Greetings from True Sake - a store that is no longer mine! Last month I finalized a deal that would guarantee the "vast expansion" that I have been speaking about for the past year or so. It is with great pleasure to inform you my loyal customers and readers of this newsletter that starting May 1st True Sake will be owned and operated by the Harpo Productions Company - best known for national television shows and media publications including Oprah and O "The Oprah Magazine." And if you can stomach it, I will be a guest on "Oprah" on May 1st to announce this exciting new direction for my pride and joy. Thank your for your continued support and have a happy first day of April.

In this issue:

• Sake Do's and Don'ts - Do Say Ginjo and Don't Say Jinjo!
• Sake Spotlight - Charles Dirksen Finds A Brewery In North America!
• A Sake Moment - Smiling In Front of The Fridge
• True Sake in The News - The Wine Spectator and Imbibe Magazine
• New Store Arrivals - Tomio, Ginban Banshu, & Late Spring Namas
• Special Events - May 9th The Bonzai Tasting - May 24th Sake San Jose - April 10th Hear the history
• "Ask Beau" - "How can you determine the age of a bottle of sake?"
• The SECRET WORD

Well since we have already muddied the waters with my pathetic attempt at April Fool's humor - I thought that I would keep the slapstick coming! Herewith is a slippery list of do's and don'ts in the sake world from pronunciation to pouring:

• Do say Sa-Kay - Don't say Sa-Key
• Do leave an opened brew in your fridge for months - Don't chuck it out of it tastes a little flat/plucky, rather lightly warm it up to see if that helps. If warming doesn't rescue the moment then nuke that bad boy to surface of Mars temperature levels.
• Do drink room temperature distilled water before a sake tasting - Don't lick a stamp before a sake tasting that you are being paid to judge!
• Do heed the call of nature during a sake tasting - Don't use soap on your hands after the visit!
• Do make an effort to pour sake for your drinking companion - Don't get offended if they say that it is "not necessary" or even a "what are you doing?" * Do look at the bottles in a restaurant if they are presented to see what is opened or un-opened (think in terms of fresh and try the brew with more in bottle!) - Don't always think that the more "empty" bottle is the oldest; it could be simply the most popular.
• Do order a sake from an "un-opened" bottle - Don't be surprised if it is a more expensive brew.
• Do prepare a table for a home sake tasting - Don't use a harsh cleaner that smells like a hospital. * Do order a sake in a masu (wooden box) if that makes you feel good - Don't feel compelled to drink your sakes out of a box (wooden or lacquer) if you want to experience the true flavor of the sake, rather ask for a wine glass to pour the brew in. * Do put a fugu (blowfish) fin in your heated sake - Don't put a cinnamon stick in your heated sake.
• Do say Ginjo - Don't say Jinjo (the G is hard - like saying "gone" - and not soft like the distilled spirit famously added to tonic.)
• Do use your damn words to describe sake as in it smells "fruity" or tastes like " a jam that mom used to make" - Don't keep saying "I don't know how to describe sake, I am no good at communicating things like that."
• Do think about getting an "Ishobin" 1.8L bottle, which is 60 fluid ounces of your favorite sake instead of 2 "Yongobins" 720ml bottles, which is only 48 fluid ounces - Don't clear the sustenance out of your fridge to make room for your booze.
• Do praise sake brewers for a twist-off society - Don't be surprised if and when wine makers take the credit for twist-offs.
• Do bring a bottle of sake to sushi restaurants - Don't forget to pass a glass or two to the sushi chefs!
• Do bring a bottle of sake to a non-Japanese restaurant - Don't freak about paying corkage when there is no cork!
• Do encourage your local wine shop to carry sake or more sake - Don't forget to tell them about True Sake if they have any questions about conditioning or distributors.
• Do pair sake with your absolute favorite dish that you have perfected - Don't forget to pair sake with your mother's absolute favorite dish that you cannot stand!
• Do take sake into the hot tub - Don't drink it cold, rather have it room temperature.
• Do say "kura" (brewery) - Don't say "Sakery"
• Do read Japanese brewery websites, even if you cannot read kanji, enjoy the picture and click through their inventory - Don't be afraid to send an email to a "kuramoto" - owner of a brewery. Seriously, these folks love hearing from foreigners who love sake, and would answer any questions that you have about sake to the best of their abilities - and of course you may get some Engrish but it's all good!
• Do play with the temperature of your sakes - Don't run away screaming from hot sake, there are some brilliant sakes to heat up.
• Do have a "Sake Bomb" if the mood calls - Don't have a "Sake Bomb" if you can enjoy a good clean sake after having a glass of beer.
• Do take sake as your next "invited to a party gift" - Don't drink the bottle before the host even tries a sip.
• Do try a blind sake tasting (get 3 or 4 different sakes and put socks over the bottles) and try to pick your favorite. Then cover your eyes and try to find your favorite amongst the remaining brews - Don't stop experimenting with sake!
• Do close your eyes when tasting a sake (make those other senses work) - Don't get blind drunk
• Do compliment my gals (Miwa, Lynette, and Tomomi) at True Sake (They do a GREAT job) - Don't stop questioning us about sake!

