Kyoto Wrap, Part II

Continuing on this particular odyssey, a huge can of sake, half a litre of Kikusui Funaguchi Ichiban Shibori Honzojo Nama Genshu - I quite like this sake, the ultimate winter warmer, but this is a lot of firepower!


Liquor Mountain in Fushimi, where we picked up a pair of 20% nama genshu, for breakfast.


Back to Torisei in Fushimi for more of the delightful ginjo nama genshu.


So, they keep the tank of sake right out in the middle of the restaurant, but I'd not seen them top up the tank before. Only wish they'd pick a nicer bucket, rather than the kind that one finds in Asian toilets.


Having gone for a quick dip in Arashiyama (ok, ok, I fell in), warmed up with some familiar convenience-store purchases: Tama no Hikari Junmai Ginjo and Shirataki Mizunogotoshi Junmai. Standard fare, the former being true to Fushimi-style, soft and neutral, and the latter being slightly unusual Niigata fare, soft and slightly round, but still clean.


Back to Nichi-an. My first Jokigen, a ginjo yamahai genshu, yamada nishiki milled to 55%, SMV +6, acidity 1.4, amino acidity 1.2, and 16.5% alcohol, which seems particularly low for a genshu. Not that I could tell that it was yamahai, genshu, and not junmai. Very tasty and balanced.


Ebi-san at Nichi-an. I really would appreciate if someone could tell me what the one on the right is... "Etsugaijin?" But not that gaijin. On the right though, my first Furosen, a Yamahai Junmai Daiginjo - one of the very, very few breweries that don't use any cultured yeasts. Graceful with richness and umami, but certainly not wild.


Another first for me, Jyuyondai Tatsuno Otoshigo Junmai Nama - the tatsuno otoshigo (seahorse) is the name of the rice varietal. Soothing and pretty gentle, but what a price! ¥3400 for the 720ml bottle.


Having tired of walking, we took a day trip to Amanohashidate. The train, as ever, is an opportunity to drink sake. Another of Fushimi's own, Tomio Junmai Ginjo Hiyaoroshi, which was full of fall feeling, just plumped up and savoury enough.


Back to Kyoto, Daimon-san at Mukune had recommended that we visit the sake bar Yoramu, which is run by an Israeli guy. I can't help but feel we'd have had a better experience if we were actually Japanese, which is a strange twist, but I'll leave that alone and just comment on the sake. The focus here is on unpasteurised sake, and aged sake, much of it aged by the owner with a strict foreswearing of temperature control. Given that most producers are reluctant to ship namazake abroad because of a) lack of temperature control and b) shipping time affects freshness, here is a shop on the far side of the spectrum. Above, Kidoizumi Junmai Nama Genshu, an organic producer from Chiba, one of the prefectures I missed on my One Koku Challenge. This had unmistakeable genshu power, though the nama-ness was not so evident. Of course, the owner insists that "most sake is not ready to drink for 3 to 4 years", so who knows what this bottle has lived through.


(L) Kariho Yamahai, apparently not the Namahage, and aged by the proprietor for 10 years, in his hall closet. It was surprisingly mellow, not raging and mad like the Namahage, with only a mild sourness giving nod to the method. (M)Joho - not sure of the brewing details, except that although this sake was bottled in 2008 (20BY), it was actually aged, warm, by the brewery for 8 years before that. Again, unexpectedly mellow, only the earliest hints of madeirization. (R) A mystery producer, but lots of details - junmai muroka, gohyakumangoku rice milled only to 80%, SMV +8, acidity 2.7, 19.5% abv (genshu?), and aged for 4 years before bottling last year. The "wildest" of the group, but primarily for the acidity.


(L) Another organic producer, from Kochi, Mutemuka (no hand, no crown) Junmai Nama. Aged by the producer for 6 months at room temperature, resulting in a biggish but dry sake with a particularly earthy and ricy finish. (M) The same Terada Honke as earlier at Umi (oho, not so unique are we, Mr. Yoramu?). (R) Maibijin Yamahai Junmai, truly a "dancing beauty."


Back to Nichi-an, for dinner and more sake. Unfortunately, at precisely this moment, my back legs failed and I have no recollection whatsoever of the producer. As you can see, the label is of no help in this matter, but what it is is a "single-paddy-field" sake. We tried two, this 611, and another, the 437. They struck me as being particularly fragrant and fruity, a bit like dewasansan rice. I wish I could remember the brewer's name!


Next day, back legs recovered, a less-exalted lunch along the river in Arashiyama, with this "shibotasonomama", a variation on "just pressed" that I've not seen before this trip (but now seeing everywhere.)


Being the friendly sorts we are, we invited some passing-by kayakers for a drink, and they heartily accepted (and approved of our selections.)

And finally, the last sake selections of the trip. (L) Suigei Junmai from Kochi Pefecture. Love the name, "drunken whale", and the sake is lovely and dry, and this is no exception. I prefer this one though, made from Hattan Nishiki, to the tokubetsu junmai made from Matsuyama Mitsui - not sure why, just not keen on the latter's anise notes. (R)Bijofu Junmai Usu-nigori, not only just lightly filtered, but bottled with the intent of allowing continuing fermentation, and thus, a lightly sparkling, but thoroughly dry sake. Not as tasty as Mukune's usu-nigori, but probably the tastiest sparkling sake I've tried.

Odd or not, it took about a week of being back in the U.S. before I felt the need to open a bottle of sake again. More on that, soon.