Welcome to the February Issue of America's sake-centric newsletter. In this read look how to best "use" sake for V-Day, cry over a romantic sake poem, take the heat of the Chicago sake scene, smell the new nama arrivals, get the bad news on shipping sake, and find out why sake bottles are differently colored. And most importantly of all - keep sake safe this cold, wet and windy February.

In this issue:

• Sake "Tips" - How to Make Sake Work on V-Day!
• Sake Story - A Poem By Name Only!
• Sake Spotlight - Larry Mechanic Goes For Three!
• Sake Bummer - The Shipping News!
• New Store Arrivals - The First of the Spring Namas!
• True Sake In The News - Conde Nast Traveller, AsianWeek Magazine
• Special Events - Feb 12th Nama Tasting - March 25th Koshu Night
• "Ask Beau" - "Does the color of the bottle mean anything?"
• The SECRET WORD

Back by popular demand is a saucy little sake piece I wrote for the Newsletter two years ago. I bring this baby back to life after receiving over a hundred emails last year wanting to know more about the "chair." As Valentine's Day is supposed to be romantic and a little naughty - I offer you some well-timed sake reminders for this Hallmark-driven holiday!

Is Sake an Aphrodisiac? - The Top Ten List of Sake On Valentine's Day

After countless hours of in-depth research I have finally concluded that sake is an aphrodisiac in every sense of the word. What? Come on how in the world did you ever come to that conclusion? It's true and the facts speak for themselves. Well actually in this case the facts are just a fact (singular). And to be more precise my "countless hours" of research were in fact a ten-minute conversation with a guy who knew a guy. But hey that's scientific enough these days by modern poling and research standards right? Okay okay! It's not as bad as it sounds, because the first "guy" just so happens to be Izumihiko Masuda the 12th generation owner of Tsukinokatsura brewery in Fushimi just outside of Kyoto proper. He owns a brilliant kura (brewery) as well as the best moustache in the sake brewing world. Now the other "guy" happened to be an 80 year- old friend of Masuda-san's father who is very close with the kura, but never drank their sake. One day he visited the brewery and took home a bottle of Nigori sake, which this brewery is famous for. (In fact they re-engineered the modern nigori movement 41 years ago that made nigori sake legal again.) The day after the surprising visit Mr. Masuda's phone rang and it was the older gentleman on the other end. The first words out of his mouth were "thank you." The second through eighteenth words out of his mouth were "thank you." Confused Masuda-san said "you're welcome by why are you thanking me?" To which the older gentleman in a hushed voice said that he had not made love to his wife in 21 years. But that had changed the night before when "some magic" made him want to "dance." I concluded it was the sake! And that in a nutshell is proof positive that sake is an aphrodisiac. Who needs more concrete evidence than that? (Actually I do have a collaborating voice in my older brother who swears that sake is indeed a gifted beverage!) The bottom line is that there is some magic in sake. Like all boozes it thins the blood and causes a touch of euphoria, but there is more. There is a secret layer of "feel good" that no other libation can quite obtain. The trick is to get to the "feel good" level with a person who really floats your boat. In a word sake is exotic. And exotic is almost spelled the same way as erotic. Proof again that sake is a libation to be reckoned with on V-day. But you still need more? Well have you ever heard of a Geisha? Hmmmmm What beverages are the Geisha's known for pouring? Now we are getting closer. We are closing in on the precise reason that sake is liquid love. Should we review? An 80 year-old-man, my older brother, euphoria, Geishas, do you need any more than that? Hmmmmm? Let's not touch on the simplicity of inhibitions or the lack thereof. Let's also not go on about the whole Time, Place and Occasion of the Day of "Hallmark" Love. Rather let's focus on the ability of a fermented rice beverage to create the perfect storm of chemical reactions in your brain and heart to throw out the "animal signal," "the mating call," or "the call to lust." In plain English "Sake Works." Who cares why? It is an aphrodisiac until proven otherwise. Herewith is a TOP TEN List of the Do's and Don'ts when combining Cupid and a Cup of beautiful sake: If you will be "Hot Tubbing" on V-Day make certain to serve a sake that is best consumed at room temperature. Why? Cold sakes make your body work harder in heat and can be funny on the tummy, and hot sakes will make you too hot in the soup. If you plan to take sake to bed, don't worry man! It's not red wine and won't stain the bedding if things get kicking and screaming (did I just type that?)