Dear Sake Drinker,
Welcome to the April Issue of America's sake-centric Newsletter. In
this issue learn the real reason why you were spared yet another
devious April Fools edition, read about the potential future of making
local sake to reduce the price of brews, hear about Miwa's recent trip
to Kanazawa in Ishikawa Prefecture, check out the new arrivals, learn
about the extremely limited "trial" offerings that we have going on,
save the dates of April 16th and April 30rd to taste some nama-zakes,
and learn some sake party factoids!
In this issue:
Sake Fooling Around - April Fools vs. April Rules
Okay - It's not April 1st, and this is not an April Fool's Issue of
the True Sake Newsletter! Are you upset? Are you new to the
Newsletter? Are you relieved? I have tricked my readers for 5 years in
a row - by all means check out the archived newsletters - so much so
that many folks get a little upset or simply just don't comprehend.
Others love it and cannot wait for April each year. The bottom line is
that I always try to trick you and in the end it is I who becomes the
fool, because I continually have to clean up my mess!
For example, one year I stated that True Sake was being purchased by
the Harpo Investment Group - you know the one owned by Oprah Winfrey.
I said it was their idea to fast track and mainstream sake in the US
via a series of True Sakes. Basically everybody fell for this one,
which sucked as I then had to return about 35 phone calls from Japan
explaining that I was joking - the Japanese do not "celebrate" April
Fools! Do you know how hard it is to explain the concept of April
Fools to foreigners?
Another year I said that True Sake was teaming up with Starbucks to
create sake kiosks! I received roughly 90 emails calling me a sell-
out! Ha! Me - a sellout! Again, the joke was on me! Somebody even sent
me a Starbucks napkin with a big red X on it! Whooooaaa Nellie!
Sometimes my jokes are pretty damn good ideas. Like the year that I
said that True Sake was opening "True Sake - Sake Stands" at Pac Bell
Park for the Giants baseball season. We would offer cold and hot sake
for those chilly nights! Good idea huh? Yes it was - so much so that I
received about 25 emails from readers who were complaining about
walking all over the ballpark - loop after loop - looking for the Sake
Stand. Again, I had to apologize for my Tom Foolery!
My personal favorite section within an April Fool's Issue is the one
where I did a Sake Challenge at McDonald's. I cracked up several times
writing that one. And yes I did receive several emails complaining
that I should take sake more seriously and not dumb it down to McDee's
levels.
Why didn't I Fool it up this year? Good question. It wasn't on account
of not having a good idea - True Sake was going to buy a distressed
sake brewery in Kyoto Prefecture or True Sake was going to launch a
line of flavored and colored nigori sakes - True Sake Nigoris! Nope -
those would have both worked. Maybe I didn't try to trick you sake
geeks, for the specific aforementioned reason of always having to put
out the fires that I created. It gets tiring replying to loads of
emails explaining that I was just joking and that I am so sorry! It's
not fun cleaning up my messes! Or maybe it's simply the fact that my
new partner doesn't like the April Fool's Issues because she too has
to explain the joke over and over again.
The point here is that we will take a break from the April Fools Issue
this year, and will evaluate your replies in favor or against such an
action. Me - I'll just sit back and try another yellow Mango Apple
True Sake Nigori! Yum!
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Sake Pioneers - The Most Important Man in Sake?
27! That is not a very large number. It's not small either. But when
you look at the entirety of the sake brewing history, 27 is a mere
fleck - a flash in time. That said when 27 is isolated into a small
part of sake evolution then it is an impressive number indeed! So just
what in the heck is this #27? Is it a milling ratio - nope! Is it
consecutive years receiving a gold medal - no! Is it the amount of
days for fermentation - close but no cigar!
27 represents the number of batches of sake made by Masa Shiroki, the
brewer and owner of the Osake brand of sakes and a self-proclaimed
Artisan Sake Maker in Vancouver, BC Canada. In the big picture, 27
batches of sake in Japan is like a drop of sake in the massive brewing
tank of history, but 27 batches of sake made by a small independent
self-funded sake purist is a huge number for certain.
In case you missed it - that is a pretty powerful title for this
section: "The Most Important Man in Sake?" Is it deserving? Is Masa
really that important? In most ways probably not, but for the future
of sake - yes he represents something very promising. In a word he
represents the future value of sake, and I will explain that more in a
minute. But let us step back to gain perspective how Masa achieved the
very impressive #27!
