Dear Sake Drinker,
Welcome to the December Issue of America's sake-centric Newsletter.
In this issue solve all of your holiday gift giving needs, read
about how sake and cheese dance cheek and cheek, discover Umi
restaurant for loads of by the glass sakes, learn how to take sake
brewery tours in Japan, digest the first German food and sake
pairing, take a peek at BT in the latest issue of Japan's premier
food and sake magazine, and get a glance at where the "newsletter"
will go in 2010.
In this issue:
Sake Xmas - The Keiko Christmas Guide
It's been a year since our latest sake elf joined the True Sake
team. Keiko reminded me of that last week and I decided to test what
she had learned in a year of intensive sake training. Rather than
have her do a ten brew blind tasting or have her take my 200-
question multiple choice Sake Death Exam I decided to really test
this elf in a very brutal and punishing fashion. I asked her to do
her very own "Keiko Christmas Top Ten Gift Giving Ideas" for the
newsletter. Thus herewith is an in-depth offering of sake presents
that will surely thrill any deserving recipient from our very own
Sake Elf.
- Aizen "Ai" 5 year-aged koshu
Please see this month's Sake Challenge as "Ai" rocked the German food world
$70/720ml
More Information >>
- Shinzui Junmai Daiginjo
A terrific Daiginjo that comes in a super stellar wooden box that will be a keepsake for a very long time!
$110/720ml
More Information >>
- Koro Junmai Ginjo
A very limited offering of one of THE most important sakes in Japan from the brewery that created one of THE most important brewing yeasts!
$65/720ml
Such a limited offering that we do not have information on our site!
- Shiritaki Jukusei Jozen Mizunogotoshi Junmai Ginjo
Please see our New Store Arrivals in this issue to get the 411 on this sake that was re-engineered.
$32/720ml
More Information >>
- Kamoshibito Kuheiji Junmai Ginjo
A super bright Ginjo that drinks almost like a nama and has a brilliant X-mas red label.)
$38/720ml
More Information >>
- Kitaro Jungin Junmai Ginjo
Yes - a super stylish One Cup sake filled with very tasty sake!)
$8/180ml
More Information >>
- Takenotsuyu Genzo Tokkuri Haguro Honjozo
Year in and year out one of the top gifting sakes as the brew itself is superb and the replica antique sake pot with individual cup makes a great keepsake.)
$35/720ml
More Information >>
- Tenzan Junmai Genshu
Another of the very well packaged sakes that drinks better than it looks and it looks pretty darn good!
$36/720ml
More Information >>
- Hiraizumi Yamahai Junmai
A terrific food pairing sake that comes in a square bottle and a nice blue box!
$35/720ml
More Information >>
- Shutendouji Junmai Ginjo
A very special Kyoto sake that is made with one of the most expensive brewing rice varietals in the business with a killer bottle and box
$45/720ml
More Information >>
Keiko has done all of the hard work - your job is easy! Come pick
out one or all of these amazing gifts and look like a superstar for
the Holidays!
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Sake Xmas II - Rocking Stocking Stuffers
The holidays mean the "guilt game" for many! Get a gift - get
another gift - get a present - receive another present! You must
give back! If your wallet is an issue then take a look at these
great stocking stuffers all under $20 with most under $10. Oh and
for all of your "Inner Office Kris Kringle Gift Exchange" programs
these sakes will definitely make you look unique and different and
quite frankly like an International Man or Woman of Mystery! Take a
chance and make sake work for you!
- Bunraku Yamahai Junmai
$15/300ml
More Information >>
- Kamotsuru Kinpaku
$12/180ml
More Information >>
- Kizakura Nigori
$13/300ml
More Information >>
- Oyaji and Kitaro One Cups
$8/180ml
More Information >> (Oyaji)
More Information >> (Kitaro)
- Joppari One Can
$6/180ml
Information not on site yet
- Kikusui Nama Genshu Honjozo One Can
$5/180ml
Information not on site yet
- Tamanohikari "Tetra-Pak" Junmai Ginjo
$8/180ml
More Information >>
- Kikumasamune Taru
$6/300ml
More Information >>
- Fukuju Sparkling Sake
$16/300ml
More Information >>
- Yuki no Bosha Nigori
$17/300ml
More Information >>
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Sake Pairings - "Tease Your Cheese" Pairing Cheese and Sakes!