! If you plan to serve Champagne or Sparkling wine DON'T. These have sulfites added, whereas Sparkling Sake has been "slightly pasteurized" and is a cleaner buzz! Body shot? That is so old school. Why not try the old "Lover's Chair"? Take your lover, remove her clothes, sit her very erect (no leaning back) in a chair and make her put her legs tightly together. Ahh and here is the fun yet tricky part. Hand your lover a glass of cool sake (cold enough to make goose bumps) and have her pour it down her neck between her ummmm breasts (does my mom read this Newsletter?) and watch as it races down her body, to her tightly closed knees, where the recipient shall drink from her kneecaps, which should be touching. This is called something else other than Lover's Chair, but I must first get a cable show before I say the real name. (Also for the guys detours often happen so improvise!) Giving chocolate this V-day again? BORING! Why not mix it up by giving your valentine your favorite chocolate and a killer bottle of desert sake called Kijoshu. This 8-year aged sweet sake was made for chocolate and they go together like Donnie and Marie (does that sound incestuous?). Okay then they go together like France and cigarettes, fish and chips, Emelda Marcos and shoes etc. Point being the deep richness of this sweet sake works so well with anything chocolaty. It has the color and feel of a Port and hints of Sherry- like qualities. Amazing and so unique! Beer is great. No questions. But when was the last time you drank a sixer and then started making out. You probably A) smelled like a brewery B) burped like a sailor and C) felt bloated like a traveling-for-2-weeks-piece of luggage. So don't even go there. Forget the brewski on the 14th and stick to the cleanest burning fuel that doesn't bog ya down, blow you up, or stink ya all over. Sake is recommended by 9 out 10 doctors for "making out," and is covered by most insurance carriers. Be smart. Be Sake. If you are officially proposing to you lover on Valentine's Day, don't put the ring in the bottom of her wine glass. Do you how many times the gal has swallowed the ring? Countless times. This would be worse if you hid the ring in the bottom of cloudy/milky sake known as Nigori Sake. Bad idea! But, and this if for the very desperate, if you were intending to propose and forgot the ring (or lost it you idiot) then try this fail-safe impromptu engagement secret. When you twist off the cap of unopened sake a perforated separate piece of metal comes off. This little round piece of metal, which is usually gold or silver, looks just like a.... you know.... a ring! Tadah the perfect "he was so cute putting this little sake ring on my finger" moment. Guys you can thank me later! How do you know when things at dinner are starting to turn for the better? You look at your date on V-Day and notice that she is starting to flush a little. Man! You think. She is really starting to get hot for me. WRONG! The real reason your date is starting to turn the color of the fake red heart on the V- Day card that you gave her an hour before is that the histamines in her red wine are kicking in. Her face and body are having a reaction to the surge in histamines often found in big red wines. So before you yell "Check Please" think about pouring sake instead of the Red Death that could get you in a ton of "presumptuous" trouble. Of course wines and beers have some great names that do so well on Valentine's Day but they can never compare to the names of sakes. For example how about pouring a bottle of "Drunken Heart" or "Dreamy Clouds"? Not bad heh? How about whipping out a bottle of "Venerable Virgin" or "Beautiful Boy"? There is always "Midnight Moon" or "Star-Filled Sky." Perhaps you would prefer "Root of Innocence" "Southern Beauty" "Mirror of Truth" "Fair Maiden" or "Heaven of Tipsy Delight." Point being if you are feeling strong enough pour a bottle of "Man's Mountain" and let nature take its course. This Valentine's Day take a "Sake Bath." First get an "Ishobin" (1.8L) bottle of sake, drink a large portion for dinner then take the rest to your bath. Run some hot water and then place your lover sitting in the tub. Take the remains of the bottle and pour it on her/his head and then have them do the same to you. And then wait for the steam and heat to kick in. Oh so steamy!

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What's in a name? Well if you were a sake it would be a story on a label! Add a little St Valentine's Day love twist and herewith is the first Ad-Libs version of an uncompromising abuse of the "street names" of many of our sakes at True Sake. Try to follow along and if you start crashing then read the bottom of this section for the "answers."

............Once upon a time a Kura no Hana (1) met a Bishonen (2) at Gokyo (3) where they could hear the Hiraizumi (4). The Kura no Hana introduced herself as Nanbu Bijin (5) and the Bishonen introduced himself as Wakatake Onikoroshi (6). In her mind she hoped that he was Sato no Homare (7) and not a Kudoki Jozu (8). And secretly he wished that she were a Shutendouji (9) and not a Kanbara (10).