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Well here's a huge "hat's off" to my valued reader base, as this month's "Sake Spotlight" really shines on an entire brewery instead of a specific sake. This is unusual on several different levels including the fact that A) I was clueless about this "kura" and B) it's a brewery making sake outside of Japan.

Thank you to a True Sake Newsletter reader and sake soul Charles Dirksen who not only found the brewery but also put it through its paces. He even scored me a bottle to taste! So without further True- Do, please take note of a sake brewery in Vancouver Canada, discovered by one of your fellow readers:

"Beau - Not sure how familiar you are, if at all, with the sake brewery ("Artisan Sake Maker") that recently opened up in Vancouver on Granville Island. For some info see: Schema Magazine article North Shore News article Masa Shiroki, Artisan Sake Maker "I visited there yesterday and it has a very small storefront, and the brewery itself appears to be tiny. (I think I saw the entire two-floor operation from the storefront.) They were selling three sake's (at least to the public) as of last week, but one of them sold out on Saturday. I have never really liked Nigori all that much due to its milky texture and bitterness (is that the right word?), but I nevertheless really enjoyed the texture and taste of the Junmai Nama Nigori that they're selling. I lack the impressively brilliant vocab you have for describing such things! I also tried the Junmai Nama (JN) and Junmai Nama Genshu (JNG). As of yesterday they had completely sold out of the JNG, and for good reason -- it is YUMMY. Of course, the JN is delicious as well, comparing very favorably with similar high quality sakes that you've recommended to me over the years or that others at True Sake have recommended to me. (Sadly I can't give you names of those sakes!) I enjoyed a bottle of the JN last night with my wife. It was very good with the excellent sushi we had for dinner, but it was also wonderful to simply drink it. In any event I just wanted you to know that I thought of you and wondered whether you knew anything about this brewer/brewery. If you'd like me to bring you down some bottles, please just ask. It'd be an HONOR and a pleasure to introduce YOU to a sake for a change. I get up there every couple weeks and it would not be much trouble for me to bring some bottles down for you."

Thanks again Charles for bringing this very interesting brewery to light!

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Last week I was working the store and was standing behind the counter when a Japanese gal in her late 20's came into the store. I greeted her and then went back to replying to some emails. Several moments later I felt a need to look over at my customer and when I did, at that exact second I saw here smiling. Hmmm? What was she smiling about? There was no earphone piece, no I-Tune thingy, she just had the most pleasant smile on her lips and something within the fridge made her smile.

