaged sake that comes in an almost grappa looking pounded blue bottle with a cork top. Don't stop there as the see-through box has a special card in it that you can sign To and From. Plus the sake is easy going and great for beginners.
	5)	Kotsuzumi "Rojohanaari" Junmai Dai Ginjo $150/720ml If you are looking to make a serious "statement" this holiday season than give the gift of pure class! "Rojo" is a damn-near perfect sake that blows drinkers of all backgrounds away. It is a connoisseur's brew, but drinks like water for those who do not know sake. The bottle is cobalt and is hand blown in Italy. There is a cork and an accompanying corkscrew. And the box is silver and blue and is as cool as boxes get!
	4)	Kizakura Sake Sampler $16/3x180ml. This little sake sampler is quite popular on account of the packaging! Stylish little bottles make up a 3-pack in a blue box with windows that allows you to see the sakes. There is a Junmai, Junmai Dai Ginjo, and Nigori. Simple and easy stuff!
	3)	Yuki no Bosha "Cabin in the Snow" Junmai Ginjo $16/$300ml This is the perfect sake stuffing! A very clean small frosted square bottle is filled with some kick-ass Ginjo sake that speaks to those who love big fruit! A great "little" gift that keeps you under the "Kris Kringle" limit of $20.
	2)	Tamanohikari Reishu "Adult Juice Box" $8/300ml. Come on! Who wouldn't love to get a juice-box looking sake in a Tetra- pak that is perfect to sneak into movies or concerts? This "box" sake is delicious chilled and is also made for freezing into a sake slush. When you get caught (which you won't) you can blame True Sake for selling you an "Energy Drink."
	1)	Kamenokou 14 Ultra Junmai Dai Ginjo $500/720ml This is THE ONE for any sake drinker of note. There are only 200 bottles in existence and True Sake has the only offerings outside of Japan. A sake that is milled to 14%. Either you get it or you don't. One of a kind sake. Comes in a huge wood box and is pure style! For those who have everything - well almost!

Oh and I almost forgot - the New York Times came out with their Holiday Gift Guide and they mentioned "Sake - A Modern Guide" as one of three books to give this festive season. Pretty cool!

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So you're a sake tough guy? A sake purist! One of those "you must be joking!" kind of guys when somebody offers you a glass of sparkling sake. Me too! But, and this is from the heart, sparkling sake is actually pretty darn good. It's light and refreshing. It has a far lower alcohol content than typical sakes, which is nice in a corporate setting to keep you from doing the Naked Mexican Hat Dance on top of the Company X-mas party's buffet table. And truthfully, it is a nice break from sake, but at least keeping to the sake family!

I wrote a newsletter in September '05 and touched on my role in helping to bring more sparkling sakes to the US. When I began pushing my importers there was one sparkling sake available in the States - Formula Nippon (FN) from Okunomatsu, which sold for $114/720ml bottle. Pretty extravagant if you ask me! (We stopped selling FN as it was just too pricey to keep on the shelves - you may special order this sake if you would like.) The brew that I really wanted - Suzunne from Ichinokura - is so in demand in Japan that they cannot export the limited quantities that they produce.

When I wrote the Newsletter in September '05 we offered four sparkling sakes. Today we offer 4 sparkling sakes and one sparkling Nigori. I believe that there are a total of 8 imported sparkling sakes that you can obtain in the US, but we feel several of these products are bogus at best. That said, there are plenty more in the pipeline and they will soon be available, and one of them is my "second favorite sparking sake" of all time - from Gokyo.

It seems like ages ago, but here are my brief thoughts on Sparkling Sake over a year ago:

Is this then the future of sake in America? Hardly! Sparkling sakes are being produced in Japan to court a new type of alcohol drinker to the sake table. They are specifically being made to target women and younger drinkers, who consider sake their father's drink. These sakes are all a little sweeter than your average sake (even Nigori's), and they are lower in alcohol content as well, with an average between 6- 9% as opposed to the typical 15-17% for regular sakes. They are all made in mysterious and secret fashion, and most brewers will point out how their competitors make fake sparkling sake by adding carbonation. Bottom line is that they lightly pasteurize the sakes, which keeps the fermentation process going and results in naturally occurring carbonic dioxides (bubbles). It is fun to experiment with carbonic acids in sake, and I am certain that every type of sake drinker can find a sparkling sake that would speak to them in specific times and occasions.

If you are game, I highly recommend trying a Sparkling Sake this New Year's Eve. Hell, why not? They mostly come in 300ml bottles, so if you "miss" the most you have lost is $14 and your macho dignity! At the very least you will see that many of the qualities found in filtered sakes such as balance, mouth feel, flavor push, and finish all factor into the Sparking Sake category. And last but not least, we highly recommend that you use sparkling wine glasses when drinking your bubbly! The fluted shape really exults the flavor and of course highlights the bubbles.