He handed the gal a glorious bunch of Sanka (11), and she presented to him an Okuden Kantsukuri (12). The flower bouquet made her head feel like Rihaku (13), and in her gift he saw Fukunishiki (14). For quite some time she played Karen (15) and all the while he comfortably drank his cup of Oimatsu (16). She imbibed some Himezen (17) and he continued to drink more and more Kikusui (18) to the point where he almost became a Suigei (19).

Feeling confident he summoned up his Dewazakura Nama Genshu (20) and asked if she would like to make a Senchu Hassaku (21)? Filled with love and deep emotions and feeling like a Rojohanaari (22) she proposed following the Meibo (23) on a Watari Bune (24) to a secluded Yuki no Bosha (25). He quickly agreed and she said "Let's go then my Token Shariku (26)."

Rather unexpectedly their Watari Bune (27) was attacked by a Kokuryu (28) and recalling great stories of the Shichi Hon Yari (29) he pulled out and expertly used his Ken (30). Filled with relief and great love she looked to the Koshiki Junzukuri (31) and prayed that he would propose to her.

Outside of their Yuki no Bosha (32) the enchanted couple could hear the Yuki Honoka (33) and he wondered to himself what his Yamahoushi (34) would recommend he do. She thought of a dream that she had had during a long ago Hatsuhana (35) and ever so quietly asked if he would like to visit her Taisetsu (36)? He said yes and proceeded to reveal his Otokoyama (37). She gasped and then slowly undressed revealing her Umenishiki (38).

They wiggled and giggled - they moved and grooved - they went this way and that - and finally they consummated their love with a Kikuizumi (39).

Then the Bishonen (40) acting like a Kira (41) snuck out of the Yuki no Bosha (42) while she was sleeping!

The End!

(1) Fair Maiden (2) Beautiful Boy (3) 5 Bridges (4) Splashing Spring Water (5) Southern Beauty (6) Demon Slayer (7) Pride of The Village (8) Pick-Up Artist (9) Vulnerable Virgin (10) Bride of The Fox (11) Mountain Flowers (12) Mirror of Truth (13) Dreamy Clouds (14) Happy Fortunes (15) Coy (16) Crazy Milk (17) Princess Food (18) Chrysanthemum Water (19) Drunken Whale (20) Primal Strength (21) Great Plan (22) Lovely Flower (23) Midnight Moon (24) Ferry Boat (25) Cabin In The Snow (26) Samurai (27) Ferry Boat (28) Black Dragon (29) The Seven Spearmen (30) Sword (31) Northern Skies (32) Cabin In The Snow (33) Gentle Snow (34) Mountain Buddhist (35) First Flower Nap (36) Garden of The Divine (37) Man's Mountain (38) Gorgeous Plum (39) Fountain of Joy (40) Beautiful Boy (41) Devil (42) Cabin In The Snow

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"Sake Spotlight" is a unique section within the Newsletter that takes a closer look at specific sakes that may be purchased at True Sake. I approach different professionals within the industry to give their perspectives and insights to the how, what and why's for very special sakes. These insiders are importers, brewers, authors, sake sommeliers, or just enthusiasts who will take your knowledge base a little further. What I like about this segment is that often my review is quite different than that of the guest professional's adding to the point that there is no right or wrong when discussing your opinion about sake.

This month the winds are blowing hard from the Midwest as the man known as "Windy" graciously pours three different brews at various temperature points. I charged Larry Mechanic with the same request that I do for all of my "Spotlighters" to pick a brew and rip it apart. Well Senior Mechanic would have nothing to do with that and decided to focus on three brews that do different things at different temperatures. So who is this sake scientist from the wind swept shores of Chicago?

Larry Mechanic is a Certified Saké Professional and is founding consultant of Windy City Saké, a consulting service in Chicago that provides educational seminars for corporations and culinary schools; consulting services for restaurateurs and wine/liquor retailers; marketing support and promotional guidance for importers, distributors & retailers, and private saké tastings.

His writings have appeared in numerous local and national publications, including Food and Wine, Encyclopedia Britannia Magazine and Crain's Chicago Business. Larry serves as advisor for saké and shochu tastings at the Beverage Tasting Institute of Chicago and teaches an Introduction to Saké class within the Beverage Management curriculum at acclaimed culinary school Kendall College.

Larry is also organizer of the Chicago Saké Meetup Group, a fun and casual way to learn about saké while sharing in nihonshu fellowship . Larry also just formed the World Saké Meetup group with the intent of creating a virtual, global network of saké enthusiasts around the world.

I will be honest and say that I had to cut at least two pages of Larry's efforts in order to keep this Newsletter down in size, but what I cut is so very well worth reading. So if you would like to read some history and lore about warming sake please by all means email Larry yourself and ask for the edits that are scattered on the True Sake floor - his email address is WindyCitySake @ gmail.com.