Whaaaaaaat? Huh? (They look at me with their mouth screwed up like
they just sucked on a lemon - their eyes squinting in disbelief -
the dangling sound of air leaving their "huh?" In a word they look
at me like I was from Mars or like I was wearing a bloody apron with
a leather mask on and a butcher's knife in my hand - they are pained
and confused and dumbfounded - that's it dumbfounded! They look at
me in the most dumb-dumbfounded way ever in facial contorting
history.) And all because I said that I was going to host a sake and
cheese tasting!
"A sake and cheese pairing? Really? Seriously, sake and cheese?"
What - do you prefer I do a chocolate milk and cheese pairing? Yup -
the disbelief is getting a bit much. Why do people have such a hard
time fathoming a sake and cheese pairing? I mean who was the first
to say "Hey let's try wine and cheese!" "But you are crazeee"
(imagine a very bad French accent there!) Point being - until it's
done it won't be accepted. Well sake and cheese has been done - we
did it for our True Sake Tasting in November - and we will do it
again and again.
I'm a sommelier - but I never let that get in the way of people
exploring for themselves. Thus I wanted to do a sake and cheese
tasting that would allow for maximum exploration. "Tease Your
Cheese" was the name of the event and we pitted 9 sakes versus 7
cheeses. (Yes invite said only seven sakes, but you should know by
now that we always go up and beyond at our events! Rule of thumb,
and yet another reason for you to join us for one of our
"sessions.") So, in keeping with my theme of "seeking" on your own
we had the seven professionally selected and presented cheeses on
one long table and the nine sakes on a parallel table. Each sake had
a colored bead to represent that brew. The tasters then walked that
sake through the cheese selection and dropped a bead in a dish for
each individual cheese if the pairing worked! (It was cool to hear
the sounds of the beads being dropped into the dishes - ping! ting!
ding! Each sound resonating with the success of a cheese working
with a sake.
We started the process by selecting an array of sakes that we felt
would go with all forms of fromage. We wanted a dry brew, a fruity
brew, and Yamahai brew, an unfiltered brew, a sweet brew etc etc.
Basically we wanted a gambit of flavors and feelings to bounce off
the cheese spectrum - creamy, salty, sharp, pungent, nutty etc etc.
The line-up in no particular order was Jokigen Junmai, Kamoizumi
Nigori, Kasumi Tsuru Yamahai Ginjo, Kunigiku Junmai Ginjo,
Nishinoseki Junmai, Tamanohikari Junmai Daiginjo, Tengumai Yamahai
Junmai, Tomio Junmai Daiginjo Genshu, and Wakatake Onikoroshi
Hiyaoroshi.
I'm a "feeling guy" so I enjoy the pairings that work in a melding
of feelings - soft with soft, sharp with crisp, rich with full-
bodied etc. And I was not disappointed, because I had some very good
help "guidance" from my daughter who is a cheese fundee and the good
folks at the 24th Street Cheese Store (Mecca for cheese lovers). I
asked them what best represents the cheese universe using only
seven cheeses! They suggested a Shropshire, Brillat Savarin, Humbolt
Fog Goat, Prema Donna Gouda, Teleggio, Pecorino, and an Istara. This
selection covered milk from most cheese animals - cow, goat, sheep
and squirrel (just kidding!)
