New Store Arrivals – Tsukinokatsura, Kuroobi, Katafune, Shishi no Sato, & Seiryo
From Kyoto Prefecture. Junmai. SMV: N/A Acidity: N/A
The nose on this sake that is back in the US with a new distributor is an amazing collection of sourdough, sunflower seed, peanut butter, hot chocolate, yeast, prosciutto, and nutty aromas. Welcome home! We love to welcome back one of our favorite almost prototypical “Kyoto” sakes made with local Iwai rice milled to only 88% and of course sporting that very soft Fushimi water, which makes this savory Junmai a round, smooth, velvety, rich, and umami filled brew that drinks a little lighter than before. Look for an array of outstanding flavors such as sweet nuts, white miso, dried mushrooms, clove, Whoppers, dried fig, black truffle, and butter. Yummy sake at its rich, creamy, and smooth best. Great at all three temperatures, and a true must if you want to taste a Kyoto classic. WORD: 88 WINE: Deep Pinot Noir/White Burgundy BEER: Creamy Belgian Ales FOODS: Sushi, sashimi, umami-filled cuisine, stews, chops, steaks, grilled chicken, mushroom risotto, grilled mackerel, bonito flake dishes, and fresh tomatoes.
From Ishikawa Prefecture. Aged Blended Yamahai Junmai. SMV: +5 Acidity: N/A
The nose on this sake made by the oldest brewery in Kanazawa, which has made sake for over 400 years, this special blended sake has a wonderful nose filled with mushroom, leather, almond, star anise, soy sauce, milk chocolate, aioli, butter, salted plum, and steamed rice aromas. Quickly becoming a staff favorite, this brew is made with blended batches of sake with differing rice varietals (Yamada and Kinmonishiki) milled to different levels and aged differently then released when it drinks at peak dryness and umaminess (my word) for a very cool drinking and food pairing experience. This is a wine and food lover’s sake and is sort of a hybrid to satisfy these new sake fans and their wicked ways. Light, dry, clean, water-like, rich-lite, bright, firm, and oddly refreshing for a Yamahai-style sake. It’s intelligent sake layered with an immense flavor field such as dashi, cocoa powder, spring water, butterscotch, crispy rice cracker, pinto bean, seaweed, daikon, rice malt, nutmeg, white pepper, mushroom powder, and grilled lemon with a massive umami backbone that makes it a pairing wonder. WORD: Umami WINE: Dry Reds/Rich Whites BEER: Dry Ales FOODS: Sushi, sashimi (Tuna), grilled mackerel, Sukiyaki, aged cheeses, Yakitori, and Izakaya pub-fare that is salty and savory.
From Niigata Prefecture. Junmai Ginjo Genshu. SMV: -50 Acidity: 4.3
The nose on this new world Junmai Ginjo is a stellar collection of Clementine, Sprite, plum, cinnamon, golden raisin, Sherry, fig, orange creamsicle, and sea salt aromas. Say hello to a market-defining sake from one of the most awarded sake breweries in Niigata. This “undiluted” sake which means there was no added extra water has a lower ABV at 13% than most sakes, but it still has all of that ricey, sweet body. Slippery, juicy, crisp, bright, sweet, silky, round, smooth, fleshy, and fruity, this brew drinks more like a cocktail than a sake and that is the point. Look for orange juice, peach, pomelo, lychee, honey, hibiscus, Tang, Asian pear, Bing cherry, pineapple, Lemonheads, and orange gum flavors that drink more like a Citrus Mai Tai or a Tequila Sunrise, but only has 13% ABV and is made of just rice and water. Clean, fruity fun for the new age sake fan. WORD: Fruity WINE: Sangria/Fruity Whites BEER: Fruity Ales FOODS: International sushi and spice, street fare. Beach tacos, cocktail cuisine, and fruit/cheese plates.
From Ishikawa Prefecture. Nama Origami Junmai Ginjo. SMV: ? Acidity: ?
The nose on this first time to the US unpasteurized Nama sake is a glorious collection of cucumber, radish, melted ice, white grape, Asian pear, and steamed sweet rice aromas. It’s always fun to discover sake perfection or to taste a brew at the best moment possible as it performs a delicious miracle. Made with a very “elite” rice varietal called Sake Mirai milled to 55% that is only offered to a handful of sake breweries, you can taste the impact and magic immediately. But first know that this maker is best friends with the brewer of Juyondai and he wants to whisper his amazing sake and not YELL like Juyondai. But the drinking similarities on this brew are undeniable. In a word, this sake drinks rich and royal, but it’s actually light and fresh. It has a zesty elegance that is almost a tingle, but it’s too cool for that. There is a very faint and gentle sweetness, which is perhaps the soul of the rice, and subtle flavors of grape, sugar cane, sweet berries, blueberry and perhaps your favorite sugar cube. There is a confectionery powdered sugar in Japan called wasanbon, and this fresh, tantalizing flavor emerges from the depths of this masterpiece. Simply magical sake drinking at its very best. WORD: Delicious WINE: Soft reds/Semi-sweet whites BEER: Light Ales FOODS: Sushi, sashimi, fresh crab, sweet shrimp, steamed lobster, cheese plates, fresh fruit salads, and honeydew.
From Ehime Prefecture. Junmai. SMV: -3 Acidity: 1.7
The nose on this tandem sake has a cool collection of sweet bread, Pomelo, green apple, lemon soda, mangosteen, Sweet Tarts, spring water, ginger, and citrus aromas. This is the complimentary sake from Seiryo that is called “Turf” (the other is “Surf”) and is made with the exact same ingredients: water, the same yeast, and same rice Matsuyama milled to 60%, but it is fermented differently with an extra addition of the ingredients to give it more body, depth, sweetness, and perhaps umami for food pairings with animals on land. It’s lively, spritzy, crisp, water-like, silky, plush, soft, and medium-bodied. Look for mineral, simple syrup, Calpis, cucumber, sugar apple, custard, Ramune, graham cracker, ginger cookie, lemon tart, and rock sugar flavors that roll across the palate. Take the body of this brew and pair it with your favorite “Turf.” WORD: Turf WINE: Fat Reds/Off-sweet whites BEER: Belgian Ales FOODS: Chicken, chops, steak, tri-tip, Yakitori, Tepanyaki, Shabu Shabu, wagyu, veal, venison, and duck.