I just returned from a weekend trip to Vancouver, which was having a
serious case of the post Olympic blues, and made a point of visiting
Granville Island to see Masa's operation. I also went to see how truly
restricted the sake market is in Canada. And in a word I am sooooo
sorry to all Canadians because it stinks! A government that taxes
imported sake 126% is just crazy! The result is a flat market where
passion is hard to bring to promise. It's not economically viable to
make a living importing sake at those levels, but three importing
companies are giving it their all. (From what I counted in BC there
are about 30 different sakes being imported by three companies.)
Masa owns one of those importing companies. So, there is nobody in a
better position to see the future of imported sake in that restrictive
environment. So, he decided to do something about it. He decided to
brew his own sake to cut costs. Literally! He wanted to make
affordable local sake that didn't cost an arm and a leg. After
spending a duration of time in Japan under the tutelage of a sake
brewer, he went back to Vancouver and founded his brewery - roughly
600 square feet (a little larger than True Sake) - in a touristy area
known as Granville Island.
I asked Masa "Are you a toji?" (head or master brewer in Japan) and he
said, "Of course not, I'm not trained and I don't belong to a guild."
Later at dinner Masa stated to me that he didn't want to tell anybody
at first - in a word he was embarrassed about the daunting learning
curve in front of him. As such - he needed a lot of help in terms of
knowledge and raw materials. And honestly he does not speak freely
about this. I do know that he does not possess a milling machine and
as such he takes delivery of pre-milled rice and koji rice. "Is this
really brewing then?" many would ask. It's not for me to judge. He
makes sake by hook or by crook, and that is okay with me.
His "brewery" or kura is ridiculously small. Everything is small. His
vats are small (each vat holds roughly 88 pressing bags worth of
brew), and he does have a fune! All of his sake is hand pressed, and
yes, he does get different levels of brew from the sweeter arabashiri
to the slightly dryer top pressed run. What was funny and I mean
really funny was the size of his shubo or yeast starter "tank." It
actually is a soup pot! But it works right?
I mentioned to Masa that there is a movement back to smaller batch
production in Japan for greater control of the final product. (Some
breweries are scaling down to smaller brewing vats to gain the upper
hand on perfect control.) He said that he loves having the smaller
vats, and he also pointed out that he produces year-round. I pulled
this from their promotional materials:
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"Unlike premium sake imported from Japan which are typically
produced once a year in winter, Osake is made in small batches
several times a year in cycles roughly corresponding to the
changing of the seasons. This departure from tradition allows us
to explore and produce versatile wines that compliment the varied
in-season bounty of our local west coast cuisine - from fish and
shellfish in spring and summer to heart-warming braises and stews
in fall and winter."
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Brilliant in theory! But I am reminded that he gets all of his
ingredients from Japan, which is still on the winter cycle so maybe
there is a blurring of lines there. Yet I can totally overlook that
because he used the word "explore" in the above statement. And that's
it! Masa is a pioneer - exploring the ways of sake to get a more
affordable product into customers' glasses. It's just another
stepping-stone on the path of sake. And he has followed the big
breweries from Japan who opened operations in the US. And he has
followed my buddies in Oregon named SakeOne who are intent on making
local and affordable sake for the masses. And he is joined by the guys
in Minn who are brewing at Moto-I (a micro sake brewery like Masa's
but attached to a restaurant for better food and sake delivery!)
At the Osake brewery folks walk right up to a counter and can taste a
Junmai Nama Genshu, Junmai Nama, and a Junmai Nama Nigori for $2. Is
that awesome or what? Masa said the conversion rate from tasting to
buying is roughly 60%. And perhaps that is why the brewery sells 90%
of all output right on premises. Masa also makes a very nice Junmai
Ginjo Nama, but my favorite brew that is not for sale came from his
private stash. He poured for us an aged arabashiri that drank quite
subdued and smooth - nice round flavors and a good deep rich taste
hidden under the aged nama nose!
And ah heck! When you have a brewery there is the temptation to make
other products, which Masa does. He sells a very yummy sake kasu,
which he smiled and said more women buy to use as a skin hydrator and
softener. He makes two sakekasu dressings and is working on sakekasu
fruit juice blends, which rock!!