This is some pretty sophisticated stuff here and a pretty darn good
resource if you would like to tease your own cheese, so instead of
summarizing I will provide the results. I will give the top three
cheeses for each sake:
- Jokigen: "Super sweet" SMV:-65
- Humbolt Fog Goat
- Brillat Savarin Triple Cream
- Pecorino Sheep's Milk
- Kamoizumi Nigori: "A drier genshu nama nigori" SMV:-3 Acidity:1.6
- Humbolt Fog Goat
- Taleggio Cow's Milk
- Shropshire Blue
- Kasumi Tsuru: "A round and creamy Yamahai" SMV:+3 Acidity: 1.4
- Humbolt Fog Goat
- Brillat Savarin Triple Cream
- Prema Donna Gouda (2 1/2 years aged)
- Kunigiku: "A bright and fruity Ginjo" SMV: -1 Acidity: 1.6
- Humbolt Fog Goat
- Taleggio
- Prima Donna Gouda
- Nishinoseki: "A round, smooth, rich and semi-sweet Junmai" SMV: -3 Acidity: 1.5
- Shropshire Blue (This pairing was the highest rated)
- Pecornio and Brillat Savarin
- Taleggio and Gouda
- Tamanohikari: "A semi-fruity JDG with high acidity" SMV: +3.5 Acidity: 1.7
- Taleggio
- Gouda
- Goat
- Tengumai: "A musky deep gamey Yamahai with huge presence" SMV:+4 Acidity:1.9
- Gouda
- Shropshire Blue
- Humbolt Fog Goat
- Tomio: "A smooth and velvety neutral rice flavored JDG genshu" SMV: +3 Acidity:1.3
- Brillat Savarin Triple Cream
- Taleggio
- Istara Sheep's Milk
- Wakatake Hiyaoroshi "A tight, dry and compact draft seasonal brew" SMV: +3 Acidity:1.4
- Istara
- Pecornio Sheep's Milk
- Gouda
Behind the numbers! The highest rated pairing was the Nishinoseki
with the Shropshire blue cheese. The second highest rated pairing
was a tie between the Kamoizumi nigori with Humbolt Fog Goat
cheese and the Wakatake with the Istara. And the third highest rated
pairing was a three way tie between Kunigiku with the Goat cheese,
the Tamanohikari with the gouda, and the Tengumai also with the
gouda.
There were some trends - the drier sakes went better with the
sharper and drier cheeses, the fruity sakes with good acidity went
well with the goat and blue cheeses, and creamy sakes went well with
the creamy cheeses. But the best pairings jumped all boarders and
just worked on their own! Really unique. The super-sweet Jokigen was
a superb cheese sake - but sadly it is not available in the Bay Area
any more! (We will work on getting this sophisticated sake and
cheese brew back for that reason alone!) The cheeses that did the
best were the Goat cheese, the triple cream, the Taleggio and the
aged gouda.
Several of the tasters asked me why we did it? I responded by
stating that I believe that when you do wine and cheese tastings
there is just too much acidity in the mix and that leaves one
feeling "all acidic" after a pairing. But sake has 1/3 the acidity
of wine so there really isn't that acidity rush when all is said and
done. It cleans the cheese effect as much as it pairs with it flavor
wise. After all of the cheese that I "downed" and all of the sake
that I "drowned" I thought for sure that I would feel bloated and
yeasty after the tasting, but alas I did not at all! There were no
sulfites present! None in the cheese and none in the sakes and this
too may have helped.
All in all we all were quite pleased with our teased cheese. It
worked! And now I want to really lay down some specific cheese and
sake pairings to share with all. If you have had some success please
send us your pairings and we will compile and share with the
"others." And the best news of all is that when we look around our
store whilst making recommendations we can now say "Oh by the way
the Nishinoseki not only warms extremely well but goes great with
blue cheese."
Oh last thought - Fondue - must now find a Fondue brew for you!
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Sake Destination - Umi
I get asked a lot - "Where do you go for good sushi and good sake?"
And I always say go find your own place! Or "I go there and they
know me and just like any sushi place if you know the folks then
they treat you differently - get it?" Basically I don't like sending
people to places because they might not enjoy their experience and
will think of me when the meal is over. I don't like that pressure!
But there is a place that I can recommend with tremendous
confidence, because not only do I love what they do with their fish,
but they know their sake very well! (Why? I helped them with their
menu!)
If you want that destination where great fish meets great sake then
head to Umi (http://umisf.com/) and tell owners Stewart, Shamus and
Russell that Beau sent you. These guys know their fish and they are
quite keen on the sustainable fish program - so eat with confidence.
Also they know their sakes very well (http://umisf.com/menu) so
drink with confidence!
PS - I love Stewart's octopus! Superb - but don't eat it all or at
least save me a few pieces!
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Sake Events - Sake Brewery Tours
Over the years I have been asked countless times "How can I visit
sake breweries?" and for years I said that if you are lucky then
there is a remote chance that a brewery will open their doors to
"outsiders." But I also said, "don't hold your breath!" Guess what?
