Welcome to the October Issue of America's sake-centric newsletter. This month's read is filled with thoughts written at 40,000 feet, a Fall favorite sake style called Hiyaoroshi, a sake store in Germany, and a boatload of new brews to peruse! Autumn is a great time to drink sake at several different temperatures. What's your hot spot?

In this issue:

• Sake Moment - Ten Truths About Sake
• Sake Styles - Hiyaoroshi "Flavors of the Fall"
• Sake Blurb - Germany's Version of True Sake
• New Store Arrivals - Aramasa & Wakatake Hiyaoroshi, Kaika, Shutendouji, Chikurin
• Special Events - Oct 25th Hiyaoroshi Sake Tasting
• "Ask Beau" - "Do You Special Order Sake?"
• The SECRET WORD

I don't know what it is - perhaps the advanced stages of altitude sickness - but I do some of my best (and worst) thinking when flying 40,000 feet in silver cigar tubes known as commercial airliners. My brain soars and if lucky I can have a profound thought or two. These thoughts double or triple if I am in business class, but rest assured I am rarely in the land of wide seats and flight attendants who smile and giggle with you.

In Mid-September I was on a flight back to San Francisco from Germany when I started doing some thinking. I was smashed-packed in the caboose - in the middle seat of the middle row - when I felt the "thought wave" coming. I had a pen but no paper, and when I reached for the puke bag suddenly I felt more room around me. Barf bags are not round, which would make more sense, rather they are rectangular. And if one were looking for a piece of this rectangle to write on (think, think, think of all of those geometry classes that you took so long ago) you would deconstruct the bag into two writing surfaces. Which I did - to the sighs of the folks around me.

I do not know what possessed me - again please refer to the advanced stages of altitude sickness - but I wrote the following title on one of the two sheets of "air sickness" bags:

THE TEN TRUTHS ABOUT SAKE IN THE WEST

1. WE ARE NOW SERIOUS!
   
   I for some Bill Clinton-like reason always look for validation and love from others when it comes to the "respect" value of sake. I dunno why! But I feel as if I have a chip on my shoulder about getting sake its due! For lack of a better word I want "respect" for this sacred and soulful beverage. In this regard, I am here (at 40,000 feet) to tell you that sake is no longer a "novelty" or worse yet - a fad.
   
   Sake has entered into a new stage of its "overseas" life cycle that can best be described as "serious." There are enough educators, restaurateurs, bar tenders, importers, distributors and merchants out there pushing enough rice juice that we have moved up from just being a curiosity to being a sought after libation that has a "serious" following. As I like to say - sake is not the Macarena (dance) or the cigar bar - it is a legitimate alcoholic beverage that has carved out a "serious" niche that has raised some eyebrows in Japan. We are serious!
   
   
2. QUALITY COUNTS!
   
   When I opened True Sake five years ago it is safe to say folks didn't know good sake from bad. They knew putrid sake! They knew steaming hot yuk-brew! They knew little jugs of over-heated rice- based rubbing alcohol. But they didn't really know bad sake. And when I say "bad" I say that in all of my snobbishness possible. Quite frankly our basis was so low that almost every sake tasted better than what we had before. As we tasted more, the more the sakes tasted better. And so on and so on and so on.
   
   I didn't get a returned sake to the store until year #3! Meaning even if a bottle was off (and that does happen on occasion) people still accepted it as good. Why? Because we didn't know better. Well, it is safe to say, that today we do know better. And consumers can now discern between good sake, okay sake, average sake and of course bad sake. The good news is that the quality of sake coming to the West is outstanding. We are truly blessed to be exposed to a majority of the most prized and quality sakes in Japan. It's not like they export the garbage. Our benchmark for quality is very high, and the result is that most new sake drinkers have no clue as to what bad or inferior sake tastes like. Exported sake is quality personified. Thank God
   
   
3. SUPPORT THE MARKET!
   
   The sake industry in Japan is still not doing well at all. There is a very large vacuum in the sake drinking market between the vast majority of drinkers - males over the age of 40 - and the new generation of drinkers. The void is not being filled. Coupled with the multitude of other alcoholic beverages out there and soon brewers will have nobody drinking their products. As I wrote on my barf bag "if you like sake then drink it, because the Japanese are not."
   