When I was at the kura I bumped into a True Sake friend, Will Meyers
who is the head brewer at the Cambridge Brewing Company. Will was
there to speak to Masa about his efforts brewing sake. Sake is hot
amongst many beer makers - look no further than Norway, but that is
another story! Point being is that sake has far more common bonds with
beer makers than wine producers, perhaps it's because of my weird
tagline "Sake - built like beer - drinks like wine!"
So what did I take away from my brief visit to the Osake kura?
Sake is expensive and will only get pricier! I know this. I have
watched the pricing of sake go gradually up for years. It hurts!
Selling sake is extremely difficult when values slip away and when
importers ratchet up their prices. We loathe selling pricey sake! And
we have and will continue to keep our margins low. But some day we
will reach ye'ol tipping point! Some day folks won't pay above a
certain amount for imported sake and so therein rests the all-
important fact that sake drinkers need affordable and coiffable
locally made sakes. That is why I asked if Masa could be called the
most important man in sake? He is not a company! He is not a brewer!
He is not a trained veteran of the sake industry! And yet he is out
there on the frontlines making and selling sakes to a hungry local
market that continually buys his batches out! He sells out - always!
By the sheer economics of the total picture I am pulling like mad for
Masa. Quality, affordable, locally made sake. Can you ask for anything
else? Masa has tackled the affordable and the local and is working his
ass off to get the quality right! Does he make great sake? I would say
not yet! But there is also a magic about drinking fresh and local sake
that even great imported sakes can never achieve. Masa said time and
time again that I would not like his sake - and I had to repeat over
and over again that I am a purist and not a snob! I would rather drink
local and raw sake that is okay than beer or wine etc. That's just me!
But hopefully for the future of the sake market there are more of
"me's" out there!
Please
check out Masa's website (artisansakemaker.com) and if and when you go to Vancouver go
visit his "brewery."
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Sake Trial - Five "Trial Basis" Sakes to Explore
Every once in a while a sake miracle happens! Well perhaps "miracle"
is too strong for this, but nevertheless something eventful happened
and we are very pleased to announce that for an EXTREMELY short period
we will offer 5 (scratch that as the "help" already drank one of the
selections out) - we will offer 4 sakes that are unavailable in the
US. These brews have come to us on a trail basis to see if you
drinkers would enjoy having these sakes on US soil.
Basically we have been give one case each of the following sakes from
four great breweries that you well know. I don't want to do extensive
reviews for each brew, as we are looking for feedback to give to the
importer to help them decide to carry or not carry these selections.
But please note there are only 20 or so bottles of each brew and when
they are gone they are gone!
BUT this is a two way street - so please if you purchase one or of the
brews please be a Sake Pal and send us a quick email to
info @ truesake.com saying what you liked or didn't like about each
sake! Thank you and the importer thanks you as well. Here are the
selections:
- Kikuhime "Kinken" "Gold Sword" Junmai
From Ishikawa. This brewery flat out makes superb sake! But it
is real "man's" sake for sake's sake! We offer the Yamahai,
which is immense, at the store and this brew fits that mold as
well! (No pun intended!) A gripping flavor of dark honey is
wrapped in a bold and solid fluid that has weight to it. Think
of bitter chocolate and chickory essences that explode in a
larger vessel. A sake drinker's sake for certain!
$35 (720ml)
- Dewanoyuki "Yuki" Kimoto Junmai
From Yamagata Prefecture. This is a very different kimoto sake
that drinks light and boyount with crisp flavors such as dried
cranberry and young pears. Rich and zesty with a tone of
complexities.
$22/ (720ml)
- Tsukasabotan "Hana" Junmai
From Koichi Prefecture. We sell a lot of sakes from this kura
and this 70% Junmai fits right into their style. It's round and
dry and speaks to those who like sakes that taste like rice!
$22 (720ml)
- Urakasumi Ki-Ippon Tokubetsu Junmai
From Miyagi Prefecture. We sell a lot of sakes from this
brewery too! And likewise this version fits right into the
Urakasumi wheelhouse! A semi-rich and roasted Junmai with ricy
and rich sweet elements like oatmeal with brown sugar. This
sake warms very well!
$35 (720ml)
- Aramasa "Rokugo" "#6" Tokubetsu Junmai
From Akita Prefecture. We are sorry this guy went so quickly!
