Sake Daze

Manhattan, Wine of Japan sake portfolio tasting. A quick survey, focusing on the new, but also noting some changes:

Akita Homare (Akita Prefecture)

• Pride of Akita Junmai Daiginjo: Akita Sake Komachi milled to 41%, Komachi yeast, SMV +0.5. I remember being surprised by this last year, as it was very rich and full-flavoured for a daiginjo, and surprisingly dry for such a low SMV. This was quite different, lightly earthy nose, but pretty cool, clean, and lightly sweet. Go figure

Banshu Ikkon (Hyogo Prefecture)

• Kaede no Shizuku (Maple Leaf Rain Drop) Junmai Ginjo: Hyogo Yumenishiki milled to 60%, SMV +3. Hello? Last year this was all campfires and bacon on the nose, this year softly perfumed. Palate was very similar, mild and smooth.

Sanwa Shuzo (Shizuoka Prefecture)

• Garyubai Junmai Daiginjo: Yamada Nishiki milled to 40%, SMV +2. Ay, still a lovely drop. Smooth, soft, caressing, perhaps a touch too sweet to be properly mizumitai.

Kan Nihonkai (Shimane Prefecture)

• Ryoshizake Junmai Ginjo: Yamada Nishiki and Gohyakumangoku milled to 50%, SMV +4. Fresh, mild nose, soft, light, round, delicate, clean, but with a firmly starchy dry finish.
  
• Mizusumi no Sato Junmai Daiginjo: Yamada Nishiki milled to 40%, SMV +3. More fruitiness than the Ryoshizake, but with a milder nose than last year, where the sour nuttiness didn't quite agree with me.
  
• Chokarakuchi Junmai Genshu: Gohyakumangoku milled to 65%, SMV +15!!!: Powerful and earthy, full-bodied, almost syrupy melon, but also a bit hollow-feeling on the mid and hot on the finish. No, not quite my thing, this place.

Ohara Shuzo (Fukushima Prefecture) - a new brewery for me.

• Kurashikku Junmai Daiginjo (2005): Yamada Nishiki, and SMV +1. Savoury nose, fried onions, also more fried onions on the palate, but relatively dry. Odd. Aged in the bottle.
  
• Kangenkaku Junmai Daiginjo (2009): Yamada Nishiki, SMV +1, acidity 1.5, amino acidity 1.0, #9 yeast. Apparently the same brew as the Kurashikku J.D., and much cleaner and enjoyably sweeter.
  
• Kurashikku Junmai: also from Yamada Nishiki, SMV +2. Notably pungent and earthy on the nose, soft and round, with an earthy and savoury finish. Not my favorite.

Maihime (Nagano Prefecture)

• Maihime (Dancing Princess) Junmai Ginjo: Miyama Nishiki milled to 50%, SMV +3. Almost the opposite sake from last year, which I'd found rich and mellow, and distinctly chocolate-y. Weirdly, this year's description calls this a mellow sake, whereas last year's suggested it was light and dry - more appropriate this year! The nose, however, was sour, almost pungent, with shellac tones. Strange.
  
• Maihime Tokubetsu Junmai Karakuchi Ki-ippon: Miyama Nishiki milled to 55%, SMV +6. Clean nose, light and pine. Sharply dry, slightly astringent, not as pleasant as the JG.
  
• Maihime Tokubetsu Junmai Karakuchi Ki-ippon: Curiously, they were pouring a second bottle with exactly the same name, yet they said that this was a new product, not in the catalog, and not available for export. It certainly tasted different, rather more sour and assertive, with a softer, sweeter finish.
  
  

  Here it is, the new product.

Kanazawa Nakamura (Ishikawa Prefecture) - the highlight here should have been being able to try the cup sake version of the Nichiei Junmai which is intended to be served frozen (now called Kaga no Yukizake. Only, they served it just chilled. Bad form! Less information seems to be the style of the day as well, very little technical info available.