   I have a strong feeling in my bones that the "export market" will stimulate the industry long enough and substantially enough to keep the brewers going until they find love once again in Japan. Granted we represent - in some cases - only 1% of sales for a larger brewery. That said some breweries see up to 60% of their sales coming from abroad. So keep doing your part and support the greatest industry on earth - drink more sake. (Responsibly)
   
   
4. DEMAND BETTER LOCALLY MADE PRODUCT!
   
   If we are ever to get "$2 Chuck" in the US it won't come from Japan. The costs of exporting are too inflated to ever bring the price of sake down to levels on par with what they pay in Japan. It won't happen. In this regard, if we ever want "local" prices as in "local" to Japan we need our domestic producers to raise their quality bar even higher than it is now.
   
   The brewers in California, Oregon and elsewhere need to pull closer in quality to their counterparts in Japan. They have a hard task at hand to make even better quality sake at lower prices. But they will do what the market demands. That said - as drinkers we must be more discerning! If we accept sake in a massive box then we get what we deserve.
   
   
5. THERE IS LIFE BEYOND SUSHI!
   
   Again - as I have said countless times - nine out of ten times people's first sip of sake occurs in a sushi restaurant. And where there used to be 1 sushi restaurant every ten blocks, now there are 2 sushi restaurants on every block. More sushi = More sake. People are exposed to more sake at these Japanese restaurants than any other eating establishments and for that I am grateful. But the time to divest sake from sushi is at hand. Sake need not the confines of a sushi counter, in fact sake goes better with non-sushi cuisine. Is that irony? Me thinks so.
   
   In this regard, as you are an "advanced" sake drinker it is up to you to start traveling with bottle in hand to your favorite non- sushi restaurants (is there such a thing?). Or start demanding that other "themed" restaurants that serve wine offer at least one sake on their wine menu. If it comes from the sea sake goes with it. If it comes off the grill it goes with sake. If it comes from the ground sake wants to go with it. Plain and simple - it's time to get sake out of the prison known as Spicey-Tuna-Roll.
   
   
6. SMACK THY SOMMELIER!
   
   Along the lines of #5 there is a group out there that is resisting the sake "movement" to legitimacy. Of course I speak of the sommelier set. These o' wise and profound few have purposely ignored sake, or have painted sake into a "fad" corner for a reason. Ahhhh! And what may that reason be? Ignorance my dear fellow - ignorance! Why speak about something that you do not know? Sommeliers are part illusionists and part entertainment directors and their job is to make you feel not so goofy about paying $95 for a split of Oregonian Pinot Noir. As such - they speak to what they know! No know - no speaky!
   
   The faster we bring the wine-juice snake oil salesmen on-board the faster we shall see sake on many wine menus. As they represent boots on the floor - they command a front-line exposure to customers and would be the perfect cadre of folks to be preaching the gospel as per sake and food pairings. So smack your local sommelier and tell them to bone-up on sake, so that you may enjoy an earthy Junmai to accompany your mushroom risotto. (you can start by recommending that they buy my book (LINK)
   
   
7. GAUGE THY GRAPE!
   
   Let's talk about "sake equality." I mean it's all about equality right? Equal rights! Is sake treated equally? I dare you to order a sake and a glass of wine at a restaurant. (More than likely this will be a sushi restaurant - see #5) The wine will appear as a five ounce pour and the sake will come in around three ounces in a shot glass or a small fluted vessel. The price will be about the same. Quantity versus quality? I think not! This small pour is fueled by the concept that sake MUST be served in a small glass, which is great news for restaurants and bars, but a bummer for us.
   
   Although sake and beer have more in common for storage and freshness factors, wine and sake are more thought of in terms of being similar beasts. Anybody ever hear about the "Wine of Japan." So if sake is being thought of as wine, then why the short change in pours?
   