We only had six bottles and the home team took them all! Won't
say how important this sake is - they invented the #6 kobo!
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True Sake Exclusives - Miwa's Wataribune Shiboritate Alert
We have only 60 bottles of this amazing nama available! When I first
heard that this beloved spring namazake from Huchu Homare Brewery
(Ibarakki, Japan) would not be imported in 2010, I was extremely
disappointed and had to ask "Why?" Well, to make a long story short, I
implored the head of Joto Sake, Henry, to bring it in for those of us
who have waited for a year. He was generous enough to arrange 10 cases
for us. First come. First served. Last call.
$42 (720ml)
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Sake Events - Seasonal Nama Tasting and John G's Course Announcement (to come!)
April 16 - JPSA Nama Tasting / Meet Kazu!
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Date: Friday, April 16th
Time: 6:00-8:00pm
What: Gokyo Arabashiri, Urakasumi, Otokoyama Yukishibare, and Ichinokira Nigori
Where: True Sake
RSVP: Bring a dollar and show up
Special: 10% off for bottle purchase for these namas.
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April 30 - JOTO SAKE Nama Tasting
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Date: Friday, April 30th
Time: 5:30-7:30pm
What: Wataribune Nama, Kasumitsuru Shiboritate, and Eiko Fuji
Where: True Sake
RSVP: Bring a dollar and show up
Special: 10% off for bottle purchase for these namas.
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June 20-22 -The Professional Course (San Francisco, CA)
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Heeeeeeee's Back! My buddy John Gauntner is back in the states to
offer another of his sake courses coming up at the end of June. If
you have not taken one of John's courses and you are serious about
sake this is a not to miss learning experience. John has crafted
his program over the years and it is the best informative sake
course out there. Herewith is John's description:
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Date: June 20, 21 and 22, 2010
On June 20, 21 and 22, 2010, I will hold the fifth stateside
version of the Sake Professional Course the Bentley Reserve in
San Francisco. While three full days of sake is admittedly
intense, "no sake stone remains left unturned." Upwards of 80
sake will be tasted across the course. Participants will also
have the opportunity to take an exam for Level I Sake
Specialist certification immediately following the course.
A day-by-day syllabus and testimonials from past participants
can be found at www.sake-world.com/html/spclv.html. The cost
for the three-day class, including all materials and all sake
for tasting, is US$775. For reservations or inquiries, please
email
SakeCourseStateside @ sake-world.com.
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Industry Only Events:
These events are for those who are in restaurant, retail, and
distribution businesses.
May 27th - JFC Expo
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Date: Monday, May 17th
Time: 12:00 - 5:00 pm
Where: Cypress Hotel, Cupertino, CA
Register: www.sakeexpert.com
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June 5th - NA Sales Restaurant Show
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Sake Stuff - Japanese For Sake Lovers
Here is another effort by our dear friend John.
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Japanese For Sake Lovers: A Guide to Proper Pronunciation
By John Gauntner
Do you love sake but find the language to be a barrier? Break that
wall down, or at least chip away at it, with Japanese for Sake
Lovers - a short, concise instructional guide on how to properly
and naturally pronounce the Japanese language, in particular sake
brand names, and all the terminology that is a part of the sake
world.
Japanese for Sake Lovers consists of a short text and three audio
files. It all begins with guide to the theory of pronouncing
Japanese, and after digesting that, you can practice sake-related
terminology and brand names with a native speaker. Learn more and
get your copy here:
www.sake-world.com/html/jfsl.html
For the rest of the month of April, Japanese for Sake Lovers is
being offered at an introductory price of $9.99. On top of that,
the first forty to purchase it - or any other product available at
www.sake-world.com/html/educational-products.html, will be
eligible for a free copy of the Sake Dictionary iPhone app.
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New Store Arrivals - Masumi Arabashiri'10, Ichishima Koshu, Jinyu, Yukikage
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Masumi Arabashiri "First Run" 2010
From Nagano Prefecture.
Junmai Ginjo Nama Genshu.
SMV: -1.5 Acidity: 1.8
This undiluted and unpasteurized sake is raw and vivacious. The
nose is filled with tangerine, pineapple, rose hips and mineral
elements. The first sip tells one that this sake "talks the talk"
as a lively citrus start meets a balanced and lemon-grass middle
mouth for a clean and fresh pallet adventure. Look for hints of
grapefruit amongst the clean and balanced layers of crisp flavors.
