Welcome to the June Issue of America's sake-centric newsletter. As summer nears let's start celebrating rice and water. In this issue read about a "Truly" friendly brewery in Japan, the LA sake Izakaya scene, the return of a splendid Nama Honjozo, and don't miss the events section, especially the "Sparkling Sake Night" in early July.

In this issue:

• High Praise For Tamanohikari Sake Brewery - A Kura That Gets It!
• Sake Moment - Satomi Furugaki Looks At The LA Izakaya Scene
• Sake Spotlight - Miwa Wang Looks at Kasumi Tsuru Nama Honjozo
• True Sake In The News - Wine Enthusiast, LA Times, WWDScoop
• New Store Arrivals - Nene, Masumi Arabashiri'07, Tsukinokatsura
• Special Events - June 12th Takenotsuyu, June 28th Anzu, July 12 Sparkling Sake Night!
• "Ask Beau" - "How Many Prefectures Do You Carry?"
• The SECRET WORD

Firstly, I love my job. Secondly, I love my job. And thirdly, did I mention that I love my job? Why the stuttering? Because day in and day out as I fight the good fight of promoting the betterment of sake, I sometimes lose focus on the little things. Taking note of customers who come back to the store and say, "Wow, thank you for that recommendation" or "Man, you were right!" is juice enough to put a smile on my face and makes those long sometimes boring hours worth it. But it is "acts" such as the one that I am about to describe that really float my boat and makes all of this sake warrior stuff really and truly worthwhile (in a big picture sense).

Often I will receive requests from customers of True Sake, who are traveling to Japan, for a brewery or two that they can "pop in" and visit. This request has and will always make me nervous. Why? Quite simply brewers hate when people "pop in" during brewing season, no mater who you are - the emperor, Ichiro, common Japanese guy, and most of all geijin tourists who do not speaky the language! And so, with great reluctance I recommend several kura - all of which I have visited and know quite well - knowing full well that I am putting them out, and may be burning some bridges in the process.

Let me explain their reluctance to visitors in a light that doesn't make the brewers look rotten. You see, we on the outside, represent bacteria or other dangerous ingredients that can and will spoil their efforts. In a word we are contaminants! Not in the real sense, but in the sense that they are working so hard, so furiously making tremendous sake that they do not have the time nor the inclination to use a body to walk some "visitor" around during a very crucial time period. When they are brewing they are focused, and as we are speaking about small breweries with as few as 4 employees they simply freak. They freak about losing time. They freak about not being able to speak English. They freak about a pen dropping out of your shirt pocket as they let you peer down into a vat of fermenting sake. They freak about your dirty shoes. They freak about doing "perfect" tour when they don't want to be doing a tour at all. They simply just freak.

Now I have had pretty good success with some really great kuras, who have opened their doors and hearts to my family, customers, and Newsletter readers, who show up - sometimes unannounced (they hate this)- and are presented with a wonderful tour and imprint of that specific brewery. More than not a tourist knocks on their door and hands them a True Sake business card and says, "We know Beau Timken." If it were I I'd pour hot oil on you from above, but they are not I and have generally made me look good!

But one brewery stands out as "THE" most tourist-friendly kura that just gets it right. And this fact was driven home by a resent visit to True Sake by Dan Cohen who had just returned from Japan and had pulled the "ol' unannounced and holding my business card" trick at the front gate of the kura called Tamanohikari in Fushimi, Kyoto. Dan basically said that he was given the royal treatment and was blown away by this great and history-rich sake making facility. He was so impressed that he shared with me his on-line photo slideshow of his tour. After massaging my stretched-from-my-over-smiling-cheeks I asked Dan if I could share this experience with you fellow readers. He agreed and what follows is a pictorial tour as good as it gets.

I recommend clicking on each picture as Dan has described in detail the visit and the wonderful things that he witnessed. Herewith are Dan's own words about the adventure:

With a wrinkled Japanese Google map in hand, I made my way by train to Fushimi, a small town 15 minutes south of Kyoto to find the Tamanohikari Sake Brewery. After a few wrong turns and "Doko-wa's" ("Where is?" in Japanese), I walked by a warehouse which was emitting the strong smell of sake. I walked into the brewery and after a brief conversation in broken English and pseudo-Japanese, a women by the name of Akiko took me into a small room. Once in the room, she gave me some reading material, served me green tea, and then left. After about 15 minutes, she came back in, handed me a hairnet and lab coat, and told me my tour was about to begin. Akiko took me around the brewery showing me every stage of the sake making process. Along the way she introduced me to the brewery employees, one of them being the brew master (his name escapes me). He asked me questions (with Akiko acting as a translator) about sake consumption in the US, and how I personally like to enjoy the Japanese drink. At one point, he opened up a hatch in the floor revealing fermenting sake 10 feet below. Using a cup attached to a 10 foot pole, he scooped up some of the fermenting sake and told me to sip it straight from the cup. It was delicious, but really strong! After spending about 40 minutes taking me around the brewery, Akiko lead me into a classroom and turned on a film which was all about Tamanohikari's usage of Omachi rice, the highest quality rice used for sake making. After the brief film, the president of Tamanohikari came into the classroom where we chatted for a while about drinking sake, San Francisco restaurants, the True Sake store, how I was enjoying my vacation in Japan. The tour of Tamanohikari was amazing and unlike any other type of brewery tour I've experienced. Many thanks to Beau, Akiko, and everyone at Tamanohikari.

Now, to thank the Ujita family and the entire Tamanohikari family I would like to promote the heck out of the four products of theirs that we sell at True Sake. And I encourage you all to try their sakes, because A) they are delicious and B) they respect you the overseas sake drinker - you are valued!

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Tamanohikari "Brilliant Jade" From Kyoto Prefecture Junmai Dai Ginjo SMV: +3.5 Acidity: 1.7 This is a very important Dai Ginjo to explore as this brewery uses the famous Omachi rice strain, the father of the majority of today's brewing rices. The nose, like its name, is indeed brilliant, filled with all sorts of peach, apple and pear scents. Omachi rice yields deep and rich flavors and this does not disappoint; you'll taste nuts and bananas to pears and cooked coconut meat. The viscous mouth-feel is chewy and plump. Despite an unmistakable fruitiness, the fluid actually ends with dryness in the back of the throat. WORD: Pear WINE: Cabernets/White Burgundy BEER: Pilsners/Mild stouts FOODS: Roasted fowl, dim sum, cheese plates and patés. $30/720ml and $15/300ml

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Tamanohikari "Divine Light" From Kyoto Prefecture. 1673. Yamahai Junmai Ginjo. SMV: +1 Acidity: 1.7 This traditionally made Ginjo has a gorgeous nose of steamed rice, vanilla, cucumber and subtle cream. This Yamahai has a "bigness" to it that revels in a nutty and smoky flavor that almost boarders on malty. Perhaps this is a result of the Omachi "father of all brewing rices" rice that is used in production. A dry and tantalizing rice flavor with a large middle mouth and an equally big tail. Look for the middle vein of vanilla and earthly flavors. WORD: Nutty WINE: Tannin reds/oaky dry whites BEER: Pilsners/stouts FOOD: Smoked fish, miso-based dishes, noodles, game and some white meats. $21/720ml

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Tamanohikari "Light From Heaven" From Kyoto Prefecture. Junmai Ginjo. SMV: +4 Acidity: 1.5 With a rich nose filled with grains, caramel, nougat, and minerals this well-balanced brew speaks the language of balance. Day in and day out this sake drinks with consistency, rich and clean, but with expansive flavors from caramel and burnt sugar to malty and salty like the ocean. It's not sweet, it's not dry, it's in the groove, and the velvety-soft texture makes this brew a food friendly sake pal. WORD: Caramel WINE: Deep reds/Fat whites BEER: Belgian Ales FOOD: Grilled anything, sushi, smoked fish, artichokes. $38/1.8L

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Tamanohikari Reishu - "Sake Slush" From Fushimi/Kyoto Prefecture 1673. Junmai Ginjo. SMV: +3 Rice: Yamada Nishiki milled to 59%. Yes, the packaging looks like juice boxes for adults! But amazingly this is a very good Junmai Ginjo with a ripe banana and vanilla nose. The overall texture and complexity is well balanced with the acidity and the sweetness working together for a dry appearance. This freezer-proof package is said by the brewers to be excellent for making a sake slush by placing both the package and a decanter in the freezer set at 10 degrees F. for 10 hours. Open package and pour into frozen decanter for a "magical transformation" into a sake slush. For the less inspired this packaging lends itself to smuggling into sporting events and concerts, but you didn't just read this! WORD: Juice Box WINE: Dry Whites/Merlots BEER: Pilsners/Ambers FOODS: Grilled eggplant, smoked fish, stir-friend shrimp, stadium hot-dogs. $8/300ml

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One of my favorite new faces on the sake scene is Satomi Furugaki from Los Angeles. Satomi is the "Sake Instructor" for the California Sushi Academy.

