Shaving with Sake

Sometimes those luxury products get a bit out of hand. For example, this "sake-infused shave cream"... 6oz for $35!!! Shipping and handling not included! Channeling my inner "Mrs. I can make it at home for nothing", I made it at home for nothing, and I didn't even require a small aubergine.



Ok, not completely for nothing... but definitely a better value than Kyoku! Quick to make, and simple ingredients; my last block of glycerine soap (the vegetarian stuff, it's Kosher too!), containing some lye, various oils, proteins, and fruit extracts. Good stuff. A packet of sake kasu - lees. It's only Hakutsuru, but it's junmai, and that's good enough for me. And finally, a splash of the Jun Tenzan Tokubetsu Junmai that I had open, for good measure.


Mix sake kasu with a little sake, to liquefy, melt the soap, heat to pasteurize, and pour into your mould.


Poured into my shaving bowl and allowed to set. Looks like, well, sake kasu.



Foams very nicely, smooth, but stiffly peaked. Looks promising.



No troubles with application. Feels heavy, definitely smells like sake kasu!


Nice feel, good resistance.


Coats well, glides well.


Clean and smooth. Unsurprisingly, this is much better than your standard drugstore product, the equal of any luxury creme I've tried. I must say though that my skin feels even softer and more moisturized than I expected. So, there might just be something to this sake-infusion. Maybe I should take orders... <img alt="" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9T848u4wxrU/TRgroF-pIdI/AAAAAAAADpQ/4zrUCDcPgeY/s400/kyoku.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 356px; height: 223px;" />Sometimes those luxury products get a bit out of hand. For example, this "sake-infused shave cream"... 6oz for $35!!! Shipping and handling not included! Channeling my inner "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCA6aoH0wWQ" target="_blank">Mrs. I can make it at home for nothing</a>", I made it at home for nothing, and I didn't even require a small aubergine<span class="fullpost">.<br /><br /><br /><img alt="" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9T848u4wxrU/TRgp-Ac_BXI/AAAAAAAADpI/NWiemUYZgog/s400/IMGP6657.JPG" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" /><br />Ok, not completely for nothing... but definitely a better value than Kyoku! Quick to make, and simple ingredients; my last block of glycerine soap (the vegetarian stuff, it's Kosher too!), containing some lye, various oils, proteins, and fruit extracts. Good stuff. A packet of <i>sake kasu</i> - lees. It's only <i>Hakutsuru</i>, but it's <i>junmai</i>, and that's good enough for me. And finally, a splash of the <i>Jun Tenzan Tokubetsu Junmai</i> that I had open, for good measure.<br /><br /><br /><img alt="" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9T848u4wxrU/TRgp9xigH5I/AAAAAAAADpA/FnijDToCuDA/s400/IMGP6672.JPG" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" />Mix <i>sake kasu</i> with a little sake, to liquefy, melt the soap, heat to pasteurize, and pour into your mould.<br /><br /><br /><img alt="" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9T848u4wxrU/TRgp9ppKAfI/AAAAAAAADo4/dvZvpwRdTHY/s400/IMGP6682.JPG" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" />Poured into my shaving bowl and allowed to set. Looks like, well, <i>sake kasu</i>.<br /><br /><br /><img alt="" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9T848u4wxrU/TRgp9c7IK3I/AAAAAAAADow/9P-Hr9RK4yA/s400/IMGP6688.JPG" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" /><br />Foams very nicely, smooth, but stiffly peaked. Looks promising.<br /><br /><br /><img alt="" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9T848u4wxrU/TRgomM14ezI/AAAAAAAADoo/dKdgn-awPko/s400/IMGP6695.JPG" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" /><br />No troubles with application. Feels heavy, definitely smells like <i>sake kasu</i>!<br /><br /><br /><img alt="" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9T848u4wxrU/TRgol7vaoyI/AAAAAAAADog/KTWHTAyUdFM/s400/IMGP6696.JPG" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" />Nice feel, good resistance.<br /><br /><br /><img alt="" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9T848u4wxrU/TRgolGwU4lI/AAAAAAAADoY/EchAwFssMRw/s400/IMGP6698.JPG" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" />Coats well, glides well.<br /><br /><br /><img alt="" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9T848u4wxrU/TRgokyog60I/AAAAAAAADoQ/f6pBiif6Ibg/s400/IMGP6709.JPG" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" />Clean and smooth. Unsurprisingly, this is much better than your standard drugstore product, the equal of any luxury creme I've tried. I must say though that my skin feels even softer and more moisturized than I expected. So, there might just be something to this <i>sake</i>-infusion. Maybe I should take orders...</span>