You go Larry:

The following are the results of a tasting of several types of saké that were tasted here in Chicago by a panel of esteemed and exquisite palates. The tasting format: Three saké tasted in three different blind tasting flights. First: 3 Chilled Then: 3 Warmed Then: 3 chilled and warmed The saké were selected for very specific flavor profile, rice varietal or other Key Characteristics that might provide some hint of direction if one were to be lookin to try the good stuff, warmed. The temperatures that the 3 were tasted at were: Jo-kan, 115F, gives off a bit of steam when poured and Suzubie, about 57F, a good temp for slightly chilled saké. The saké that were tasted were: Koshi no Omachi, Honjozo Dai-ginjo from Niigata prefecture Kasumi Tsura, Yamahai Ginjo and Kamoizumi, Autumnal Elixir, Junmai Dai-ginjo Here are the results and the key flavor characteristic of the selected saké: Koshi no Omachi, is a delicate dai-ginjo from Niigata where some of the lightest and most refined saké from Japan is produced. No one would think to warm this guy, but we did. The Koshi no Omachi was selected to see if the key characteristic: Omachi rice, would stand up to the delicate dai-ginjoness of this saké when temped. It did. Omachi rice is varietal that's a bit more "earthy" and robust than #1 rice for premium saké Yamada Nishiki. Think Syrah instead of Pinot Noir. The Omachi won out and this one was the favorites of the tasting panel for a saké that shines well, both chilled and warm on a cold Chicago night. The second selection was Kasumi Tsura, Yamahai Ginjo. The key characteristic here was... yamahai. Yamahai refers to an old and labor intensive method of integrating the yeast into the rice mash. Now brewers just dump in lactic acid and be done with it. But before Louis Pasteur figured out how the magic in the bottle happened, yamahai was a method that produced saké with a lot of extra wild bacteria and yeast from the air that got into the fermenting vat. As a result, yamahai's have a fuller, bit more "gamey" taste profile and made the Kasumi Tsura a good target to temp. The Kasumi Tsura speaks with the Voice of the Crane when chilled, but did not stand up well to Jo-kan. The 115F temp brought out more of the acidity and underlying sweetness, more than it made the already pronounced yamahai-ness of it emerge when temped. While the warm temp enhanced the nut and pepper flavor of the Kasumi Tsura, the temp killed the tail (finish) and while not making the alcohol more pronounced, it did sharpen the acidity to a level that would suggest... best served chilled. The third selection was the Kamoizumi, Autumnal Elixir, Junmai Dai- ginjo. If you've been around the warm/chill block a few times, you know the Kamoizumi JDG is always hangin around. I like bi-tempuals, but this one really irks me. Could ya just make up your mind, Kamo? The key flavor characteristic on this one was... umami. The Kamo is called Autumnal Elixir for a good reason. It is the forest floor. Rich wood, mushrooms and dank forest flavors. Very uncharacteristic for a dai-ginjo, which is why the Kamo was selected. Umami is that, not yet legalized, 6th sense that is found in many soy and saké products. Think Big Mouth Feel. While I've enjoyed the Kamoizumi JDG for many years served both chilled and warmed, as many times as I've tried it, is how many times it can't make up its mind about temp. The tasting panel found this to be the most disappointing selection of the three when tasted warmed. Not only did it lose its tail, but it lost many other of its fine taste dimensions and the alcohol definitely showed up as the big bully it is, when temping saké. However, I'd encourage readers to try this one both ways. It does swing and maybe you hit a batch that does what it does so well when chilled, but you find that the glow in the belly is as good as the taste in the mouth, when warmed. A couple of side notes... Daimon-san's, Mukune, Root of Innocence Junmai Ginjo is one of my favorite saké . One key characteristic of the bottles that are on the market now is... Muroka. Muroka refers to a saké production process in which the usual step of adding finely powdered charcoal to make the saké clearer... is not used. The use of charcoal "fining" makes for a clearer, cleaner saké it also strips away some of the more rustic flavor elements in the saké. Find a saké that is made in the muroka method and you've got a good candidate to temp. While the Kasumi Tsura, Yamahai Ginjo didn't fair that well, another selection from Joto Saké might do the work the temp scale well, the Watari Bune 55, The Ferry Boat. While it says Unfiltered on the label, this is not a nigori saké but it does use the muroka method and I've enjoyed this guy warmed, many times on cold, chi-town nights. Another interesting observation that came from the tasting panel was that the type of drinking vessel had quite an effect on the warmed saké. If you use your favorite wine glass for warmed saké, be prepared for rapidly changing temps and flavor profiles. For warm, you want to get out your heavier ceramic drinking vessel and that's all that's going to mentioned here about that, cause that's a whole nother subject and article. Bottom line... from the taster's: Warmth emphasizes all characteristics, but metamorph's underlying less favorable tastes, that were more subdued or submerged when chilled. So, the path... Much like the paths in Japanese gardens, the path of chilled vs. warmed is not straight. But take a walk. And if you find one you like, tell the person at the counter about it and why you liked it. If your searching for a brew to temp, then ask Beau or your local saké dude or dudette and maybe they'll point you in the direction of some flavors or types that warms your belly as well as the soul. Over time, we'll get this old, new and big saké ship steered in a less zigzag direction. Or not. While no definitive answers here, there is great delight in exploring what you enjoy when it comes to this ancient and unique beverage, that's ever-changing. Enjoy the journey. Larry The tasting was conducted at Tanoshii Japanese restaurant and the kind participants of the panel were: Jerald O'Kennard, director of the Beverage Tasting Institute and a guy with a palate from somewhere not on this planet. Jill Mott, Sommelier and Wine Person Extraordinaire, although being gently turned to the light side with saké. Patiwat Panurach, Assistant Organizer of the Chicago Saké Meetup group, and a dude that while hangin round M.I.T. for grad school, thought it would be a cool thing to make a saké making machine.

