Tozai Typhoon [1 Koku - 11]

It certainly is a coincidence that we had this open when our own local "typhoon" appeared to blow through. I was about to brave the rain, having turned around to fetch my glass, when the hail started pelting down. Ouch. Tozai is the label co-created by Yasutaka Daimon of Mukune and Vine Connections, although this particular sake, and several of the other Tozai products are actually produced by Kizakura, a moderately large producer located in Kyoto's Fushimi district. Apart from a whimsical gallery dedicated to cartoonish depictions of the kappa, some sort of benevolent sake spirits, they've got an interesting little museum where if you bring your own containers, you can collect some of Fushimi's delightful springwater. I can't recall any particularly standout brews from them, though I must note that their nama taruzake is quite nice.


Not a lot of information out there on this, apart from the shelf talkers supplied by VC itself. While it is listed by some retailers as a futsushu, VC calls this, simply, a "premium" sake. Well, those are at odds with each other, and there is no clear indication on the label. Further, VC's website notes that the milling percentage here of 70% "is the same as most higher grade Junmai sake." So? What is it? If it's not junmai (and we know it's not ginjo), but it is in fact premium, then the only thing left is honjozo. Which makes VC's comment odd, unless they have some sort of junmai bias, which, no, is still odd, and rather begs the question, why not just make a junmai then? But, if as described elsewhere, it really is futsushu, well, then, it's not premium at all, is it. Clear as mud.

Well, at least the sake is clear, very clear, untinted really. The nose is rather forward, fruity and floral, dare I say junmai-esque. On the palate, it enters sweet and forward, but that's short-lived as bitters seem to be the dominant mid-profile, followed by rice-starch and melons, and finally a coconut water/coconut oil finish. It is a touch heaty (though only 14.9% abv), so I might guess this is still aruten, with perhaps a slightly shorter fermentation time. It's really quite ok, and it certainly fills a mid-range price-wise between the industrial dreck and proper premium sake, but I must admit to being a bit peeved by the lack of clarity over what it is.