The acidity play blends with the ripe fruit elements to produce a
snap and a semi-sweet "lightness" not usually found in
"Arabashiri" sake. This raw brew has an 18% alcohol personality
with a finish that is brazenly fresh. More body and flavor than
the 2009 version!
WORD: Grapefruit
WINE: Beaujolais
BEER: Octoberfest Brews
FOODS: Bold cuisine with strong character.
$33(720ml)
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Ichishima "Koshu"
From Niigata Prefecture.
Ginjo Koshu (Aged for 5 years).
SMV: +4 Acidity: 1.3
The nose on this aged sake is a splendid collection of musky
earthtones, damp wool, raisins, vanilla, pickeled veggies and
baked potatoes. Some koshu sakes are too musky and heavy, and then
there is this version of a sake aged for 5 years. A medium-bodied
brew that has hints of ginjio qualities that ride on a foundation
of deep and wide flavors such as vanilla and sweet raisins. Look
for honey elements and a handful of nuts amongst the very well
balanced acidity that leaves the palate with a flavorful tingle.
Larger glasses relax the brew down even more and room temperature
brings out more earthy and nutty flavors. Smaller glasses increase
deeper and wider koshu impact.
WORD: Elegant
WINE: Bordeaux/Deep Whites
BEER: Belgian Ales
FOODS: Meats and game, cheese plates, Chinese fare, and cigars!
$72 (720ml)
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Yukikage "Snow Shadow"
From Niigata Prefecture.
Tokubetsu Junmai.
SMV: +4 Acidity: +1.3
This "solid as your father" sake has a mild nose filled with green
apple, bamboo, steamed rice, apricot and pudding elements. Talk
about a "feeling" brew that is grounded and drinks very well
balanced. It's a classic "non-impactful" sake that is a joy to
drink because it is so solid and so sake! There is a smooth and
subtle richness that hides within a tight and compact delivery
that rounds out more in a larger vessel. Take the flavor elevator
up for hints of rice crackers and steamed rice, and down for semi-
sweet deep and earthy tones including maple syrup and caramel. A
light and solid sake that has many masks, but one solid face.
WORD: Smooth
WINE: Merlot/Sauvingnon Blanc
BEER: Hefferweisen
FOODS: Sushi, sashimi, grilled oily fish, Asian fried fare.
$23 (720ml)
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Hakutsuru
From Nada Prefecture.
Junmai Ginjo.
SMV: +3 Acidity: 1.3
Talk about a gentle and yet elegant sake that is incredibly
drinkable. The nose on the brew is a whispered collection of
cantaloupe, white grape, sweet rice, raisin, and spring water
elements. Clean, smooth with a hint of fruit tones this brew
drinks very even with a dry round finish. Look for layers of
nuanced flavors such as melon and dried pear all on a gentle flow
that feels good in the mouth. A larger glass makes this brew all
the more smooth, and the lower alcohol content may appeal to those
looking for a lighter sake experience.
WORD: Dry
WINE: Merlot/Pinot Griggio
BEER: Crisp Ales
FOODS: Sushi, sashimi, gentle flavors, shellfish, light summer dishes.
$15 (720ml)
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Jinyu "Brave Warrior"
From Chiba Prefecture.
Junmai Ginjo.
SMV:+/-0 Acidity: 1.4
This Riddler of a sake is all things to all people. Riddle me this
- is it tangy, astringent, sour or sweet? You can't tell because
it is deep with layers of fruit tones including citrus here and
plums there. Velvety, smooth and different this is a guessing
man's brew that keeps you coming back to the question - why does
it taste so good? If you question the universe then let the sake
universe question you back with a brew that thinks as well as it
drinks!
WORD: Complex
WINE: Expressive Reds/Deep Whites
BEER: Winter Belgians
FOODS: Character cuisine with lots of flavors working, smoked fish, shell fish, semi-spicy fare.
$30 (720ml)
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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
Lynette's Pick:
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Kirinzan Junmai
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From Niigata Prefecture / SMV: +4 / Acidity: 1.4 / $28 (720ml)
Another great tasting sake from the Niigata prefecture! This
Junmai is very well-balanced. Gentle, light and very very
smooth. Taste is clean with slight rice tones. Also has a
pleasant, ricey sweetness in its aftertaste but overall is
fairly neutral on the sweet-dry scale. A little fruitiness
comes out and flavors are a bit more pronounced as it warms
up. Excellent sake in a fancy bottle.