I felt compelled to ask. "I'm sorry to disturb you, but may I ask what you were smiling about?" She blushed a little and then said, "I really love that sake," and pointed to a brew in one of the fridges. I told her that the momentary smile on her face did wonders for my sake soul. In a word, that is the essence of sake. A smile. A memory. A momentary pause in this wacky world.

We get so many customers coming in on the quick - "Hey I am late for a party, can you pick out a sake for me? Or we get those quiet readers who say nothing but simply slide through the store reading away. We get the impatient folks who demand serious attention, and of course we get our repeaters who always bring a smile to our faces. But this woman's smile at a bottle of fermented rice spoke so vividly. In my four years of selling sauce, that was the first time that I experienced sake without words, taste, or feeling. And for that I thanked her!

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Wow! Several months back I helped the folks at Wine Spectator put together a sake tasting and spoke at great lengths to the writer of what I thought would be a small piece in this most heinous of enemy publications (tongue in cheek.) In the March issue of Wine Spectator they dedicated roughly 12 pages to getting sake across to their wine- mad readers. I was pretty impressed with their efforts and that is yet another sign that sake is mainstreaming more and more each day! (Buy this issue!)

This link will take you to a subscription page - hopefully it will be an active read thread by the time this newsletter comes out.

Secondly, there was a little piece on sake in the new publication called Imbibe (March/April) where I reviewed several sakes - including my first non-Japanese brew. Herewith is the link to the site, but I think that you have to pony-up for the read on-line:

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We have had several sakes enter the True Sake ranks unannounced of late! The fault is mine for not getting out the reviews as quickly as I normally do. There are two +$175 sakes that I will review for the next issue, but for now try a $38 Dai Ginjo from Kyoto called Tomio or revisit Ginban Banshu which has been added in the 720ml form for a very cool $25.

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Tomio Genzo "Classic Bottle" Kyoto Prefecture. Junmai Dai Ginjo Genshu. SMV: +3 Acidity: 1.3 This incredibly smooth Genshu "undiluted" (17%-19%) Dai Ginjo has a subtle nose filled with white grape, plum and earthy elements. Talk about a fat, soft and chewy brew with layers of flavors that stop immediately upon finish. So velvety for a Genshu and yet so expansive with gentle hints of noughet or cooked marshmallow, and a push of "umami" rice tones. More fruit tones present themselves closer to room temperature, but by no means does this brew drink fruity. Think soft, rich, fat and smooth! WORD: Fat WINE: Pinot Noir/Merlot/Chewy Dry Whites BEER: Belgian Ales FOODS: Most grilled cuisine, cheesy pastas, oily sashimi. $38/720ml

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Ginban Banshu "50" Toyama Prefecture. Junmai Dai Ginjo. SMV: +4 Acidity: 1.3 How can a sake have both a strawberry and mushroom nose? Well don't stop there throw in some Marigold, Chrysanthemum and pepper and now we are talking about a sake with a great scent. This Dai Ginjo is so many things in a very clean and affordable package. There is a rolling current of ripe fruit softness that gets ushered along by a cordial dryness. Grape meat, melon, strawberries and bananas fill out a flavor core that also touches on a gradual umami finesse. Behold a splendid example of a shimmering sake with round and inviting elements that do very well room-temperature as well as chilled. A perfect sake for a gathering of sake drinkers of all likes. WORD: Shimmering WINE: Soft Reds / Chardonnay BEER: Sweet Ales FOODS: Fruit salad, proscuitto and figs, avocado and crab salad, soft ripe cheeses. $25/720ml $54/1.8L

And just when you thought the "Spring Nama" season was over here comes three more unpasteurized sakes to make your pre-summer libation education a resounding "wahooo!" David Byrne once sung "Same as it ever was" and so too is this line-up that repeats last year's offerings. We are very pleased to offer three Nama's that do different "things" (official sake terminology!).

