The “Beau-Zone” Layer – Takenotsuyu & Kudoki Jozu
From Yamagata Prefecture
Junmai Daiginjo
SMV: +1 Acidity: 1.2
From Yamagata Prefecture
Junmai Ginjo
SMV: +1 Acidity: 1.2
In honor of the 250th Issue of this Newsletter I wanted to pick two sakes from two breweries that I have great love and respect for, and wanted to highlight their sake as they were a large part of my True Sake DNA. The needle of my sake compass used to point to Yamagata Prefecture, way back when! Two men (and one son) took it upon themselves to educate this gaijin from California, who was crazy enough to open the first dedicated sake shop outside of Japan. Masao Aisawa from Takenotsuyu and Shunji Imai from Kudoki Jozu showed me what sake making was all about using their awesome breweries as my classroom, and then encouraging me to speak to the Yamagata Sake Brewers Association for their annual meeting of all the breweries. Shunji’s son Toshi Imai acted as my translator when I spoke to this group of all presidents and their Toji (master brewers), and I grew an amazing crush on all things Yamagata sake. It was one of the big honors of my life telling this group what the international sake market looked like, but more importantly what it would look like in the future. In a sense, I represented the future of overseas sake, and they made me feel really appreciated and really cool! Ha! Almost too cool.
I worked in both breweries doing different jobs for both men, but I would find out later that I was the first white guy to ever work the koji room at Kudoki Jozu without my shirt on! Imai-shacho was a clean freak, and his brewery was used as an education center for other brewery owners who would travel to Yamagata to learn how a “clean brewery” operated and maintained a spotless working environment. And he let me work in his precious koji room. I will never forget that! And Masao Aisawa has left his mark many times over on True Sake and SAKE DAY. And to think their breweries are 3 miles apart!
So, if you have never tried anything from either of these breweries, then today is your day! Both the Junmai Ginjo from Kudoki Jozu AKA “The Pick-Up Artist”, and the Junmai Daiginjo from Takenotsuyu AKA “Winter Water” are two of my “soul” sakes that helped further my education about sake, about Yamagata sake, and about the passion and dedication it takes to be a sake brewer. These two sakes helped make True Sake the store that it is today, and they both deserve to be the Beau-Zone Layer sakes for our 250th Issue. Rock on! Get your Yamagata on! And be awesome.