• Nichiei (Glory of the Sun) Junmai Daiginjo: All I know is this is SMV +5 (last year's was Yamada Nishiki milled to 50%, SMV ±0, acidity 1.5, amino acidity 1.4, yeast #14)... hmmm. Come on now! This was tasty, sweet, earthy and melon fresh on the nose... how they'd do all that? Entry is sweet and musky but followed a huge slope down to a clean and very dry finish. Nice!
  
• Nichiei Junmai Ginjo: Yamada Nishiki, sour and pungent nose, light and smooth, with sour and savoury edges. Much preferred the J.D. What's going on with me?

Toshimori (Okayama Prefecture)

• Sake Hitosuji Akaiwaomachi Junmai Daiginjo: Akaiwa Omachi milled to 38%, SMV +4. Another full-bodied daiginjo, dry, nutty, sour, earthy, with good acidity. Finally, a consistent sake! Next!

Ozawa Shuzo (Tokyo Prefecture) - after seeing that Sake and Kimono fellow's blog, with the video at Sawanoi, I needed to have a little sip, even if I already know I like their stuff. So, a bit of Genroku Junmai for me: Akihikari milled to 90%, SMV -8. To refresh, this sake is produced in a manner and style from a period in the late 17th century. In addition to the more coarse milling, the mash is fermented in casks made of sugi. Clearly a different style of sake.


Shirakawago (Gifu Prefecture) - having failed to get to Shirakawago for the Douburoku Festival, despite having actually been "in the area" (will I forgive myself?), I felt compelled to visit the table and tell of my woes. I was rewarded with a sample of a new product, yet to be released I was told, not even in Japan. Maybe they were just trying to make me feel better?


This, on the right, is Awanigori Junmai, a bottle fermented sparkling nigori-zake! It is only slightly bubbly, but nicely dry, sort of like that Bijofu sparkling nigori J. and I had on our last night in Kyoto. I do like this trend of drier sparkling sake. It's more enjoyable and less of an oddity.


Otani Shuzo (Tottori Prefecture)

• Takaisami (Hawk's Bravery) Nakadare Junmai Ginjo: They told me that this is a new product, different from last year's in that it is shizuku - drip pressed. I thought it tasted rather the same, which is to say, it was very nice, running the gamut, sweet entry, starchy and dry mid and a clean finish. Solid sake.

Tenryo (Gifu Prefecture)

• Hidahomare (Pride of Hida) Junmai Ginjo: Hidahomare milled to 50%, SMV +3, and brewed with a flower yeast. Rich, aromatic nose, both savoury and fruity, contrasting palate - bright but mild, light and starchy.
  
• Koshu Junmai Daiginjo: Hidahomare milled to 50%, SMV +4, aged 3 years in the bottle at 6°C. I liked this last year, and no change - rich, but soft and elegant, nice acidity, satisfying.

Kitagawahonke (Kyoto Prefecture) - this Fushimi brewer, known for the brand Tomio, was not present last year, but the president's wife was on hand, and very happy to hear that I'd just recently been to Kyoto, and enjoyed their Hiyaoroshi. Effusive invitations to visit followed.

• Tomio Tokubetsu Junmai: brewed from "organic" Nihonbare rice, this had a particularly full and nutty nose, in contrast with its taste - light, mild, and starchy, fairly dry with sour highlights - tasty, and slightly askance of the typically soft Fushimi style.

Asabiraki (Iwate Prefecture)

• Nanbu Touji Tokubetsu Junmai Kimoto: Hyogo Tamasakae (organic) milled to 60%, SMV +2, acidity and amino acidity 1.5. Fruity nose, pleasantly nutty and savoury.
  
• Zen Junmai Ginjo: A new product, Gin Otome milled to 55%, SMV +1. Milder and cleaner than the Zen Tokubetsu Junmai but with a similar nuttiness. Only available in a 400ml bottle, an unusual size.

Last stop was at the Kitaya table, where shacho was on hand. Evidently, he remembered our night at the karaoke bar earlier in the year, as I was greeted with a big bear hug and enthusiastic shaking of hands! Followed by a generous helping of his Junmai Daiginjo Kasumizake, a lovely usu-nigori which I can't get enough of!