"Moon after the Rain", by Hiroshima's Aihara Shuzo. Apparently, their focus is on Daiginjo sake - so much so, this product isn't even listed on the website. I wonder if this is the equivalent of declassified? Brewed from Hattan Nishiki and Omachi rice, SMV +3, acidity 1.3, and 15.5% abv. Very light, clean nose. Mild, neither crisp nor round, and very, very clean, especially well-chilled. Above this, a bit of earthiness becomes apparent (maybe the omachi?), though the alcohol starts asserting almost immediately. At room temperature, some sweet fruit, with grassiness and a touch of wood, but it is overpowered by the alcohol burn. I'm sticking with the ice-cold pour.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Ugo no Tsuki Tokubetsu Junmai [1 Koku - 61]
"Moon after the Rain", by Hiroshima's Aihara Shuzo. Apparently, their focus is on Daiginjo sake - so much so, this product isn't even listed on the website. I wonder if this is the equivalent of declassified? Brewed from Hattan Nishiki and Omachi rice, SMV +3, acidity 1.3, and 15.5% abv. Very light, clean nose. Mild, neither crisp nor round, and very, very clean, especially well-chilled. Above this, a bit of earthiness becomes apparent (maybe the omachi?), though the alcohol starts asserting almost immediately. At room temperature, some sweet fruit, with grassiness and a touch of wood, but it is overpowered by the alcohol burn. I'm sticking with the ice-cold pour.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Niwa no Uguisu Tokubetsu Junmai [1 Koku - 62]
By Fukuoka Prefecture's Yamaguchi Shuzo. The "Garden's Bush Warbler", with the "Daruma" label. Daruma is the Japanese name for the Bodhidharma, a Tamil prince turned Buddhist monk who is credited with having brought Zen Buddhism to China, and whose philosophies are the basis for Japan's Zen school.Koji rice milled to 50%, the rest to 60%, SMV +5, acidity 1.5, 15% abv. A little bit bright and tangy on the nose, dry and pretty earthy on the palate, with good acidic presence, yet it still feels soft. Works better with a mild chill, as the alcohol peeks out more at room temperature.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Where the Wild Yeasts Are [1 Koku - 63]
"The Crane of Kasumi" focuses on Kimoto and Yamahai sake (although, my first encounter with these guys was actually their Shiboritate Nama Genshu). I was hoping this would be a straight up comparison of the two styles, but with two different rice, one ginjo, one not... not so direct, but no matter.
Kasumi Tsuru Kimoto Extra Dry - I believe this is a honjozo, which, at 17.5% abv, would make sense. Gohyakumangoku rice milled to 65%, SMV +5, acidity 1.1. Nose is light, clean, melon, pepper, lightly floral, grass. On the attack, caramel, minerally, anise, mushroom, smoke, but still pretty clean... the flavours seem to disappear over the mid-palate, but there's quite a lot of "presence" on the back end, very dry... the alcohol peeks, but not very heaty. Teensy bit of acidic prickle on the finish.
Kasumi Tsuru Yamahai Ginjo - Yamada Nishiki milled to 55%, SMV +3, acidity 1.4., 15% abv. Slighty more floral nose than the Kimoto, definitely less sweet and fruity... dare I say a cleaner nose. Rich, round, some sweetness, a bit of funk on a raft of mineral water, but not as earthy as the Tengumai Yamahai from mid-summer by any stretch... clean, yet with good savoury character. Sweeter, rounder, fuller than the Kimoto. I'm prefering the Yamahai (although, let's see... $40 for the Yamahai in a 720 versus about $50 for the Kimoto in the isshobin... for a value Yamahai, the Tengumai wins hands down...$50 for the big bottle).
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Nihonjin no Wasuremono
Nihonjin no Wasuremono from Bunraku brewery in Saitama Prefecture, junmai yamahai, SMV +5. The given translation for the name is “Forgotten Japanese Spirit”, but once again, I prefer my probably incorrect version: "That which the Japanese forgot." Rich rice-y aroma, creamy, floral, a bit of nuttiness, nice fleshyiness, good acidity, especially on the finish, and surprising clean-tasting for a Yamahai… not at all funky … though I miss a little bit the funkiness, this is really quite good…
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Moon Rabbit
Ume no Yado Tsukiusagi (Moon Rabbit) Sparkling Sake. I'm a bit surprised to see Ume no Yado in the sparkling sake game, but there you go. 6.5% abv, not as foamy as the one I bought in Osaka last year. Very much usu-nigori clarity, sweet, ricey nose, reminds me of a sweet non-alcoholic rice "tea" that is "popular" in Korea, called shikgae. Super bright acidity, sweet, naturlisch, a slight cotton-candy aspect. Look chaps, it's fun, it's different, I definitely don't want to drink this more than once every couple of years.