That was awesome. Larry is one of the new breed sake freakers like myself who cannot take sake for sake's sake - we must push the boundaries because we are not bound to sake morays and customs. Well done on this. And as I mentioned to Larry before his experiment I usually recommend for folks to drink the Kasumi Tsuru at room temperature and told him that on several "warming" experiences I have always been let down by the Kamoizumi Dai Ginjo - which by flavor and feeling one would swear would warm well! Herewith are my chilled reviews for each of the three sakes mentioned above:

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Koshi no Omachi "Ancient Rice" From Niigata Prefecture. Dai Ginjo. SMV: +3.5 Acidity: 1.2 A vast array of fruit aromas such as strawberry, plum, grape, and blueberry blended with rose water and minerals makes up the nose on this Dai Ginjo that is milled to 40%. There are not a lot of "Omachi" rice Dai Ginjos out there so this guy is not only rare it is also delicious. Deep and rich it has a plump and chunky personality loaded with flavors that float on a clean creamy soft fluid. A great example of a wide mouth sake that drinks dry and zesty. WORD: Fat WINE: Chewy Reds/ Fat Whites BEER: Stouts FOODS: Grilled fish, shellfish, sushi, clean pasta. $18/180ml

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Kasumi Tsuru " The Crane" From Hyogo Prefecture. Yamahai Ginjo. SMV: +3 Acidity: 1.4 The nose on this traditionally-made Yamahai sake is a mix of berries, minerals, citrus, and damp wood. Behold a velvety-soft Ginjo that is loaded with flavors that run deep and clean. Extremely round and smooth for a Yamahai. There is an elegance that just radiates from this semi-dry silky ride, and take note of a layer of marshmallow amongst smoky elements. Try this one at room temp. WORD: Silky WINE: Pinot Noir/ French Chardonnay BEERS: Ales with color FOODS: Lobster with butter, shellfish, pickles, grilled chicken, creamy cheeses. $37/720ml

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Kamoizumi Junmai Dai Ginjo "Autumnal Elixir" From Hiroshima Prefecture. Junmai Dai Ginjo. SMV: +1.5 Acidity: 1.2 This Dai Ginjo has a subtle nose of caramel and koji rice. It is a big-flavored Dai Ginjo that starts very clean and smooth and has a nice chewy viscosity. Look for flavors such as persimmon, mild caramel, ripe rich fruits and a hidden layer of mushroom. The finish tends to be more fruit-filled than the start. Deep and rich this Dai Ginjo is gloriously different than most. WORD: Caramel WINE: Earthy Burgundy's BEER: Honey Ales/Ambers FOODS: Meats and Game, especially venison and duck. $27/500ml

Thank you once again Larry and if you would like more info then here it is from the man himself:

For more info about the embryonic World Saké Meetup group, please visit: http://sake.meetup.com/16/

"The Japanese way of life embodies a sense of the ancient, where the culture is expressed with compelling lyrical and poetic imagery. Pick up a bottle of saké and you might not recall its Japanese name ,but you'll remember you were drinking something called Snow Shadow, Wishing Well or Into Your Soul".