You can breathe again because you are in luck! My dear friend Etsuko
Nakamura heard all of your pleas and she decided to do something
about it! Here is a quick email from her:
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Hey Beau, I would appreciate if you could announce to your readers
the start of the Sake World Sake Brewery Tours program. Now
anyone can access the inner workings of the sake world. Visit
Japan, start off with a bit of formal sake education by John
Gauntner, then visit several breweries to meet the artisans and
learn about them in depth. Tours include dinners each evening
designed to match local sake-including the freshest shinshu-and
cultural exploration of the region. There are two full-service
tours: Tour I: February 23 to 27 in the Kansai
(Osaka/Kyoto/Kobe) area Tour II: March 15 to 19 in the San-in
(Shimane and Tottori) area For more information, pricing, and
reservations please go to http://saketours.com. Participation is extremely
limited!
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Etsuko also left some elegant handouts at the store for those who
would like to see something in hand form! This is truly a wonderful
opportunity and I would jump at this offering if you ever wanted to
get up close and into it in a brewery while they are brewing!
(Unheard of!)
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Sake Socks - BT Designs Socks for Sake World
A very good friend of mine (Sven Wiederholt), who is one of the most
creative "dudes" in the creative world, and also one hell of a
photographer (he slums it and helps us shoot our bottles for the
website) asked me to design a sock that symbolizes the sake world.
Hmmmmm! I thought. Should it be cliché and have little bottles or be
in the typical brown or green bottle color? Should it be blunt and
have some sake serving device or drinking cup? Should it look like a
wooden drinking box? Nope!
I decided to go a little more "subtle" and train my focus on one of
my favorite components of the sake industry - the maekake or sake
apron that we wear in the shop. Think those cool dark blue aprons
with bold white kanji and orange string ties. Yes, that is the
design and I just took 40 pairs over to Japan and gave them to a
bunch of brewers and sake folks, who were blown away. (They loved
saying "Sake Socks") (I love saying my maekake sake socks!)
We have a dozen pairs in the store for sale and will get more - had
to re-load after the Japan trip! (By the way, these high-end socks
are made in Japan and are quality personified) You may purchase at
True Sake or at Sven's website.
Check them out here:
Office Wiederholt Store
This is truly a one of a kind piece of sake lore - so get yours now!
(Great X-mas gift!)
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Sake Challenge - Sake vs. German Food!
I am on a spiritual sake quest that will finally put a nail in the
coffin of "sake can only be consumed at a sushi restaurant" mantra.
Wake up people! Food and sake go together - always have and always
will. If it has a tail, roots, feathers, leaves, or a damn beak sake
will go with it - anytime and any place. And that is my quest - the
place or origin of the cuisine does not matter. It can be Spanish,
Italian, Brazilian or ughhhh British chow and sake will walk the
walk. Japan has chickens! Japan has salad! Japan has beef! Japan has
spicy and savory dishes! Japan has sweet and salty fare, so why not
think about having sake with these "tones" from other countries?
The Sake Challenge is my way for you great consumers to see outside
of the sushi paradigm, and to achieve this "new view on brew" I will
usually select two different sake styles and price-points and bring
them to a non-Japanese restaurant with a celebrity, sake-sleuth or
hell even a friend in tow. Read about past challenges:
When reviewing restaurants and their specific cuisines paired with
sake I use the following criteria:
- Works World Class (WWC)
- Works Well (WW)
- Works (W)
- Does Not Work (DNW)
This criterion is more true to the mission of bringing a beverage to
a restaurant not knowing what you will pair with. The point is to
make the general pairings "work." Rare is the day that you bring a
specific wine or sake to pair with a specific dish - we look for
generalities and the entire eating/drinking experience. Think of
fishing with a net as opposed to a hook and line - a pairing is
supposed to reach out and catch more flavors as opposed to just
hitting one match.
Well you knew it was coming - sake vs. German fare! It had to come.
Seriously! German cuisine represents one of those "No way"
categories of what sake can and does go with. Luckily the gentleman
who accompanied me on this month's Challenge had no basis for
understanding German food - none - as in - in his entire life he has
never eaten a "German meal." Super importer Kazu Yamazaki - a
Japanese guy! - said that he never had an interest in eating German
fare, so he jumped at the idea.
There are several good German destinations in SF, including one a
half block from True Sake, but under a very strong recommendation we
decided to venture to Walzwerk, (http://www.walzwerk.com/) which
leans a little closer to Eastern German food! The brilliant thing
about these Challenges is that there is always one of those "Holy
Sh#t" moments when two flavors from opposite parts of the world
collide and dance in the most beautiful way - creating a super
flavor! Don't believe me - then try aged sake (koshu) with pickled
herring in a light cream sauce! Ahhhh but we are getting ahead of
ourselves aren't we?