By day and by night she is a sake goddess seeking out the sake scene of Southern California. She has written a "Sake Spotlight" for this Newsletter and recently I asked her to take a look at the "Izakaya" movement in LA. As you all know an Izakaya is essentially a sake pub with a twist on cuisines and specialties that revolve around sake.

Herewith is Satomi's "real time" look at some places to visit in LA when you get a hankering for great food, great times and especially great sake:

Los Angeles is an emerging and maturing izakaya scene in its truest sense. There are many izakayas, casual and inviting Japanese version of tapas bars, where you don't have to break a bank to enjoy sipping the yummy sake and nibbling the parade of comfort foods, especially with a huge community of Japanese who embrace izakaya as a heart of their every day life of social bonding or moment of solace in solitude.

Many of the izakayas, mostly with rustic décor, dim lights and mellow atmosphere, are commuted by Japanese and as many non- Japanese, creating an interestingly cosmopolitan, Tokyo-ish feel bridged by their love of sake or by the pure purist of comfort. Good izakayas definitely charm you with cozy, nostalgic appeal that the high-end dining establishments cannot duplicate.

Following is the list of my favorite izakayas in Los Angeles area.

1. Sasaya (West Los Angeles) Comfy and mellow
   
   Tel: (310) 477-4404
   11613 Santa Monica Blvd. W. Los Angeles
   Sasaya website
   
   Oasis of West Los Angeles. This is a sweet, cozy izakaya with a very friendly and smiley staff. Sake selection is large and original, carefully selected and updated by diligent and sincere mother-son team of Yasumi and Koichi. They have vast food menu covering anything from snacky crispy treat through delicate fare, both traditional and fusion. Their counter is perfect for a party of one, where Hiroshi the manger keeps a pleasant company. Sasaya occasionally hosts sake events and very eager to keep the sake momentum going. Mixed crowd of eclectic Angelinos and Japanese expatriates.
2. Wakasan (Westwood) Rustic and charming
   
   Tel: (310) 446-5241
   1929 Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles
   
   This is another local favorite of mine. The cutest and the smallest hideout. There are only several tables and a counter and the ambiance is very rustic, as in an old mini farmhouse. The chef Wakasan (Mr. Waka) is friendly and totally down-to-earth. Food features many Japanese home-style dishes as well as sashimi, etc. Omakase is delightful, filling, and reasonably priced. They have a handsome sake list including my favorite Denshu. Mostly Japanese, regular clientele and many Japanese young restaurant workers in later in the evening.
3. Musha (Santa Monica) Vibrant and trendy
   
   Tel: (310) 576-6330
   424 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica
   
   Recommended for a first izakaya experience for its welcoming and exciting feel. Reservation is highly recommended because this small spot always gets packed. The artsy food menu with comical calligraphy features many contemporary Japanese and curious fun fusion dishes like brown rice risotto. Small sake list. Crowd is animated and mixed with young Angelinos and Japanese expats.
4. Izakaya Yuzu (Torrance) Tokyo-chic and eclectic
   
   Tel: (310) 533-9898
   1231 Cabrillo Ave., Plaza Del Prado #101, Torrance
   
   You will feel as you walked into a beautiful Tokyo bar. This classy gem of Torrance is commuted mostly by Japanese businessmen in suits. Highly efficient and competent servers promises the most pleasant dining experience with an excellent service and artfully prepared authentic and dainty Japanese dishes with an elegant sake selection. Dramatic, japonesque décor with open kitchen surrounded by a counter with small private sections.
5. Sake House Miro (Hollywood) Nostalgic Showa-esque Japan theme
   
   Tel: (323) 939-7075
   809 S. La Brea Blvd., Los Angeles
   Sake House Micro website
   
   Big red lantern in an unlikely La Brea Boulevard invites you to the good old 1950s Tokyo. With so many props like old movie posters, store signs, and even laundry hanging from the balcony, this izakaya is like a mini theme park with lost of typical izakaya fare like yakitori and gilled yellowtail and short and beginner friendly sake menu. Mostly hip Angelinos in crowds of friends.

Enjoy your izakaya hopping. Kanpai!