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We live in a free country! We practice the ideals of a free market economy! And yet, interstate shipping of alcoholic beverages is not free - at all! I will not go into great detail as to why we cannot ship sake to many of you wonderful sake drinkers. In a perfect world - well actually in a normal world - we would be free to ship to you wherever you reside in our great country, but as is there are bucket loads of states that are playing games to protect special interests. That's it in a nutshell - they are protecting special interests. And those special interests are either state-run liquor stores or local distributors who do not want "foreign" competition.

For more on what to do within your state to expose and try to oust these special interest groups who are all acting unconstitutionally at the very least I will herewith provide some very important links to some very active organizations of people who are looking out after your best interests. Then do something about it! Send letters - send emails - send scorn to the powers that be, especially you folks in Texas and Illinois who just recently lost your rights to purchasing wine and sake from a retail stores outside of your state. Get pissed - we are!

True Sake has engaged a team of compliance officials to create an airtight interstate shipping plan that is both legal and demanding of change. Please be patient with us as we try to expedite this tedious and timely - read bureaucratic - process. Our goal is to offer sake to those legal states by March.

Please visit and support the following web sites:

http://www.wineinstitute.org/
http://www.specialtywineretailers.org/blog/
http://www.freethegrapes.org/
http://shipcompliantblog.com/blog/

And lastly, if any of you good readers have any other sources of information or have opinions of your own please send them to us at info @ truesake.com - we are all ears!

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Whoop De Do For My Subaru! Yes, it is THAT time of year when we receive the freshest and "nama-est" brews outside of Japan. All brewed and bottled in December we are currently offering 5 Nama-sakes from Japan Prestige Sake International. This season's first flight is filled with some of the usual suspects with the addition of a new snow cat! For the first time in this series of releases we will offer a Nama Genshu Nigori from Ichinokura that will join our year-round offering from Kamoizumi.

In a word, if you are looking for a very "Ginjo" Nama experience with good fruit and great balance by all means slip into the Harushika Nama Junmai Ginjo. For those who seek outstanding smoothness and layers of flavors - a spelunkers dream come true - set your sights on the Koshino Homare Nama Genshu. If you want some fire in your belly with a very large Nama that walks-the-walk then re-visit the "Big Devil" known as "Oh Oni" from Shutendouji. Likewise if you want some sweetness in a large brew that is crafted using a peach yeast then look for the Kamikokoro. And last but not least we have a very raw and vivid Nama Genshu Nigori from Ichinokura that will open some "cloudy" eyes.

Lastly, and if you will recall there was a very large earthquake in Niigata prefecture last year. (please see the August 2007 Newsletter in the archives) There was a lot of damage to many of the sake breweries there, but one took it on the chin far worse than the others. Koshino Homare was really affected by the quake and subsequently lost several structures to the resulting fires. At the time I offered to buy and sell whatever we could from this kura to help them out. For several reasons we couldn't get a hold of their damaged inventory to get some needed money back to them, but alas you can now do your part. The "Shiboritate" or freshly pressed sake from Koshino Homare is this brewery's first new efforts available to the states since the earthquake and fire. Now I am not just saying this BUT this Nama Junmai tastes outstanding and is by far my favorite sake of the this Nama flight! (Yes, I am on record as picking a favorite! This is a True Sake first!)

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Harushika "Shiboribana" From Nara Prefecture. Nama Junmai Ginjo. SMV: +3 Acidity: 1.4 The nose on this raw Spring-release unpasteurized brew is filled with strawberry, blueberry, and green leaf elements. Clean, crisp, and smooth this Ginjo drinks ripe and tight! There are many layers of fruit tones such as grapes, berries and crisp apple but the over- all drinking experience is semi-dry. A smooth and elegant sake that speaks to Ginjo lovers. Think fresh finesse and enjoy out of a larger glass. WORD: Crisp WINE: Snappy reds/ Sharp whites BEER: Crisp ales FOODS: Sushi, sashimi, grilled fish, fruit salads. $28/720ml

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Koshino Homare "Shiboritate" From Niigata Prefecture. Junmai Nama Genshu. SMV: +3 Acidity: 1.7 This undiluted (18%) unpasteurized limited Spring-release brew has a milky nose filled with vanilla, dairy and cooked veggie elements. Talk about a smooth, layered and yummy drinking experience! This velvety Junmai has soft powder sugar elements that drink more rich than sweet - think sweet rice - and there is abundance of complexities buried within the professionally smooth fluid. Round, deep and soft like a favorite pillow! If you enjoy a balance between great flavor and great feeling this nama is for you. WORD: Smooth WINE: Pinot Noir/Chardonnay BEER: Creamy ales FOODS: Sushi, sashimi, shellfish, grilled chicken, clean pasta. $24/720ml