   
8. KNOW THINE ENEMY
   
   The Corleone Family in the Godfather had it right - keep your friends close, but your enemies closer. Let's not kid ourselves - wine is sake's enemy! "We" are totally different and completely thought of as "in different ball parks." Most see sake as a hard alcohol similar to vodka or gin. I like the separation. I like the niche-ness of sake! It's our domain and I do not want any similarities or "likenesses." That said I compare sake to wine! "If you like this style of wine, you will "naturally" like this type of sake" etc. If you have a wine vernacular then use it on sake, the nose, the body, the impact.
   
   I want to use the wine world, because the wine world is "safe" to many. And if these "un-brave" masses need a wine-walking stick to "get into sake" then so be it. I believe the term is "by hook or by crook" and that includes being in bed with our natural enemy - grape wine. But my final objective or end game is to have consumers think of wine and sake as separate entities.
   
   
9. IF YOU "BOMB-IT" THEY WILL COME
   
   By now we all know and love (tongue in cheek) the term "Sake Bomb" - dropping a sake shot into a beer and chugging it! My great fear was that "sake bombers" would stay "sake bombers" and not graduate to enlightenment - or move on to really drinking sake as it is supposed to be consumed. But alas, there is movement in that direction. I have seen a trend of drinkers who have come into the shop and admitted to being only "bombers" but actually prefer "drinking the stuff."
   
   This period of sake enlightenment is a dicey at best. But with exposure comes appreciation for the fakers of an industry. If tequila drinkers can move on after the "upside-down shake-your-head" margarita then we can move on past the "sake bomb" generation.
   
   
10. TELL A FRIEND
    
    It's really quite this simple - the more consumers the better the products. So if you want more and tastier sake offerings then tell a friend about sake. Talk to your local wine-pervert and say, "Give sake a chance" or in many cases a "second-chance." Bring a brew to a Bar-B-Q! And for the more advanced missionaries of sake take a case to your next tailgate party!

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What's the point of making sake? To make something that tastes good I suppose. And how do you make sake taste good? Well they don't call it the "industry of 10,000 methods" for nothing. They use tricks of the trade. What are these tricks called? Brewing!

Brewing techniques come in many forms - from adding water to dilute brews to adding distilled alcohol to bring out aromas and complexities, from pasteurizing the brew to not pasteurizing the brew, from filtering out the "lees" to leaving a nice misty appearance, from using quick dying yeast for sweater lighter brews to using long slow burning yeasts for deeper richer sakes, from using traditional kimoto and Yamahai techniques to adding a bit of carbonation, and from storing brews for long periods at below freezing temperatures to releasing sakes without doing anything are all methods to make sake taste good!

This Fall will see the release of a certain style of sakes that are made in an attempt to capture a certain flavor and feel in a brew that differs from"typically" made sake. The style is called Hiyaoroshi and in Japan this represents a sake lovers "Indian Summer." There is a huge fan base for these brews because not only do they taste great (and different) but they also represent the changing of the seasons - which gives cause to have a special brew! Autumn is a highly prized time in Japan and much more so for the sake brewing industry. In a word it means that the brewing rice is ready for harvest! The backbone of the industry comes "on-line."

So how does the sake making industry celebrate the new crop and the changing of the season? By going back in time to the beginning of that season's brewing year! Brewers make Nama "unpasteurized" sake in the winter and release it in the Spring. But they don't release all of this "lively" sake. Most brewers will age a portion of this Nama production for roughly six months. Then in the autumn they will hit it with heat "pasteurize" it once as opposed to the typical two heatings and then bottle and release this style of sake. And therein rests the secret technique for making Hiyaoroshi sake.

But I thought nama sake should be consumed fresh? In a perfect world the answer is yes. You should usually drink a Nama fresh to capture the liveliness and essence of a raw sake. Usually! Then again there are ways to make sake taste "good" using all types of methods. One such method is to make that raw sake work. To make it expand and live a slightly longer life - to almost "reach" a new level of flavor and feel. (I have written in length my keen desire for aging nama sakes - it is a passion and reflects how a consumer can also make a sake taste "good" by trying their own techniques.)

Settling is a powerful tool for making sake. Fresh brews tend to be extremely rough around the edges, and that is why most kura historically would "age" their sakes for about 6 months to a year to round out that edge. Same too with Hiyaoroshi sake, they feel aging that Nama for 6 months softens the edges and smooths out the character of the brew.