Aging Sake - Year 1

One year (+1 week) down in my little aging experiment. To recap, a year ago I set aside a dozen bottles of Jun Tenzan Tokubetsu Junmai to be aged in two groups, the first ("cold") refrigerated at relatively constant temperature of 3°C (37.4°F), the other ("warm") in our passive, below-ground basement wine cellar, where the temperature varies between 13°C (~55.4°F) in the winter and 21°C (~70°F) in the summer.

Saga Saikai No. 134 milled to 60%, SMV +2, acidity 1.8, 15% abv. My tasting note from a year ago: almost paradoxically balanced, being both full and light, clean but with plenty of flavour, sweet with a sour-dry finish. In a word, satisfying.

For the test, both bottles tasted at "cellar temperature". On the right, the "cold" bottle. Nose is mild, lightly sweet, stony and hints of cinnamon. Sweet, clean entry, light weight but building, smooth, soft, lightly cinnamon spiced finish. Cooling, a touch rounder than last year, but still delicious.

On the left, the "warm" bottle - although visually the photo exaggerates a bit, this sake was identifiably more yellow than the "cold". More pronounced cinnamon on the nose than the "cold", rice pudding, hint of caramel. A bit drier on entry, definitely more complex flavour, nutty, savoury, and more starchy as well. Longer finish, a warmer sake.

So, one year in, I'd call this a fairly significant diversion. Should be interesting to see what happens a year on down the road. <img alt="Jun Tenzan Tokubetsu Junmai aging experiment" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9T848u4wxrU/TRPtvWVSgsI/AAAAAAAADoA/OSf_ntALr3w/s400/IMGP6650.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;"><br />One year (+1 week) down in my little aging experiment. To recap, <a href="http://www.jumanaidjimidjango.com/2009/12/aging-sake-experiment.html">a year ago</a> I set aside a dozen bottles of Jun Tenzan Tokubetsu Junmai to be aged in two groups, the first ("cold") refrigerated at relatively constant temperature of 3°C (37.4°F), the other ("warm") in our passive, below-ground basement wine cellar, where the temperature varies between 13°C (~55.4°F) in the winter and 21°C (~70°F) in the summer.<br /><br />Saga Saikai No. 134 milled to 60%, SMV +2, acidity 1.8, 15% abv. My tasting note from a year ago: almost paradoxically balanced, being both full and light, clean but with plenty of flavour, sweet with a sour-dry finish. In a word, satisfying.<br /><br />For the test, both bottles tasted at "cellar temperature". On the right, the "cold" bottle. Nose is mild, lightly sweet, stony and hints of cinnamon. Sweet, clean entry, light weight but building, smooth, soft, lightly cinnamon spiced finish. Cooling, a touch rounder than last year, but still delicious.<br /><br />On the left, the "warm" bottle - although visually the photo exaggerates a bit, this sake was identifiably more yellow than the "cold". More pronounced cinnamon on the nose than the "cold", rice pudding, hint of caramel. A bit drier on entry, definitely more complex flavour, nutty, savoury, and more starchy as well. Longer finish, a warmer sake.<br /><br />So, one year in, I'd call this a fairly significant diversion. Should be interesting to see what happens a year on down the road.