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Shutendouji Oh-Oni "Big Devil" From Kyoto Prefecture. Junmai Ginjo Nama Genshu. SMV: +4 Acidity: 1.7 A lively aroma profile with hints of steamed rice, balsa wood, green leaves and yeast. This unpasteurized and undiluted (18%) "Devil" is fat, full, deep and naughty! A very full-bodied drinking experience that is chewy and gooey with lots of flavor up front with a semi-dry finish. It drinks very frisky and has hidden dried fruit elements that dance on the high acidity. There is a very solid richness that expresses itself in middle mouth. Look hard enough and you will discover a gentle green apple tartness. WORD: Fat WINE: Huge reds/Complex whites BEER: Stouts FOODS: A great food warrior, will take on anything with legs, beaks, and scales! $31/720

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Kamikokoro "Tokagen" From Okayama Prefecture. Tokubetsu Junmai Nama Genshu. SMV: -11 Acidity: 1.4 This unpasteurized and undiluted sake is made with a peach yeast, which gives off unique aroma components including marigold, green leaves, and powerbar-like fruity grains. Fat, gooey, thick, smooth and heavy all describe the feeling of this expressive nama that has a gentle sweetness with ripe fruit elements. Full-bodied and round there is a genuine richness throughout the velvety flow. This is a great filtered sake that Nigori drinkers would enjoy. The low acidity makes this brew fat, round and happy. WORD: Thick WINE: Pinot Noir/Chardonnay BEER: Belgian Ales FOODS: Cuisine with sweetness. $28/720ml

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Ichinokura "Nigori" From Miyagi Prefecture. Tokubetsu Junmai Nama Nigori Genshu. SMV: -1 Acidity: 1.8 The nose on this undiluted/unpasteurized/unfiltered brew is creamy personified with hints of citrus and yeasty elements. This very raw Nigori drinks wicked and wild with snappy flavors and a robust acidity brings forth creamy tones with a tang of lemon. Deep rawness allows one to explore the crispness and sharp tones found in very young sake. This is not your grandmother's Nigori. Think naked, raw, and living! WORD: Snappy WINE: Cocktails BEER: Creamy Ales FOODS: Skip dinner - meal in a glass! $26/720ml

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

Our inventory list is here.

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• The January issue of Conde Nast Traveller has a great little piece on Hayes Valley and a poignant hit on True Sake. I cannot find a link, so you may have to buy a copy! Or how about a blurb? "True Sake has an impressive selection of some 150 varieties imported from Japan. And if you're a sake newbie, the knowledgeable staff will enlighten your palate." And yes, there is a nice photo of Miwa.
  
  
• Sabrina Huang Seeto from AsianWeek Magazine took on a little piece of sake lore with a look at sake from a then and today perspective - some of my quotes were not dated when I said them but voila they had dates added - and by the end of the piece my name went from Timken to Tiken and that is fine by me!
  http://www.asianweek.com/2007/12/28/for-the-sake-of-sake

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NEW DATE: Feb 12th Winter Nama (Unpasteurized) Sake Tasting Fresh nama sake of 2008 have arrived! Miwa Wang, a sake sommelier from True Sake and Yuzu Restaurant are hosting a sake tasting featuring seasonal sake and winter-inspired appetizers. This is a casual tasting where you come when you wish and try sake at your own pace. • When: February, Tuesday 12th, 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.) http://www.yuzusf.com/ • What: 5 winter nama sake & appetizers plus a surprise sake from Miwa • How Much: $40 per person / cash at the door • RSVP: Limited seating: Please call Yuzu Restaurant (415) 775-1873 to reserve your spot. • Bonus: If you stay for dinner at the restaurant after the event you will receive 10% off of your dinner bill.

MARCH 25th - Back By Popular Demand - Koshu Night " The night of the aged sakes!" Tuesday March 25th 6-8PM at Sozai Restaurant http://www.sozaisf.com So you think that you know sake? Well let's talk about the entire dark side of the sake planet that you have not seen! The sun rarely shines on aged or "Koshu" sake and this tasting is an outstanding exploration of brews that have so much attitude and depth that one would think that you were drinking sake from a different solar system. Deep and rich flavors meet amber and golden colors for a sake pairing that speaks to those who know their brews. 6 different Koshu Sakes will be paired with 6 small dishes "kozara-ryouri" Japanese tapas dishes. This is a sit-down pairing/exploration with plenty of information and instruction and seating is extremely limited. Only 25 seats are available. If you continue to eat and drink at Sozai after the event you will receive a 10% discount on what you order that evening. $60/taster and you must phone True Sake 415.355.9555 to reserve your seat. Parties of 4 and less are welcome and there will be no walk-ins - tickets must be reserved. All True Sake events sell out so please reserve today! This is not a recommended tasting for "beginners"!