Kazu Yamazaki from Japan Prestige Sake International - the only importer of Hiyaoroshi sake - is a big fan of getting Americans to taste the "seasonality" of sake. As he said "Sake has three release seasons - Spring, Summer and Fall" and where the earlier releases tend to be a bit more brisk (raw and edgy) Hiyaoroshi has "Less koji-flavor and has far more harmony." He also goes on to say that sake used to - in general - be aged for at least a year to calm the edginess thus Hiyaoroshi is really closer to historical or throw-back sake. Lastly, Kazu made a great point that Hiyaoroshi-style sake goes far better with the seasonality of Japanese cuisines including those now fatty fish!

I shot off an email to Koichi Saura - owner and operator of Urakasumi brewery in Miyagi Prefecture - and asked him to describe what Hiyaoroshi sake means in Japan and to sake drinkers there. And rather than paraphrasing him I will just add his reply in whole:

The meaning of "Hiyaoroshi" is not defined by law. However, in general it is recognized to be the sake which is made in the severe cold period during the winter (usually Feb. or Mar.), bottled without pasteurization and shipped in September. From ancient times it is said that the taste of sakes which pass over the summer become moderately matured and smooth and rounded balance in September when the temperature inside Sakagura become almost same with outside temperature. Therefore 6 months storage is not always required but in the end storage period is usually 6 months (Feb. or Mar. to Sep.) Hiyaoroshi Sake is usually pasteurized after fermentation before storage and not pasteurized at the time of bottling, so I can enjoy the pleasantly mild and even somewhat fresh flavor, which is maintained because of non-pasteurized process at the time of bottling. The quality of Hiyaoroshi sake is vulnerable because it is not pasteurized at the time of bottling. We have to keep them chilled in shipping and selling, otherwise the quality of Hiyaoroshi sakes may become poor. Marketing Hiyaoroshi sakes has such difficulties however I believe it is worth the challenge. I (and many Japanese sake brewers, I believe) think that Sake is the only alcoholic beverage, which has seasonality in terms of taste and flavor. Hiyaoroshi sake is very good example of that.

Can we still call this sake a "Nama" as it is pasteurized? The answer rests more in marketing. I sort of like the word "Draft" but this then shines a different light on breweries that only pasteurize their sakes once as common practice. How about "Nama-Light" or "Semi-Nama"? Who prefers Neo-Nama? Whatever you call this style of sake just remember that it is a whole segment of brews based on a common brewing technique and has created a really great market within the market. And so we must tip our hat to Saura-san at Urakasumi for making this style of sake and Japan Prestige (importers) for offering four great Hiyaoroshi brews this Fall. Please see our "New Sake Arrivals" for the reviews of two of these brews and when the second set of two grace our shelves in the second week of October - including Urakasumi's Hiyaoroshi - we will add further reviews.

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Over a year ago I received an email from a gal in Germany who stated that she wanted to be the "True Sake" of Germany and if for any reason I needed to travel to Berlin that I should look her up. Well fast- forward to September and voila I did have a reason to go to Berlin and indeed I went to Germany's first sake store.

Susanne Rost like many of us has a fascination for Japan and in particular sake from Japan. Two years ago - roughly - she started selling sake on-line in Germany under the name "Sake Kontor." Her website store is found here: http://www.sake-kontor.de and currently she sells about 45 different products. Earlier this year she wanted to go brick and mortar and open her own store for selling sake, but decided to take a soft approach. Rather than start with just a sake- only store she rented out a small portion (12x12ft) within an all- Japanese goods establishment that sells everything from kimonos to some teas etc. On my first day in Berlin I threw on some running shoes and a backpack and jogged in search of her domain. I mentioned the backpack because it was empty except for a camera when I went there and was loaded with roughly 20 pounds of sake when I left. Have you ever jogged with a bottle-loaded backpack having slept zero hours the night before?