If you are looking for a dry and powerful brew then the Gokyo Arabashiri will speak to you as the freshness (bottled in February) and fatness of this sake sings loud and clear. For those who enjoy the "elegance" of Nama sake then the offering from Otokoyama will definitely please your semi-dry and soft cravings. Lastly, call the police as Kaika (bottled in Dec) has produced one of the most voluptuous and sexy Nama's -filled with fruit and attitude- to ever grace our shelves.

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Gokyo Arabashiri Yamaguchi Prefecture. Nama Junmai. SMV: +5 Acidity:1.7 This unpasteurized sake has a complex nose flexing with aromas from spring onion and mint to strawberries and vanilla. It is huge! Think thick and crisp and add an extremely wide mouth that speaks to those who like their wines large and their boozes neat. Gokyo (18%) is a great example of a "fat" sake with layers of deep flavors such as green apple, honey clover, green bamboo and orange peel. The viscosity is thick and chewy and this balances out a vivid acidity that plays so well with the creamy taste and soft roundness. WORD: Huge! WINE: Beaujolais /Big Whites BEER: Stouts FOODS: Throw the kitchen sink at this Nama - the bigger the flavor the better! $28/720ml

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Otokoyama "Yukishibare" Hokkaido Prefecture. Nama Tokubetsu Junmai. SMV: +4 Acidity: 1.4 With a rolling nose of cream, cotton candy, raspberries, and a hint of coconut this unpasteurized sake is a "sasa" or "usu" Nigori, which means it is "misty" in appearance. Clean, soft and layered behold an extremely elegant Nama-sake filled with hints of honeydew, ripe papaya, Japanese apple-pear, and mineral flavors. Its gentle fruity tones drink dryer than expected and the finish is pure "class" in a glass! WORD: Elegant WINE: Merlot/Non-Oaky Chardonnay BEER: Ales FOODS: Sashimi, grilled white fish, fruit salad, creamy cheeses. $28/720ml

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Kaika "Shiboritate" Tochigi Prefecture. Nama Tokubetsu Junmai Genshu. SMV: +1.5 Acidity: 1.5 What a nose filled with flower blossoms, cut grass, marshmallow, and rose water. This unpasteurized sake is loaded with ripe and delicious flavors including green grapes, powdered sugar, and overly ripened pear. There is a touch of sweetness buried in layers of balanced fruit tones that drinks quick and crisp. The mouth feel is slippery and the finish is full-bodied, curvaceous, and slinky - appealing to those who want a flavo-gasm! WORD: Luscious WINE: Deep reds/ Strong whites BEER: Pilsner/crisp ales FOODS: Grill-fare, anything on a skewer, sushi, Thai food. $28/720ml

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

Our inventory list is here.

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MAY 9th - The Bonzai Sake Tasting - SAVE THIS DATE

For the first time, Banzai Beverage Corporation and Hasegawa Sake-Ten will hold a Premium Micro Brewed Sake Tasting Event in San Francisco. Hasegawa Sake-Ten is the leading sake distributor in Japan.

This importer driven event features 25 different sake breweries throwing down 60-80 of their best efforts in the Golden Gate room at Ft. Mason. There will be some truly amazing breweries in attendance, and basically this is your chance to taste some brilliant sake and speak to the makers themselves. Should be a great evening! True Sake will provide informational assistance with a booth etc.

The event will be held from 5PM to 8PM on May 9th at Fort Mason Center Golden Gate Room. There is presale ticket for $45.00 per person. For more information and to purchase tickets please contact banzaisake@hotmail.com. On the 9th, tickets will be $50.00 per person, cash only. Attendees must be 21 years of age or older.

For additional details about Banzai Beverage Corporation, please visit their website.

MAY 24TH - Sake San Jose "The Tasting That Uses Your Mouth And Feet"

On May 24th flock to San Jose's Japan Town district and take a tradition sake "pub crawl!" This second annual "charity" event features a ton of sake from some of the best importers and distributors. And yes your pals at True Sake will have and stand and will be donating two different brews. For $35 you cannot go wrong with this very unique and sake-savvy event! From 5:30-8:00PM and for more info and tickets please check out their great website.