In stock:

• Harushika "Tokimeki" * SMV: -80 Acidity 5.5
  $14/300ml
• Poochi Poochi * SMV: -20 Acidity: 1.5
  $12/300ml
• Hou Hou Shu "Bubble Bubble Sake" * SMV: -40 Acidity: 6
  $12/180ml
• Sudo Honke Yuki No Mai "Sparkling Beauty" * SMV: +3 Acidity: 1.3
  $45/720ml

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No, we're not mad! We are just freezing! I was going to write this segment for the January or February Newsletter, but this mass of freezing air over San Francisco has made for a change of tact.

For the past 6 months Miwa (the store manager), Lynette (the assistant store manager) and I have been heating Dai Ginjo sakes. Wait a second! Isn't that illegal? Isn't that breaking the unwritten sake laws? Shouldn't you three go to sake prison for brew abuse? Won't you rot in hell? I cannot speak for the other two but I'm not going South for my personal eternity, especially for warming sakes that "quote un- quote" shouldn't be warmed.

We all know that Dai Ginjo category sakes are the premier efforts in the sake-brewing world. They represent the most polished/milled and refined brews available, and quite frankly are the most pampered and "sweated over" in a brewery's stable of sakes. More often than not they are the sakes that are presented to judges for national competitions and generally hold a very high status in the sake vernacular. Oh, and they also happen to be the most expensive! So why in God's name did we cook these bad boys? Because we felt it had to be done, and it is important to remind all that there are no rules for sake. You do what tastes good to you and the rest be damned!

When I was in Japan over a month ago I was given a great Dai Ginjo from Nishinoseki. It was the first time that I tried it, and I turned to my host and said that it would taste really good warmed up. He had never "performed" this. (Which amazed me because he is a sake god!) Lo and behold the sake in a Nuru-kan (luke warm) state was fabulous. I know that the Nishinoseki Junmai is one of the best in the biz for warming and the fact that the Dai Ginjo excelled as well speaks volumes for the brewery. 15 minutes after warming this brew I was privileged to share this sake with the owner of the Nishinoseki brewery.

When you visit a brewery most owners will tell you that they have all tried warming their high-end offerings. Some really like the results and others sort of scoff! I think the guys who have good sakes for warming are the ones who enjoy the idea of heating Dai Ginjos, and those who do not are the ones who shake their heads in disapproval.

What follows is a list of Dai Ginjos that range from expensive to quite affordable, and in all honesty I got most of these wrong. The Dai Ginjos that I thought would be good were not and the ones that I believed would fall short actually produced a far more enjoyable drinking experience. Lastly, I was going to only lightly warm the sakes, but decided to really take the heat to them as well. Basically we used the temperature zones called Nuru-kan (75-86 degrees F) and Kan (87-130 degrees F).

Alphabetically:

Gekkeikan "Horin" Junmai Dai Ginjo $12/300ml
(Overall Warming Grade: ( A-/B)

• Nuru-kan
  This warmed sake stays very light, semi-soft, and has a nice quick finish. The fruit gets far more earthy! Flavor stays forward and there is not a lot of down your throat sizzle. It remains plump and coats the palate.
• Kan
  The flavor gets lost as the fluid stays soft. Far more brisk elements with more snap and tingle, but the overall flavors are very muted.

• Nuru-kan
  Stays quite smooth and velvety - the fruit is noticeable and there is a hint of mint. The sake goes a bit dryer and there is a gentle acidity in finish. Soft round and gentle this brew takes gentle heat well.
• Kan
  Stays soft and is not choppy. Big ripe fruits emerge. It remains plump and thick and quite smooth. The flavor coats the mouth very well for a heated sake. I preferred Harushika at Kan!

• Nuru-kan
  In a word this heated brew gets way too fruity. It opens up with crisp elements, almost snappy in nature then a flood of fruit gets carried on a plump boozy flow. Crisp and expansive but the feeling is lost on the in-your-face fruitiness.
• Kan
  The flavor stays far more compact. More heat does this sake good as it restricts the overall fruitiness and makes it a far more focused experience. It is not as snappy as the Nuru-kan and the fruit stays far more tight in Kan.

• Nuru-kan
  This warmed Dai Ginjo gets far more rough in texture and flavor. Earthy rich tones peak with a back-door sweetness, but the overall booziness detracts from the flavor and the feeling. It is sharp and chippy.
• Kan
  Gets even more crispy and rough. The flavor becomes even more pronounced and the feel is jagged. Big booziness.

