Kyoto Prefecture's Tamanohikari - not the oldest brewery, not quite 340 years old - produces only junmai ginjo and junmai daiginjo sake, and is primarily responsible for the revival of the Omachi varietal of rice. It's also one of the first breweries my sake mentor introduced me to, and the owner of my favorite izakaya, buried in the bowels of Tokyo Station - even Japanese friends who I have taken there have been mightily impressed by the quality of the food there. A must stop for me.
Thus, it seemed appropriate to start the New Year off with this. Tamanohikari Tokusen Junmai Ginjo. Yamada Nishiki milled to 60%, SMV +3, acidity 1.8, amino acidity 1.5, 901 yeast, and 15.6% abv. Clean, sweet, melony nose. The palate is a good representation of Fushimi's excellent springwater and soft, feminine style - rich, round, sweet, but transitioning to a more mineral driven draught, finishing with good acidity and bitter/melon rinds, followed by a long, pleasant, nutty and fruity after-taste.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Tamanohikari Tokusen Junmai Ginjo [1 Koku - 42]
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I wonder who your sake mentor could be...I think we have some mutual friends.
ReplyDeleteThat glass looks familiar to me, is it the place that makes light bulbs in Tokyo?
Love your tasting notes, very clear and precise.
Finally, what is your source there for the good stuff? Do you mail order or have a good shop in Philly?
My dear Madam... thank you! Mutual friends? Perhaps - who?
ReplyDeleteMy sake mentor is an old Japanese colleague of my father's, not remotely involved in the sake business, but knows his food and drink (and Japanese literature... I consider him my mentor for all three.)
The glass is made by Shotoku Glass, in Tokyo - yes, the bulb maker, well spotted.
My sake sources vary, keeping supplied is practically a part-time job. PA is tricky - you can order through the State website, but you are the mercy of the distributors. I visit Mitsuwa in Edgewater NJ periodically (largest selection of isshobin I know of), and I have a local shop in Camden (of all places) that carries a few things and takes my recommendations (they now stock Daishichi and Akita Seishu). In NYC, I try to stop at Sakaya, and I have purchased from Astor Wines occasionally. I've only ordered online a couple of times, from sake.nu and sakehouseusa.com. And finally, periodic trips to Japan.
Tokyofoodcast peeps are good friends. Your mentor sounds fabulous. Do they stock sake mentors at Mitsuwa?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the details about sourcing. This is a concern for me in Wash D.C. I've mail ordered from Sakaya and have noticed that Sake Social has some good prices. Must get to Mitsuwa. The small, scattered Japanese shops in this area are somewhat hit or miss, but the Korean supermarts sometimes have something delish.
Mata nee...