When I got to the store - located on a side street off of a well- traveled shopping district - I was quite proud to duck my head inside and see some pretty well known brands of sake staring me in the face. Along with some cups, sake warmers (with thermometers), and other sake paraphernalia she had a selection of about 24 sakes to choose from. Names like Tamanohikari, Kikusui, Kubota and Akashi-tai were present. But the best part of her store within a store was an actual small fune or sake press. It was old, dark and beautiful and apparently cost more to ship than purchase in Japan.

Susan proudly showed me her wares and we spoke about our common mission - to sell sake to white folks! Her sell is far more difficult in Germany. I gathered that most of the drinkers there were far more set in their ways and preferred German beer and German wine to things from Japan. We talked about her efforts to get people to start drinking sake with more indigenous German foods - she recited my newsletter about taking sake to New Orleans for Cajun food - and said that this has been an uphill process. But I told her to keep at it, meats and fish and cooked veggies all go so well with sake as the starch plays better than a grape juice.

So the next time that you are in Berlin and needing some good sake give Susanne a call or a visit, and by all means please spread the word about this sake foothold in Europe.

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Again we have way toooooo much new sake for you all to explore. Of course as we mentioned in the "Sake Styles" section of this Newsletter there are two new "Fall Draft" sakes called "Hiyaoroshi" to choose from - with two more offerings coming in mid-October. One brew is from Wakatake and the other is new this year from Aramasa. Then we have three new Junmais to choose from - Kaika, Shutendouji, and Chikurin.

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Aramasa "Hiyaoroshi" From Akita Prefecture. Junmai Ginjo Hiyaoroshi. SMV: +4 Acidity: 1.6 The nose on this seasonally released sake is filled with creamy, nutty, grainy and cinnamon elements. This dry and crisp draft sake is clean and confident with a tantalizingly long finish. Hints of citrus tones dance amongst grain and rice flavors with a wisp of butterscotch in the end. There is a smidgeon of woody flavors but not cedar and consumed at room temperature brings out a round smoothness. Think dry and clean and use a larger glass. WORD: Dry WINE: Cabernet Sauvignon BEER: Dry ales FOODS: Sashimi, burgers, pizza, non-creamy pasta. $26/720ml

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Wakatake Onikoroshi "Aki No Ki-Ippon" From Shizuoka Prefecture. Tokubetsu Junmai Hiyaoroshi. SMV: 0 Acidity: 1.4 This Fall Draft sake has an aroma profile filled with dried fruit, rice, peach, and melon tones. Round, soft and silky look for a semi-dry sake with hints of caramel amongst macadamia and cashew nut flavors. The great balance plays off the ricey elements and the deep complexities to produce a full-bodied sake that was matured for 6 months. Those looking for a long finish take note as this brew drinks more grain-like than fruity. WORD: Smooth WINE: Pinot Noir/White Burgundy BEER: Creamy ales FOODS: Veggie dishes (okra), sushi, roasted meats, soups. $23/720ml

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Kaika "Open Flower" From Tochigi Prefecture. Junmai. SMV: +2 Acidity: 1.5 This brew has a nose filled with steamed rice, leather, mineral and dairy elements. Basically a soulful sake that tastes like rice. How unique with today's almost fruity brews. Round and soft look for rich and ricey tones that hide a layer of cocoa and hint of vanilla. Dig deep and you will find cinnamon and nutty complexities but think rice and enjoy this layered sake that gets even easier at room temperature. Upfront flavor with a sneaky crispy back. WORD: Ricey WINE: Rich reds/Crisp Whites BEER: Crisp Ales FOODS: Greasy fare, bar foods, grilled fish and meat. $21/720ml

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Shutendouji Kyo-Onna "The Lady of Kyoto" From Kyoto Prefecture. Tokubetsu Junmai. SMV: -7 Acidity: 1.6 The nose is filled with steamed rice, caramel, sweet corn, and mango aromas. Round, fruity, smooth and sweet this brew has layers of ripe flavors on a super velvety flow. Add to that a sense of richness and this chewy mouthful is a great example of how rice and water can taste like fleshy fruits such as mango, papaya and banana. Think tropical in flavor and smooth in feel and enjoy this sake out of the fridge. Perfect for Nigori "unfiltered" fans wanting to explore "filtered" sakes. WORD: Gooey WINE: Sangaria/Fruity whites BEER: Sweet ales FOODS: Fruit salads, cheese plates, sweet sauce fare. $24/720ml