The brews that I selected - usually I pick sakes that are connected
to my guests as in it's their imported or distributed sakes etc -
were pre-thought to go well with what I believed to be large and
comfort food flavors - meats, potatoes, vinegar veggies et all. I
have much success pairing koshu - aged sakes - with meat dishes, so
I brought A-zen "Ai" (LOVE) from Fukuoka prefecture that has been
aged for 5 years. For the second brew I wanted something dry with
some body, so I selected the Kariho Namahage Yamahai Junmai from
Akita which boasts SMV of +17! (On a side-note - the Kariho is
drinking extremely well at the moment!)
- A-Zen "Ai" From Fukuoka Prefecture. SMV: - 14 Acidity: 2.2
More Information >>
- Kariho Namahage "Devil's Mask" From Akita Prefecture. SMV: +17 Acidity: 1.7
More Information >>
And away we goooooooooooo!
1st Course: Kleine Kartoffelpurz - Small potato pancakes with chive
& sour cream and applesauce.
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Kariho - This brew acted like a wash for this dish, moving the
flavors through the palate and ending nicely. It worked with the
oils of the pancakes and actually made the sake drink a little
sweeter. The sour cream and sake worked too with a gentle
creaminess - the Yamahai effect here? - But the applesauce did
not. And Kazu agreed on both counts
BT - W
KY - W
A-Zen - The koshu and the potato conflicted from the get go! The
textures were okay but a sweetness came out that felt disjointed
and un-even - the dish and the brew were at odds, especially when
the applesauce came into play. Kazu liked this pairing a little
better when the sour cream was part of the mix.
BT - DNW
KY - W
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2nd Course: Matjes Herring in sour cream with apples, onions,
pickles, and pumpernickel bread.
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Kariho - This was a very nice pairing as the creaminess of the
dish got enhanced with the creaminess of the sake - almost making
the dish a little sweeter for the better. The Kariho makes the
dish brighter - livelier and light with the cream getting sweeter
and it all washed down the back very well. I wrote, "this is so
weird considering that we are dealing with a +17 brew here. Kazu
enjoyed this pairing very much saying that the flavors worked.
BT - WW
KY - WW
A-Zen - BINGO!!! What a flavor - what a feeling! Who would have
guessed this? Truly amazing joining of forces. Creamed pickled
herring and 5-year aged brown rice sake? The sweetness of the sake
brings out a deep richness in the dish creating an almost honey-
like flavor that plays off the strengths of the herring.
Unbelievable! Such harmony - such balance! A great union on so
many levels! Brilliant! Kazu's jaw was on the table! He said it
washed the fishy flavor and balanced the creaminess. A pairing for
the ages!
BT - WWC
KY- WWC
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3rd Course: Bratwurst - Grilled bratwurst (pork and veal sausage)
with mashed potatoes and sauerkraut.
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Kariho - The Yamahai Junmai has a function to play in this dish
and it does it well. The oils of the sausage are prevalent and the
brew takes the oily flavors and disperses them nicely throughout
the palate. Then the brew has to get soft and starchy to dance
with the mashed tators! Which it does to a "T." A very nice salty
and savory play became evident and the brew balanced out all
elements. The evil sauerkraut got blander with the Kariho. Kazu
liked how this brew enhanced the spice of the sausages.
BT - WW
KY - WW
A-Zen - Quite a nice pairing as the sweetness of the brew jumps
right at the spiciness of the sausages. It conflicts - however -
with the mustard. The acidity of the brew goes right at the
sauerkraut and works! Kazu said the koshu toned down the flavors
and made them more refined.
BT - W
KY - WW
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4th Course: Schnitzel - breaded porkloin with mashed potatoes and
veggies. This dish is very similar to pork tonkatsu in Japan!
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Kariho - Sadly this dish got cold waiting for us. Darn - made the
mistake of ordering all at once and thought that they would space
things out, but alas the best laid plans. The brew went perfectly
neutral with the pork, which is neither good nor bad. It just
worked. It did not enhance or take away from the simplicity of the
dish. Kazu liked how all the flavors washed through leaving the
flavor of the pork. He thought the brew did well!
BT - W
KY - W
A-Zen - "The koshu helps this dish!" That's what I wrote. "It
envelops the breaded pork and creates a new savory flavor and
enhances the feeling. It stays soft and pulls the salt, which I
like." I also wrote the words "Honey Magic" and don't know why!