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For this "Sake Spotlight" we look within the fine confines of True Sake to get a real pro's take on a very unusual and dramatic Honjozo that has become a store favorite. Miwa, as most of you know, is the manager of True Sake and is an accomplished Sake Sommelier. She is also a heck of a cook and quite the foodie and many of her sake taste and aroma sensations are founded in this fact. This is Miwa's second Spotlight and I must say that she has come a very long way in her ability to convey sake. Please enjoy Miwa's "Spotlight" on the Crane of Kasumi

Kasumi Tsuru "Crane of Kasumi"
Shiboritate Nama Genshu Honjozo

Last spring was the first time I tasted this seasonal nama (unpasteurized) sake from the Japan-Sea side of Hyogo prefecture. I remember taking the bottle to a nearby sushi joint, sat at the counter and took notes. I kept feeling how flavorful, fun, and structured this Honjozo-style sake was. Although I drank only about a quarter the bottle, the memory of this sake stayed with me a long time.

This freshly pressed (shiboritate), unpasteurized, undiluted (genshu) sake is a Honjozo. Honjozo is a type of sake where the brewing rice is milled to 70% or less, and made with rice, water, koji-rice and a limited amount of distilled alcohol. This sake is made from a local rice called "Gohyakumankoku, which is milled to 63% for koji-mai and 68% for kake-mai. The yeast used is the foamless version of the most commonly used yeast in the country, #7. The alcohol level of this sake is 20% compared to 15-16% for most sakes and that, in my opinion, makes it a great party sake.

When you open the bottle, a sweet aroma of ripe fruit and cream, like banana pie, arises gently. This aroma blends with the refreshing acidity of fresh fruit and the boldness of genshu in the glass. Served cold, it feels sweet and warm like tropical air. The flavor of fermented rice feels comfy while the heat of genshu makes you warm like the sun. Since this sake is undiluted, adding one or two ice cubes transforms the sake into something new (although I don't recommend doing this to most sakes.) The texture becomes very smooth, while the sweetness and flavor come forward as the heat retreats. I think this sake is a perfect companion for grilled seafood as well as something spicy and bold such as curry. Also because of a slightly higher alcohol level, this sake pairs wells with rich foods like yellowtail teriyaki, Japanese-style steak with butter and a splash of soy sauce, or Chinese seafood dishes. Every spring I take time to enjoy this sake.

When I learned the president of Kasumi Tsuru, Mr. Fukumoto was visiting San Francisco in early April, I was quite excited. Upon arriving at True Sake, he displayed a great enthusiasm and willingness to share information right away. He began explaining passionately about their sake making, particularly the Kimoto** and Yamahai*** brewing methods. He also presented me with the company brochure, which illustrated the process of making "shubo." (Shubo is a starter yeast mixture and in this case made using the Kimoto method.) Although I am familiar with several processes, his brochure included a step called "te-moto", a term I never heard of before.

Later in the evening I tried the sake with Mr. Fukumoto, Tamiko-san from Joto Sake Import, and Mr. Tomita from Shichihonyari—yet another interesting brewery. As we sat and talked, I learned that Kasumi Tsuru Shiboritate Nama Genshu Honjozo is seasonal, meaning the locals get it around December. And for the domestic market they make the sakes "sokujo" style, a widely practiced, faster brewing method, while for the export Yamahai style. When I asked Mr. Fukumoto why there were two different methods, his answer was simple and humorous: the locals just can't wait too long to have this tasty sake. In other words, if it is made Yamahai-style, more days are needed to complete the brew. I learned something new again.

Next evening, I tasted the sake again at a sake event hosted by Joto at Tokyo Go Go. Afterward, Mr. Fukumotot showed us a DVD of their sake making process, including the "te-moto" step I mentioned earlier. He told me the brewery used to make shochu and have the equipment to distill sake, so the brewers alcohol used for their Honjozo is house-made. Another unique point about their sake is the use of local brewing rice called Hyogo Kitanishiki, which is only grown in the town where the brewery is located. At the end of the evening, I asked him what the special local cuisine of Kasumi is. With a smile he said, "squid sashimi for summer and crab-shabu-shabu for winter." I am so there, and I hope you are too.

(Terms such as *Honjozo, **Kimoto, ***Yamahai, please visit the English-version of their site or contact me at the store.)

Thank you Miwa! This brew sells for $31/720ml and is again seasonal so don't miss out. I believe we ran out of this sake in Septemeber last year!