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Mark D from the Bay Area writes:

"I do have a question for you. Does the color, of the bottle that the sake is placed in, have any clue for the consumer, as to what temperature, that the sake should be consumed? (Brown for room temp? blue for cold? white for chilled?) Curious minds would like to know."

Cool and intriguing question that could very well become a "reality" in some form or another. The short answer is NO! The long answer is "We don't have the space in this Newsletter Issue." And the just right answer is filled with generalizations that could very well leave me open to some harrumphs and guffaws. The bottom-line is that the bottle color could be seen as an indicator but that is a stretch. Let's start with the easy ones! Clear glass bottles usually mean Nama or fresh sake in some capacity, and as such it is not recommended to heat Nama sake. So ding! This one counts. Clear bottle means drink cold!

Next you mentioned blue bottles. When you see a blue bottle - in general - this represents a little pricier of a bottle to begin with. Blue glass is more expensive than brown or green or clear glass. So that leads one to believe that if a brewer spends money on a fancier bottle then the product will be pretty fancy as well. For example I can count a handful of cobalt blue bottles that are Dai Ginjos, but I cannot think of one Junmai or Honjozo in a fancy cobalt blue bottle. So in theory let's say the fancier the bottle - the bluer the bottle - the more premium the brew. So Ding Ding you win again as one should not usually heat up one's premium Dai Ginjo sake. So blue means drink chilled - in theory!

Then you said brown for room temperature, and I again must say that you are on to something. As I have been told brown glass is the cheapest form of bottle glass. So it is safe to assume that a brewery would place its lower-end premium brews in a less pricey bottle - in theory! Thus one would say the Junmai or Honjozo grade sakes would usually find their ways into brown bottles and yes typically Junmai or perhaps Honjozo sake should or could be served room temperature and warmed in many cases. That said I can name at least 10 over $60 Dai Ginjos in my store that come in Brown bottles. But on the whole Ding Ding Ding I will concede that in general one could say brown bottle means room temperature - in theory.

You didn't ask about green bottles! Typically for me I see a lot of Ginjo grade sakes in green bottles. Is it all those green elements that are found in Ginjo sake? Who knows, but it is a very visual separation from those "lesser" brown bottles. And typically one would say that Ginjo grade sakes should be served chilled. So Ding Ding Ding Ding I too can be - in general - convinced that green bottles should be served chilled.

The bottom-line is that if we look for an absolute you will not find it. (I do know of one example from a brewery called Takara Shuzo from Fushimi that makes a line of brews called Shirakabe Gura that come in white bottles - white plastic film around the bottle - and then use or let's say have different colors on the bottom of the white bottles. The Dai Ginjo offering has a blue band around the bottom and the Yamahai and the Kimoto have red bands and the Kioke has an orange band. Red for heat and orange for room temp and blue for chilled me thinks? - I have always speculated this to be the case!) But let's remember the real reason for the colored glass, and that is to obscure UV light. Brown glass could be the most effective and preserves the lesser grades (which move more in a bottle over time) more than other colored glass. I will say this, the more lightly colored the bottle, the quicker they want you to drink that brew! Maybe this is all bunk and I am wearing my rose-colored glasses - rose-colored in theory!

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 Yeast! The superb brewery in Nagano prefecture known as Masumi (Miyasaka Shuzo) created one of the most widely used brewing yeasts in the sake industry - the famed Association #7. It is extremely important to give this kura their props for producing such a brilliant yeast, which in all likelihood you have tried before but from another brewery in a different brew, but it's more important to try it from the source.

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 IS FOR CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS ONLY - Please refer to the Sake Bummer section above)

This month's brew is a Junmai called Okuden Kantsukuri or Mirror of Truth from Masumi. It usually sells for $24/720ml bottle but for you sake-jockeys we will part with this very smooth brew for a mere $12. And the SECRET WORD is...check your email inbox - We only give out the SECRET WORD in the mailed Newsletter! So sign up for the Newsletter!

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Thank you for reading!

True Sake

TRUE SAKE: America's First Sake Store.