Perhaps it made the dish sweeter. Kazu preffered this pairing as
well, and said that it blends the flavors to create a new flavor.
BT - WW
KY - WW
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5th Course: Saurebraten - Marinated beef with potato dumpling and
red cabbage. I did not eat this dish as I do not eat beef, but Kazu
said the meat was very vinegary!
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Kariho - "Washes off the strong flavor of the vinegar and the sake
goes a little sweeter," said Kazu.
BT -
KY - W
A-zen - "Sake creates a smoke and sweet flavor and makes the beef
taste better by removing some of the strong vinegar elements."
BT -
KY - WW
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Summary:
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As I can trace my roots back to a small village outside of Bremen
Germany I was hoping in my soul that this pairing would work out!
Oh for the sake of my forefathers - please GOD let it work! And
like that - my German forefathers smiled deeply! What a great
pairing this turned out to be! Both sakes worked very well at the
action of enhancing a dish. There was not a lot of distractions
out there, and more often then not the sakes made the dishes taste
and feel better - what more can you ask? Yes a grain beverage does
indeed rock with German food, but maybe we already knew that with
the old thing called beer! And that koshu and herring pairing will
go down in history as one of those tremendous finds! So go forth
and take sake to your next German meal - I challenge you!
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True Sake In The News - Dancyu Magazine (January 2010)
Basically this is one of my favorite reads of all magazines and I
was pretty honored when they asked to interview me in Fukushima at
the legendary Daishichi Brewery. They also sent a reporter to cover
our SakeDay event and that was written up as well. I was told that
it would be in the "Sake Issue" but better yet you can find it in
the January Sushi Issue. I'm still trying to translate the article,
and hopefully it's all good! But I will tell you the photos are very
funny! Why? Well the brewery was not yet brewing when I was there so
the koji picture was taken with frozen and thawed koji. The kimoto
picture was not taken with rice at all - those are little plastic
beads used in the steaming machine! I could tell more, but let's
stick with those little tidbits for now!
http://www.president.co.jp/dan/
This link takes you to the table of contents for the January issue
but they do not link to any content to encourage newsstand
purchases.
http://www.president.co.jp/dan/backnumber/2010/20100100/
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New Store Arrivals - The New Jozen version 2.0, Sawa Sawa, One Cups
with Class!
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Shiritaki Jukusei Jozen Mizunogotoshi "Pure Flavor"
From Niigata Prefecture.
Junmai Ginjo.
SMV: +3 Acidity: 1.7
The "Upgrade" on one of the most drinkable sakes in Japan
resulted in a more full-bodied version of its former self. With a
nose of plums, strawberries, cherries, white raisins, straw and
steamed rice this brew, which used to be matured for 6 months now
gets aged for a full year to bring out more smoothness and body.
Behold a wider, fatter, and more dry sake than its previous
incarnation. Round and smooth dried fruit flavors are well
balanced with an elevated acidity level creating another great
version of a Niigata dry and clean sake that has both body and
flavor in a pristine package.
WORD: Smooth
WINE: Pinot Noir/White Burgundy
BEER: Ales
FOODS: Shellfish, sushi, sashimi, grilled fish and chicken.
$32/720ml and $58/1.8L
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Sawa Sawa "Sparkling"
From Osaka Prefecture.
Junmai Sparkling Nigori.
SMV: -55 Acidity: 2.3
The nose on this sparkling sake (9% alc.) that was bottle-
fermented has a vast array of aromas from tangerine, grapefruit,
and Muscat grapes to cream and sweet rice. Sweet, bright and
crisp this tingly sake has layers of snappy flavors including
grapefruit, honey, and granny smith apple. A champagne flute
brings out more sweetness to this light, tight, bright and fun
sake that dances across the palate and leaves with a quick a dry
finish. Hints of citrus keeps this sparkling sake light in the
mouth crisp on the tongue.
WORD: Bright
WINE: Sparkling
BEER: Crisp Ales
FOODS: Champagne fare and cheeses.
$6/250ml
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Chiyomusubi "Oyaji Gokuraku"
From Tottori Prefecture.
Junmai Ginjo.