Bundaberged
One positive about having lots of mates from Australia is the extensive exposure to their, um, "culture." It's not all fruit-bomb shiraz and VB vs XXXX beer wars down there - they've got rum too - the mighty Bundaberg! They call it a yobbo drink, as it's been reported that bundy drinkers are more inclined to yelling, shouting, and general carrying on. I've heard the stories, I've felt the impact, and quite frankly, I should know better. But whenever I get to chatting with the lads, I can't help but get the urge. But really, how does it taste?
Not. That. Good. Better than Mekhong, but really, what isn't? The straight Bundy "UP", seriously, shouldn't ever be consumed neat, even at only 37% abv, this is fiery. It is somewhat rum-like, but only barely. This is troubling. Why is the bottle almost empty? What have I gotten up to? I feel the urge to abuse some Englishmen.
The Distiller's #3 is supposed to be the high end stuff, "triple filtered", presumably to get all the evil stuff out, and knocking the proof up to about 85. This punches beyond it's weight though, and while it certainly is more palatable than the UP, I still wouldn't drink this neat. Apparently, there is an "Overproof" version (just what this product needs, more power), as well as some aged versions (could that possibly help? Old Bundy?)
I think I'll just stick to the beer.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Koshino Tousetsuka Junmai Ginjo [1 Koku - 64]
Takano Shuzo's "Winter Snow Flower", from Niigata Prefecture. A 1:1 blend of Yamada Nishiki and Gohyakumangoku, SMV +6, acidity 1.4, and 15.5% abv. Really almost nothing on the nose. Initially clean, light, and a bit softer on the entry than I'd have expected, with a minerally dry but slightly heaty finish. With some airtime, the alcohol presence tames a bit, but remains soft until a bit of prickle arrives as the finish commences. The finish itself is rather persistent, showing some subtle ripe melon notes, with a little bit of pear and roasted rice. It's quite ok, but just not generating as much "interest" for me at the moment.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Rikyubai Hanachirusato Daiginjo [1 Koku - 65]
Daimon-san's Hanachirusato Daiginjo. Semaibuai 48%, 16.8% alcohol, but even at SMV +3, acidity 1.5, and amino acidity 1.0, this errs to the sweet side. Nonetheless, it is wonderfully balanced, full and delicious, some bright juiciness and roasted rice notes, and nice peppery umami on the finish.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Miwatari Junmai Karakuchi [1 Koku - 66]
Lovely backstory to this sake, made by Toshimaya Sake Company in Nagano Prefecture's Okaya City, on the shores of Lake Suwa.
So, Lake Suwa is fed by a natural hot spring, so that when the surfaces freezes in the winter, the water below is still warm and circulating. Due to temperature differentials between night and day, surface and underneath, the ice expands and contracts, cracking with loud noises, and forming these ridges overnight, as seen in the photo above. The legend though is that this ice formation is caused by a god crossing (Miwatari - God's Crossing) the lake to visit the goddess of the Suwa-Taisha, a Shinto shrine more than 1200 years old.
The label on this export product (the domestic karakuchi has a different design) is based on azaleas, the city flower, floating on the waves of Lake Suwa. A couple of the other products from Toshimaya sport this label, but in different colours. I don't know about you, but I find the label very attractive.
That's a lot of info, and not a word about the sake! So! Shin-miyama-nishiki rice milled to 65%, brewed with the nonfoaming variant of #7 yeast, SMV +4, acidity 1.4, amino acidity 1.5, and 15.5% abv. Mild ricey aroma. Very clean, crisp and dry, with clear rice flavours and a touch of evergreen. Pretty tasty.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
2005 Simon Komjanc Vino' 900, Bottle #87
One of the last of the bottles I brought back from my trip to Friuli last fall, this is from San Floriano del Collio. Although the wine is called 900, only 200 bottles of this are made. Instead, the name is sort of a reference to the "old ways"... Novecento literally is 900, but is also a word for describing the 1900's. The family has a bit of an artistic streak, with their tasting room also functioning as a little gallery. I'm hoping this bottling isn't a reference to the Fascist art movement of the same name!
Unfiltered, unstabilised (I take that to mean no sulphur). Handmade (or footmade, as the grapes are crushed by these two... unclear if these are Komjanc's granddaughters or not.... they didn't speak a lick of English on premises, and actually it was the son Evgen, who pulled up on his tractor and let us in.) A blend of tocai friulano and ribolla gialla. A coppery yellow, but crystal clear colour. Nose of flowers, with a particular jasmine touch, with honey and petrichor notes. For me, quite a prominent sandalwood tone, with lemon, pine (calls to mind retsina, but very subtly), good acidity, medium+ weight, incense and bitters on the finish. There's a the very slightest touch of oak on the back end as this comes to room temperature, but absolutely nothing overt. Verry nice.
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