• Nuru-kan
  Big and fruity with lots of snap and an acidic finish. Stays fruit forward and the semi-thick fluid breathes hot acidity. The fact that it is a Genshu is evident in the abundance of fierce booziness that hollers.
• Kan
  More heat mellows out the fruit and acidity. Very large in nature but the extra heat compacts the flavor and controls the booziness. Lots of ripe grape fruit tones, but the overall fruitiness is muted by the concentrated acidity.

• Nuru-kan
  Dried and crisp fruit tones stay incredibly soft and behold a fabulous finish for a heated sake. Ripe fruit flavor but not "fruity" as the sweetness is mellowed, but the finish is flat soft water. The elegance of this sake emerges with warmth as layers of flavor melt into a smooth flow
• Kan
  Soft fruity and clean, this baby is good under elevated heat. The viscosity makes it a winner as round strawberry and peach tones feel great in the mouth. The hotter the cleaner? Huh? It's true as the fruit tones go dry as ripe flavors turn to dryer elements.

• Nuru-kan
  A deep rich sweetness rides on a flavor forward push that focuses on the tip of the tongue. The thin and watery nature of this sake is amplified with heat. Remarkably it remains clean, clean, clean with hints annisse and mild strawberries. It is quite gentle when warmed.
• Kan
  The sake stays very clean and watery, with a large hint of strawberry as the annisse remains. The overall drinking experience is still very gentle and easy. There is a flare-up of acidity on the swallow, but the cleanliness is still so remarkable.

Is it recommended to heat up a $50 sake? Who knows! But the point of this exercise is to explore the fact that you may not always drink an entire bottle of sake. You may even leave the bottle in your fridge for 10 days. The bottom line is that most of the Dai Ginjos we tasted did very well with a heating. Thus, do not "tug" at your chilled DG 15 days after opening, rather put some heat to it and enjoy an incredibly pampered sake in an entirely different state. You will find a home in warmed sake, and more to the point you will find salvation in "destroying" your most expensive sakes. And keep in mind, you cannot do this with wine or beer and that is why sake is "water from heaven.

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This month there are two quick little hits that I can link to as well as tell you that my book was written up in the NY Times for the Holiday Gift Guide (I couldn't find the link to this article).

First there is a piece on True Sake in the NY Post:
Hippie Chic - Naughty Or Nice, Mark Ellwood Finds Something for Everyone in San Francisco.
(Click on the "Next Arrow" in the picture screen)

And secondly there is a little ditty in Wine Enthusiast:
Sake Made Simple.

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Yes folks it is that time of year when the "Hiyaoroshi" sakes are starting to run out! Remember Hiyaoroshi means that they made this sake in the Spring this year, using last year's rice, pasteurize it once, and then let it "mature" throughout the summer for 6 months and then release it without hitting it with heat again. This produces some very unique flavors from some very cool breweries. We are down to our last several cases of both of these brews, so be quick or be gone!

•

Urakasumi Hiyaoroshi "Autumn Draft" Miyagi Prefecture. Tokubetsu Junmai. SMV: + 1.5 Acidity: 1.4 The nose is filled with aromas such as chestnuts, raisins, and cream. From the brewery that specializes in "balanced" behold a new twist in seasonal sake - a brew that is both rich and crisp! This draft has a complexity and elegance that must come from the subtle maturing, and be on the lookout for a hidden layer of raisins within the dry and rich onslaught. Overall it is a light, rich and crisp sake that drinks mellow. WORD: Crisp WINE: Dry reds/Crisp whites BEER: Crisp ales FOODS: Sushi, anything from the grill, and hard cheeses. $26/720ml

•

Wakatake Aki No Ki-Ippon "Autumn Draft" Shizouka Prefecture. Tokubetsu Junmai. SMV: +1 Acidity: 1.4 This once-pasteurized draft sake has a nose filled with earth tones, caramel, and hay. Think smooth and layered when tasting this brew, as there is an abundance of round and soft flavors that rest more on the earthy side. Watery, calm and gentle it drinks far drier than its SMV. There are hints of smoky elements but the overall character is mellow, and that is why they make this type of sake. A good example of light and smooth draft sake. WORD: Smooth WINE: Soft reds/Dry whites BEER: Pilsners/stouts FOODS: Grilled and salty fare, sushi, and smoked cheeses. $26/720ml

Also new to the store is a trifecta of sakes from a brewery that we call Bunraku. New to the US these brews are solid and eventful and that is why we selected them amongst roughly 20 other sakes. When you see the packaging you may wonder if we sold our souls for the look rather than the build/flavor? But alas we still abide by the "no matter how cool the bottle looks if the sake sucks we will not carry it" mantra. That said the bottles are pretty damn cool! These three brews are all in the 300ml format so they are perfect to pick and taste!