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Miwa's Pick:
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Kuro Kabuto Junmai Daiginj
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From Fukuoka Prefecture / SMV:-2 / Acidity: 2.0 / $32 (720ml)
This Junmai Daiginjo is brewed using black koji (as opposed to
yellow one.) The sake has a bright green apple and pineapple
aroma with a hint of bubble gum. The texture is soft and very
enjoyable. The taste is pure sweetness and the acidity adds
balance like a sweet lemon. This is a great sipping sake.
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Tax Month Specials:
Kamikokoro Junmai 720ml
Houraisen "Gin" Junmai Daiginjo 720ml
Shinzui Junmai Daiginjo Genshu 720ml
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Sake & Miwa - Snapshots from Kanazawa
This is the newest addition to the True Sake Newsletter! Did you know
the word "Miwa" was an ancient name for sake? You do now! So please
enjoy "Sake Thoughts" from Miwa the manager and new Partner of True
Sake.
A few weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to receive an invitation to
visit Mr. Imura Shinjiro in the city of Kanazawa, Japan. Imura-san is
a second generation organic farmer who is dedicated to creating
organic and sustainable farming methods that can be handed down to
future generations. The family farm grows organic rice, soybeans,
wheat, barley and vegetables; and his company called Kanazawa Daichi
10 produces organic food products using these crops. His operation is
known to be one of the biggest in Japan.
www.k-daichi.com
During this trip I learned a lot about the people, the sake, and the
land, all of which touched my heart. Unfortunately, my camera broke on
me the first day, and I have almost no pictures to show. So, I decided
to offer some "conceptual" snapshots of my adventure.
AKIRA
Working with a local sake brewery,
Nakamura Shuzo
(www.nakamura-shuzou.co.jp), Imura-san's latest endeavor has been
to create organic sake called Akira, named after his father. Akira is
Junma-shu (sake), brewed with certified organic rice called
"Mitsuhikari". This rice is an eating rice variety (not sake rice)
created from Koshihikari and Hitomebore varieties. The sake has a
rich grain and earthy tones and drinks well close to room temperature.
Every sip of this sake conjures up the spirits of the farmers and the
taste of rice they grow. The sake is yet to be exported, but I hope
the sake debuts in the U.S. in near future.
TASTE OF KOJI
Imura-san was making tofu when I and two other guests (Timothy
Sullivan of
Urban Sake,
and Eli Forbyn from
Rainbow Grocery) arrived at Kanazawa Daichi.
We had the opportunity taste fresh tofu along with three different
types of soy sauce made from his organic soybeans and wheat. In
addition to tofu, the company also makes miso. As we hung out and
chatted about miso, Imura-san brought two different types of white and
yellow koji (mold) used in making their miso.
Koji, as you now, is a key agent in sake making as well. I've seen
koji mold itself and tasted koji rice (rice propagated with the mold),
but I have never tasted the mold itself! This was a perfect chance.
As I approached an opened bag of white koji, I asked, "Do you mind if
I taste it?" Imura-san replied with his warm smile, "Dozo."
I poured a small amount of the koji mold onto my palm and examined the
texture. It resembled the look of kosher salt rather than the fine,
dust-like particles that I was familiar with. I then licked it and
chewed. "Crunch, crunch" was the subtle sound of my teeth crushing
koji echoing in my head. The taste reminded me of some dry herbs with
a hint of citrus. I liked it. (I thought this koji, served on top of
ice cream, like crushed nuts or coco-nibs, might be good.)
RICE
After tasting the tofu (and koji), we sat around a table in a room
next to the tofu making area. I brought a few things from California
as "omiage" (gifts). One of them was organic rice from Sacramento. I
thought it would be interesting for Imura-san to "contrast and
compare", so to speak. I, then, learn that he is a licensed rice
certification officer. He is trained to examine and grade rice.
(These things happen for a reason.) He got up and brought a round
black tray and another one in white. He showed us how to spot inferior
grains. If you have three pieces of grain with brown spots per given
amount, the rice will not be qualified as top grade, etc. Well, his
rice was so much more beautiful than the one I brought. I learned a
good rice lesson.