SMV: +5 Acidity: 1.6
With a very mild nose of minerals and sugar cane this classy "One
Cup" sake is an example of the new style technique of placing
great sake in formerly cheap packages. One Cups used to be
considered cheap sake. This is not cheap sake in fact look for a
very well balanced brew with hints of powder sugar and cotton
candy in a soft and gentle fluid. There are layers of silkiness
that speak to those who like it clean and gone. White wine
drinkers take note!
WORD: Smooth
WINE: Pinot Noir/White Burgundy
BEER: Creamy Ales
FOODS: Forget about it!
$8/cup/180ml
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Chiyomusubi "Kitaro Jungin"
From Tottori Prefecture.
Junmai Ginjo.
SMV: +3 Acidity: 1.4
With a unique nose of steamed rice, grains, and vanilla this
classy "One Cup" sake is an example of the new style technique of
placing great sake in formerly cheap packages. One Cups used to
be considered cheap sake. This is not cheap sake in fact behold a
wide and full-bodied brew that has deep recess hints of caramel,
maple syrup, and mature fruit elements in an expressive fluid
with a tingle tail. Red wine drinkers take note!
WORD: Full Monty
WINE: Zins and Cabs
BEER: Belgian Ales
FOODS: Forget about it!
$8/cup/180ml
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You can review many of our sakes on our web site.
Our inventory list is here.
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True Sake Selects - Team True Sake Select Monthly Brews of Note
Welcome to "True Selects" - featured sakes that are selected and
championed by Miwa, Lynette, and Keiko - our three resident sake
studs. As we can only stock so many different brands of sake - think
limited space - this effort is a way to offer sakes that we wouldn't
usually carry. They will select by price-point, uniqueness,
availability, and other factors that make these selections unusual
for the store.
Miwa's Pick:
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Kamoizumi "Red Maple"
From Hiroshima Prefecture.
This month, we are lucky to have "Red Maple"--I call it mystery
sake because so little is known about it. This very deep and
elegant sake comes from a (single) tank at Kamoizumi brewery,
where it has been resting for two years for maturing (jukusei)--
somewhat of an experimental endeavor by the brewery. The tank was
"discovered" when the head of a fine sake importer (WSI) visited
the brewery, and the rest is history. The quantity is very
limited, and it is a type of sake that welcomes an adventurous
palette. The aroma of hazelnuts, roasted almond, and a hint of
"nama" (unpasteurized) hits your nose first.
This beautiful brew leaves a smooth coating of sweetness on your
palette with its velvety texture. Elegant acidity gives it a nice
structure, balanced with the soft, complex, and sweet nature of
the sake. It's perfect for the holidays! I will have more details
when you come in.
$26/720ml
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Keiko's pick:
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Hideyoshi Honjozo Namachozoshu "Namacho"
From Akita Prefecture
Nama Honjozo (single pasteurized sake) SMV: +0.5 / Acidity: 1.3 $14 (300ml)
Hideyoshi brewery is located in Akita prefecture, which is popular
for great harvest of rice and natural water. This sake has
refreshing pure taste with fruity aroma.
Hint of rice layer fits to variety of dishes, especially hot pot
dishes and any vegetable dishes. Great to serve cold temperature
during dinner and for people who like nama-zake!
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"Ask Beau" - "Is the Newsletter getting stale?"
Okay - so nobody asked that question! I asked it. For years now I
have had wonderful feedback about this here Newsletter. Thank you
for all of the words of encouragement, I greatly appreciate each and
every comment. That said I have some folks pretty close to me who
think that the Newsletter is a) too long b) too predictable c) too
goofy d) too choppy e) too un-focused f) too - well let's stop
there!
So, we may make a change or two starting in 2010!
If you are so inclined please send some thoughts on the matter to
the info @ truesake.com account and we will take all ponderings into
consideration.
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The SECRET WORD
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.
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 table brew from Wakayama Prefecture that has
been milled to 72%, which means that you should call it a futsu-shu.
Wakazuru a.k.a "Top Choice" is a round, smooth and rich table sake
that drinks very smooth. We usually would sell this brew for $20,
but for you sake jockeys we will part with this 720ml for $11.
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!
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Consider this...
The sake industry used to use sulfites as a preservative. They
stopped this practice - thankfully - in 1972 and have never looked
back!
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STORE HOURS
mon-sat:
12pm-7pm
sun:
11am-6pm
560 Hayes St., San Francisco, CA 94102
CONTACT US
415-355-9555
info @ truesake.com
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Sake - A Modern Guide
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