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Kasumi Tusuru "Crane of Kasumi" From Hyogo Prefecture. Nama Honjozo Genshu. SMV: +1.5 Acidity: 1.5 A "fresh" sake nose filled with cherry blossom, mineral, apple and cantaloupe elements. This Genshu (undiluted) Honjozo is a full- bodied sake that feels slinky but has ubber attitude. Layers of flavors such as plum skin, honeydew melon, and ripe apples dance on a chunky flow of complexity that drinks far smoother than all of the "action" would indicate. It is a "wide" nama that speaks expansively but finishes in a whisper that lets you know the power of freshly released sake. Think a banquet of feeling and flavor in a limo-ride texture. WORD: Honeydew WINE: Bulky reds/ Chewy whites BEER: Ales and mellow Stouts FOODS: American sushi, zesty salads, hot dogs/burgers with mustard, grilled meats.

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We had some good sake blasts in some very serious and not so serious publications this month. There is a nice little piece about what I call "New World Sakes" in the Wine Enthusiast (June) about sparkling sakes. Yes, we have invaded the heart of darkness - the written wine world - two months in a row now, coming on the heels of the large spread in the Wine Spectator last month. The spot on sparkling sakes in WE had one huge mistake, which I will clarify now, as she was using my info for the whole piece. Sudo Honke was not selling sparking sake commercially years ago as indicated in the story. They do not have an on-line link for the story, which is on page 14 and has reviews for 4 sparkling sakes with a nice photo of me in the store.

Next up is a solid article in the LA Times which goes the opposite direction and focuses in on "Old World Sakes" or as I said in the article "old school" brews. So we go from "new school sakes" in the Wine Enthusiast to old-school sake making in the LA Times. I gave the majority of information in this Times piece, and I liked Linda's efforts to shed light on why brewers go the extra mile to make sake the hard way! I will speak more about "Kioke" or wood-vat fermented sakes in a future Newsletter article, but for now please enjoy this good article.

Lastly, for all of you fashion dogs, the industry trade magazine for all things wardrobe/textile fashion WWD has a monthly rag called WWDScoop, and True Sake is listed in the May issue as a cool thing to do in San Francisco.

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Yes we continue to stuff our shelves with more and more sake. How do we do it? I dunno, but you all seem to like it. We have three new or "returning" sakes this month to try. The first is a "Sparkling Sake" from one of my favorite breweries Gokyo, called Nene and it is and Exclusive To True Sake sake. I have asked for years to get some cases of this baby! And the gods delivered. In a way I like identifying good brews, getting the first "Exclusive" look at them for our customers, and then opening these sakes up to others to help the breweries make some money. I have encouraged the importers of this brew to bring in far more quantity and get it out there to other retailers and restaurants. But if you want to be the first, then try a Nene!

The second sake is a return for the season seasonal sake. The Masumi Arabashiri is a fan favorite and this season's offerings do not disappoint. And the third sake is also an Exclusive to True Sake brew that was so popular as our "Secret Word" sake a few months back, that we have now added it to the line-up. Enjoy these brews and we will keep weeding out the bad and bringing in the good. Lastly, please remember my personal motto - I drink a lot of bad sake, so you don't have to!

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Gokyo "Nene" From Yamaguchi Prefecture. Sparkling Junmai. SMV: -96 Acidity: 5.5 This luscious sparkling sake has a nose filled with sweet rice, minerals, mint and melon aromas. Use a Champagne flute to catch the most impressive fruitiness of this semi-thick brew. The sweetness is pronounced but the high acidity really breaks the wild bronco of fruit, and the fizz is full and fun. It is both chewy and fat and look for flavor elements including white grapes and raisins. The finish is fast and quick for so much wonderful flavor, and don't forget to lick your teeth for a grapefruit farewell. WORD: Grapes WINE: Sparkling BEER: Sweet ales FOODS: Champagne fare. $15/300ml

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Masumi Arabashiri "First Run" From Nagano Prefecture. Junmai Ginjo Nama Genshu. SMV: -2 Acidity: 1.8 This undiluted and unpasteurized sake is raw and vivacious. The nose is filled with tangerine, pineapple, and sugar elements. The first sip tells one that this sake "talks the talk" as a lively citrus start meets a balanced and ginger-filled middle mouth for a clean and fresh mouth adventure. Look for hints of grapefruit amongst the clean and balanced layers of crisp flavors. The acidity play blends with the ripe fruit elements to produce a snap and a semi-sweet "lightness" not usually found in "Arabashiri" sake. This raw brew has an 18% alcohol personality with a finish that is brazenly fresh. WORD: Grapefruit WINE: Beaujolais BEER: Octoberfest Brews FOODS: Bold cuisine with strong character. $32/720ml