SAKE KASU
On the second day, we visited Nakamura Shuzo (sake brewery). Although
brewing for this year had ended, we had a tour of the facility. As we
stood next to a Yabuta-style sake pressing machine, Eli asked "What do
you do with the leftovers from the pressing?" The rice solid left
over after clear sake has been pressed is called "kasu", which many of
you have had or know about. Sake kasu is usually sold to other
businesses that utilize or sell it for a variety of uses. What I did
not know was that some kasu is put back into a small tank and
undergoes a second fermentation. After 4 months of aging, the kasu
liquefies and becomes a perfect ingredient for pickle makers. There
is no waste in sake making, and the power of fermentation never ends!
BODAI MOTO
After we left the brewery, we headed to a local green grocery for
lunch. The first floor sold many natural, organic products and the
second floor had a cute little kitchen serving homemade vegetarian
lunches. As we were roaming around the store, Tim spotted some sake in
a small fridge in a corner of the store. I looked to see what it was.
To my surprise it was the funkiest sake I had ever tasted in my life,
and I had not seen it for 4 years. This sake comes from a brewery in
Chiba made with Bodai-moto (starter). The Bodai method was developed
by monks at Bodaisen Shoraku Temple in Nara about 600 years ago. It
starts with uncooked rice instead of steamed rice. (For more on Bodai-
moto in Japanese:
www.hanatomoe.com/story/bodaimoto_story.html.)
That evening, our last dinner was at a cozy vegetarian restaurant. On
their sake menu was the same bodai-moto sake. "Destiny," I thought and
ordered it for everyone to try. As I said before, the sake is "funky"
in an unexplainable way. It tastes sour, sweet, raw, and yeasty, and
it feels bubbly. I got the impression the only ones at the dinner who
did not mind the flavor were I and Imura-san. He kept saying, "It
tastes very much like my doboroku!", his home-made brew. He ended up
bringing back this un-finished bottle of sake to his father, Akira-
san.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Ishikawa Prefecture is known for Noto toji guild (a sort of brewmaster
trade union), and sake there is brewed in their tradition. For a list
of breweries in Ishikawa,
check here. If
you have any questions, feel free to visit me at the store. I had
never been to Kanazawa before this trip, but I found the people to be
warm and the city to be very welcoming and familiar. I will definitely
go back.
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"Ask Beau" - "Do you have any sake party factoids?"
LOL - this question came from Dennis R. who resides in Boston, Mass. I
just couldn't resist this query as of course I have a ton of sake
factoids that are extremely useful in those sake party environments.
Hmmmm but what factoid would chum the waters best? Hey Dennis did you
know that the original sake brewers used to be village virgins who
used to chew and spit rice to create an oatmeal like gruel? How about
coconut husks were and still are used as the charcoal medium for
charcoal filtration? Or what about sake being the last liquid on the
lips of kamekaze pilots during the war? Or for that matter during the
war rice was so restricted that they even made a sake void of any
rice, which was powerful enough to fuel the very planes that went into
combat?
Too weird? Okay how about some numbers? The sake brewing world uses 30
kilo (66lbs) bags of rice as their basis for purchasing and
calculations. Two 30 kilo bags of rice will produce 40 isho-bin (1.8L)
bottles of sake. (132lbs of rice makes roughly 19 gallons of sake).
Another brewer told me that he uses 1.5Kilos of rice to make one
"ishobin" 1.8L bottle of sake. Yikes! That's almost 4lbs of rice per
60oz bottle. Or in other words for every 720ml bottle - the typical
wine-sized bottle - it takes roughly 1 ¾ lbs of rice.
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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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 Jinyu Hyakunin Isshu no Shirabe (Junmai Ginjo).
We will normally sell it for $32, but for you sake jockeys we will
part with this 720ml (in a box) for $16 AND let you buy as many as 6 bottles! 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!
Back to top
Thank you for reading!
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Consider this...
Sake and cheese? You bet! There is a very strong movement for pairing
sake with cheese both here in the US and in Japan. One wouldn't think
it would work, but it does. And brews you'd swear would never go well
with a cheese type do! Higher acidity sakes tend to take on creamier
cheeses better and dryer sakes take on saltier cheesy with ease.
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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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