•

Bunraku "Japanese Puppet Show" Saitama Prefecture. Junmai Ginjo. SMV: +3 Acidity: 1.3 (Est.) The nose on this plump Ginjo is filled with vanilla, caramel, sandalwood and a hint of mint. Let the "Puppet Show" begin as this brew fills your mouth with a fat and round feeling that is so viscous and smooth. Look for rock candy and honey elements that float on a gentle rush of semi-thick and velvety tones. The sake drinks dryer than the sweet elements would lead you to believe, but the overall strength of this brew is a chewy and solid sake that would speak to beginners and the well versed. And don't forget to listen to the pour out of this cool bottle. WORD: Rock Candy WINE: Fruity reds/ Fat whites BEER: Sweet ales FOODS: Fruit salads, cooked fish with chutney, desserts. $16/300ml

•

Bunraku "Dancing Gold Flakes" Saitama Prefecture. Junmai Ginjo Kinpaku. SMV: +3 Acidity: 1.3 (Est.) The nose on this "Celebration Sake" is filled with vanilla, marshmallow, sweet cream and caramel elements. This extremely "drinkable" sake drinks like a mouth party with a plump and smooth flow of flavors including honey and a touch of maple syrup. Semi- sweet and chewy Bunraku is a great gift for those who do not like the booziness of hot sake. The wide flavor profile speaks to anybody who likes equal parts feeling and flavor. WORD: Fun WINE: Pinot Noir/ Chardonnay BEER: Creamy ales FOODS: Celebration foods! $16/300ml

•

Bunraku "Forgotten Japanese Spirit" Saitama Prefecture. Yamahai Junmai. SMV: +5 Acidity: 1.5 (Est.) This traditionally made sake has a very unique nose filled with chocolate, cream, and wool elements. Talk about a smooth and soft sake! This brew has different faces at different temperatures. Out of the fridge look for ripe rich fruit tones, including kiwi, and when it gets closer to room temp behold dryer elements that are more layered such as steamed rice, creamy pâtés and potatoes. There is a nice vein of white chocolate for those who really spelunk for flavor! Round, soft and silky this Yamahai is gentle and expressive at once! WORD: Smooth WINE: Soft reds/ thick whites BEER: Ales FOODS: Sushi, grill fare, French fries. $15/300ml

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

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Man this email hurt in a certain kind of way, but where there is pain, there is truth. And I enjoy both the pain and the truth of this "Ask Beau" question from Brian in Berkeley who wrote:

"I was in the store the other day and overheard you say that you have been to over 50 breweries in Japan but never once have you been to a brewery in the US. Does this mean that you are a brewery snob?"

Ouch! That stings. I have been called out on the dance floor by one of my peeps! (Yes, I greatly appreciate when my customers and friends call me out, I really do.) Brian the best answer that I can give is that I look for "mental value" when I go to a brewery. By that I mean, I go looking for extremely specific information, which I often times do not get when visiting a large or "group guided" kura (brewery). Does that mean I am a snob. I hope not. It does mean that I get very frustrated when I am at the source of great sake knowledge and they give me a smidgeon of useful information.

Last month I went to a brewery in Tokyo prefecture (Yes they brew sake in Tokyo - not proper but outskirts of a large prefecture), and they attempted to give me the "quick see" tour - thinking that I didn't know too much about sake brewing. After 30 minutes of the "quick see" they knew that I was on a different level than most brewery visitors who are seeking the "B-line" for the tasting room. Eventually, I was escorted by the head brewer (Toji) who had to actually refer to old texts to answer some of my questions, but the point is that I get frustrated if I am close to sake knowledge and my guests do not provide it. Yes. This sounds like I am a damn snob! So in a sense I am!

But back to you Brian. The answer is that I have never been to Takara Brewery 35 minutes away from True Sake. That sucks! In fact that is so damn lame that I intend to do something about it. I will look into doing a True Sake Tour at Takara that will be open to all of those who sign up. That way I will prove that A) I am not a total snob and B) when you ask good questions you get good answers.

If you are interested in a weekend sake tour at Takara brewery in Berkeley with True Sake as your hosts please send an email to info@truesake.come with the Message "Brewery Tour".

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. To those who 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 NEW YEAR'S EVE! - As in sparkling wine and of course in this context sparkling sake. The name is horrible but the brew is fun, so don't ever forget your first "Moon Rabbit."

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 we can only include the SECRET WORD sake in a four-pack purchase - meaning you must buy three other sakes. We recommend drinking sparkling sakes out of champagne flutes. This crisp and Pez-like sparkling sake retails for $12 but for you glorious sake-jockeys your cost is $6. And the SECRET WORD is Moon Me!

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Thank you for reading!

True Sake

TRUE SAKE: America's First Sake Store.