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Tsukinokatsura "Eternal Tree on The Moon" From Kyoto Prefecture. Junmai. SMV: +2 Acidity: 1.6 Behold a very round and soft Junmai sake with a nose filled with plum, grape, caramel, and powdered sugar aromas. This brew is just so darn drinkable, because it has layers of flavors that flow in a velvety fluid that is not too sweet or too dry. Look for rich earth tone flavors amongst layers of vanilla, caramel, malt, persimmon, and hint of celery components. The creamy nature of this sake makes it delicious at most temperature zones from hot to cold. WORD: Persimmon WINE: Pinot Noir/French Chardonnay BEER: Creamy/Malty Ales FOODS: Creamy pastas, grilled fatty meats, sushi, avocado salads. $24/720ml

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

Our inventory list is here.

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JUNE 12TH - The Takenotsuyu Brewery Tasting (SOLD OUT) Meet the owner and operator of the wonderful Takenotsuyu Brewery in Yamagata Prefecture. This sake god is one of the best minds in the sake world today! Space is extremely limited.

JUNE 28TH - Anzu Restaurant's Sake Brewer's Dinner I received this info from Anzu: "We are hosting a Sake Brewer's Dinner at ANZU on Thursday June 28th at 7:00pm. The menu is six courses paired with six sakes and we will have two master brewers with us discussing their sakes. (Chikurin and Wataribune) It's unusual to be able to have the brewers with us so we are excited for the event. The menu is of course, from Barney Brown, which promises to be amazing. The cost is $75 per person (tax and gratuity are additional). For more details and to sign up please phone Anzu at 415.394.1100, and please tell them that True Sake sent you. (This is NOT a True Sake event)

JULY 12TH - The Sparkling Sake Tasting Event! True Sake and Yuzu Restaurant in the Marina will co-host the bubbly sake event of the season. Think 6 yummy sparkling sakes from dry and crisp to bright and fruity and a nice array of paired morsels. This is THE event if you want to taste and array of "New School" sparkling sakes that are anything but novelty! • When: July 12th from 5:30-7:30PM • Where: Yuzu Restaurant 3347 Fillmore St. SF, CA 94123 (415) 775-1873 Yuzu website • Why: To take some of the mystery and mystique out of really tasty sakes that have value and are not gimmicky! • What: This will be a sake pouring station event with micro- conversations explaining everything that you want to know about sparkling sake. There will be a nice selection of food favorites to go along with the 6 sparkling sakes. • How Much: $45 per person • Bonus: If you stay for dinner at Yuzu after the event ends at 7:30PM you will receive 10% off of your dinner bill for being truly great sake people. • Tickets: You must phone True Sake 415.355.9555 to book your ticket! • Remember: All True Sake Events Sell Out! Always Have And Always Will! Order Now!

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I received a question from Hiro K. in Nashville, Tennessee who asked:

"How many prefectures are represented in your store?"

Hiro that is a great question! I have never really tallied the number up before, and in guessing I assumed about 25 prefectures tops. But per usual I was WRONG! So I tip my cap to you for making me think along these lines.

As we all know there are 47 "Prefectures" recognized in Japan.

At True Sake we carry "products" from 38 of those 47 prefectures. That's pretty amazing! So then curiosity called and I wanted to know which prefecture had the most exposure at the store. The winner or most "represented" prefecture at True Sake is Niigata with 36 different product offerings. Second place for the time being is Kyoto with 22 products. And Yamagata follows this with 17 and Akita and Ibaraki with 14 each.

At last count, they produce sake in every prefecture except one. That leaves us with 8 more prefectures to go, and of course we will work on that!

Oh and here's a little in-store joke. 9 out of 10 times when somebody walks into the store and asks if we have sakes from a certain prefecture - and we show them - the person says "thanks" and walks out. They never buy a bottle. They either try to impress the person they are with or try to get us to ask if they lived or visited that prefecture. It happens all of the time.

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 Dai Ginjo sake! As DG's are the priciest in the business, we rarely offer these brews as Secret Word sakes, but Ginban Banshu is an exception. This sake is smooth and really base in both character and flavor. The only offering of this brew used to be the 1.8L Ishobin large bottles, but now the 720ml is available and we want to celebrate that.

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 Dai Ginjo from Toyama Prefecture. It usually sells for $25/720ml bottle but for you sake- jockeys we will part with this brew for $12. And the SECRET WORD is "Fifty."

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Thank you for reading!

True Sake

TRUE SAKE: America's First Sake Store.