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Chikurin Fukamari "Depth" From Okayama Prefecture. Junmai. SMV: +4 Acidity: 1.3 This rich sake has a gentle aroma profile filled with nutty, mineral, hay, honey and minty elements. A classic flavor-forward sake that keeps the grains and fruit flavors in the front of the palate even as the fluid slides back. A round and soft brew that has expansive complexities on a solid and soft flow of fluid. There are hints of fruit tones but it does not drink fruity, rather it stays on the grainy side with a layer of fruit. Like a breakfast fruit muffin. The richness comes forth closer to room temperature. WORD: Fruit Muffin WINE: Complex pinots/Rich whites BEER: Complex ales FOODS: Sushi, grilled veggies, seaweed salad, pates, cheese plates. $51/1.8L

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

Our inventory list is here.

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OCTOBER 25th - "Hiyaoroshi" Autumn-released Sake Tasting Miwa Wang, a sake sommelier from True Sake and Yuzu Restaurant are hosting a sake tasting featuring seasonal sake and fall-inspired appetizers. This is a casual tasting where you come when you wish and try sake at your own pace. Sake question? Miwa will be glad to help you. • When: Thursday, October 25th, 5:30 - 7:30 pm. Come in any time between these hours as you wish! • Where: Yuzu Restaurant, 3347 Fillmore St, San Francisco (between Chestnut and Lombard St.) • What: 5 autumn-released sake & appetizers • How Much: $40 per person / cash at the door • Bonus: If you stay for dinner at Yuzu after the event you will receive 10% off of your dinner bill. • RSVP: 35 guests only. Please Call Yuzu (415) 775-1873 to reserve your spot!

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There were a lot of really good questions this month - somebody even wanted to know at what temperature should they store their brewing yeast for sake! - But I selected the question that gets the most interest day in and day out. So for you David P. from Oregon who wrote: "Can I special Order Sake From Your Store" this brew is for you!

Special ordering takes soooooo many forms. Some folks want a sake that is not exported to the US - some want sakes they had in a restaurant in NYC - some want one bottle of a brew that they "think" is available in the US - and of course some don't want a whole bottle of sake, but rather a small bottle (300ml) of a sake that they enjoyed one night out!

So I guess the time has come to define! True Sake will special order sakes that are available in the US. Now to meet costs we must mandate that you need to order a minimum of 6 bottles of that particular sake. Why? Because we usually have to buy a case and if you only want one bottle then we are left with 5 bottles of a sake that we do not want to carry. So six is the magic number! And no we do not do discounts on cases, because our distributors do not do discounts on cases. It's that simple.

The good news is that there are almost over a 1,000 sakes in use and registered in the US. That means that we can special order you so many different brews. We can also encourage our importers to take a look at a brewery in Japan and consider carrying their line of sakes if you feel that they are superb.

Now there is a subtle difference between East Coast and West Coast sakes. Some importers in the East do not send their sakes West and likewise, some importers in the West do not send their Sake East. So, if you do have a good brew in NYC one special night and you do remember the name of the sake and ask us to obtain it - here is basically what will happen. We will call our local distributor of that importer's sakes and ask if it is available in the West for example. If our distributor says that they do not send that brew to the West Coast then we would have to request a serious special order. This could take a while.

On the whole just remember the quality and timing issue. If a brew that you want will take 6 months to get to us, then there is a chance that we will talk you out of it. But on the whole we have a 70% success rate in special ordering sake for our terrific customers.

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 other 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 "Yamahai" sake - not to be confused with a Yamaha!

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 brew is from our dear friends at Tamanohikari brewery in Fushimi (just outside of Kyoto proper). Talk about a nutty and almost malty traditionally made sake - this beast is a nice example of a brew made with the famous "Omachi" rice varietal. This pampered Junmai Ginjo usually sells for $21/720ml but for you sake-jockeys we will part with this brew for $11. And the SECRET WORD is "Fushimi-Me"

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Thank you for reading!

True Sake

TRUE SAKE: America's First Sake Store.