APRIL 10th - "Hear the history" Joto Sake importing company is hosting a sake evening with two breweries with lots of history, Kasumi Tsuru and Shichi Hon Yari. • When: Tuesday, April 10th • Time: TBD • Where: Tokyo Go Go (3174 16th Street, San Francisco) • What: Tasting of several sakes and appetizers • Details: Please call True Sake (415) 355-9555

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This month I received an "AskBeau" from a gentleman who has lots of company! As this Newsletter is as fresh as our sakes at True Sake, I try not to repeat information too much. But some info needs repeating so at the bequest of Dennis G who asked:

"How can you determine the age of a bottle of sake? The bottles do not seem to have a production date."

I offer the following article that I wrote for a Newsletter way back when:

".....today, however, with premium sakes that are being served chilled it is harder to mask stale or off-sake. As such there are several pointers that one can look for to make sure that you are getting sake that is fine for consumption. I like to tell my customers that sake does well for about 14 months after bottling. Truthfully, sake keeps much longer and it becomes a factor of how adventurous you want to be. Many perceive "fresher is better" but I have had many sakes that were bottled a month or two before I tasted them and they tasted young, as if they had not fully grown up. Personally, I feel the flavor develops in the bottle in most cases, and as such it is not necessary to rush to the youngest bottling date. (Nama sakes are best consumed as fresh as possible!)

In one instance a gentleman came to the store wanting badly to buy an ultra premium dai ginjo that is polished to a remarkable 28% with 72% of each grain being removed. This particular sake is only brewed once per year, and the date happened to be exactly a year old. The gentleman did not want the sake. I know for a fact that that sake was fine, and tasted like it did when it was only 6 months old, because I had consumed it three nights earlier. But he said that he was told not to buy anything over a year old. His loss!

There is a movement in Japan to get bottling dates on more and more labels. Basically brewers didn't date bottles so that consumers wouldn't do what the gentleman mentioned above did. If you draw attention to the date then people will focus on it. There is no set place or type of date used in this process. Sometimes the date is on the main label, and sometimes it is on the back label. It is hard to see, as they use black typewritten letters usually in the traditional 04-07, which is 2004-July. We flip these number positions around in the US thus it would read 07-04. There is also another dating process, which uses the "Emperor's Calendar." This dating system begins each time a new emperor takes power. The last time this happened was 16 years ago in 1988. Thus the first year was 01 and this year of 2004 is 16. So if a label reads 16-03 then you can surmise that the sake was bottled in March of 2004. Likewise, if a date reads 15-02 then you would realize that this sake was bottled in February 2003. I would steer clear of sakes that were bottled in the year 14 as in 2002."

By the way January 2007 would read 19-01, so you basically want to steer clear of sakes with the year 17 on them. Also Dennis, if at all possible try to see the color of the sake! If it is yellow you may want to pass! If a bottle does not have a date, pick up four other sakes to see if they have dates. If those bottles have relatively fresh dates then assume that the bottle that you are looking at is legit! By all means take the bottle to the counter and ask the seller. If all else fails, ask what their return policy is, and make certain to return the brew if you get a mushroom-like nose and a flat feeling in a yellowish liquid. But please take heart in the fact that we are trying to really get all of our brewers to put dates on the bottles.

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 packaging. Yes, some people do buy sake on the bottle's look! No kidding! So it is imperative that we live up to our standard that at True Sake we will never sell a sake that looks good but doesn't drink well.

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. This month's sake is a Junmai called Hatsuhana Utatane "First Flower Nap" and comes in a really beautiful tall and pounded bottle with a cork. This sake sells for $25/500ml bottle but for you sake-jockeys we will part with this brew for $12. And the SECRET WORD is Oprah!

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Thank you for reading!

True Sake

TRUE SAKE: America's First Sake Store.