Hakurei "Koda" Tokubetsu Junmai

One more from Kyoto Prefecture's Hakurei, picked up on a day trip to Amanohashidate. Tango Yamada Nishiki, grown under contract for the brewery by local farmers, milled to 70% (60% for the koji, SMV +3, acidity 2.0, and 14.5% abv. Some call the Kyoto style feminine, in reference to the softness and sweetness of the local product. This is that in spades, perfumed, not quite dainty, almost voluptuous, sweet and soft, on the edge of becoming wobbly but just held together, and very, very easy to drink. <img alt="" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9T848u4wxrU/TRBB70xGV3I/AAAAAAAADnk/vFF3RiPGPvI/s400/IMGP6641.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;"><br />One more from Kyoto Prefecture's <a href="http://www.hakurei.co.jp/" target="_blank">Hakurei</a>, picked up on a day trip to Amanohashidate. <i>Tango Yamada Nishiki</i>, grown under contract for the brewery by local farmers, milled to 70% (60% for the <i>koji</i>, SMV +3, acidity 2.0, and 14.5% abv. Some call the Kyoto style <i>feminine</i>, in reference to the softness and sweetness of the local product. This is that in spades, perfumed, not quite dainty, almost voluptuous, sweet and soft, on the edge of becoming wobbly but just held together, and very, very easy to drink.

Mastiha

From the Greek island of Chios, this is an... unusual beverage. From the land that brought us retsina, here is an anise-flavoured spirit "seasoned" with the resin from the mastic tree. Yes, that mastic, the original chewing gum. Gnash, gnash. But not this item from Myskinos, not chewy. Instead, a bewildering mish-mash of evergreens, turpentine, lime peels, and sweet anise. Oddly soapy taste too. Perhaps not coincidentally, mastic is use in soap-making, amongst other non-digestibles. Strange, strange, strange. Needs a generous dose of ice to louche. Requires an even more generous dose of water in order to enjoy. If it were up to me (and it is), I'd only have it as a digestif. Not entirely sure it'd be the last thing past my lips of an evening though. <img alt="" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9T848u4wxrU/TQgLXGPY5gI/AAAAAAAADnc/HK3KwFIlTtA/s400/IMGP6633.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;"><br />From the Greek island of Chios, this is an... unusual beverage. From the land that brought us <i>retsina</i>, here is an anise-flavoured spirit "seasoned" with the resin from the mastic tree. Yes, <i>that</i> mastic, the original chewing gum. <i>Gnash, gnash</i>. But not this item from <a href="http://www.myskinos.com/start.php" target="_blank">Myskinos</a>, not chewy. Instead, a bewildering mish-mash of evergreens, turpentine, lime peels, and sweet anise. Oddly soapy taste too. Perhaps not coincidentally, mastic is use in soap-making, amongst other non-digestibles. Strange, strange, strange. Needs a generous dose of ice to <i>louche</i>. Requires an even more generous dose of water in order to enjoy. If it were up to me (and it is), I'd only have it as a <i>digestif</i>. Not entirely sure it'd be the last thing past my lips of an evening though.

Rikyubai "Wandering" Junmai Daiginjo

One last souvenir from my recent visit to Mukune, a junmai daiginjo made from omachi rice. Milled to 50%, SMV +1, acidity 1.9, amino acidity 1.1, 901 yeast and 16.4% abv. Appreciably nutty, steamed fruit, slighty herbal nose. If Mukune has a signature, it's the slight tendency to sweetness and an undercurrent of savouriness - both on display here, in a slightly amplified volume, but remaining in balance, very nice bitterness on the finish which fades to reveal a clean cinnamon and rice starchiness. Another full-of-personality daiginjo! <img alt="" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9T848u4wxrU/TQVOCBuPOiI/AAAAAAAADnU/pY6z0pOp1yk/s400/IMGP6621.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 294px;"><br />One last souvenir from my recent visit to <a href="http://www.mukune.com" target="_blank">Mukune</a>, a <i>junmai daiginjo</i> made from <i>omachi</i> rice. Milled to 50%, SMV +1, acidity 1.9, amino acidity 1.1, 901 yeast and 16.4% abv. Appreciably nutty, steamed <i>fruit</i>, slighty herbal nose. If Mukune has a signature, it's the slight tendency to sweetness and an undercurrent of savouriness - both on display here, in a slightly amplified volume, but remaining in balance, very nice bitterness on the finish which fades to reveal a clean cinnamon and rice starchiness. Another full-of-personality <i>daiginjo</i>!

Ume no Yado Junmai Ginjo

From Nara Prefecture's Ume no Yado, Yamada Nishiki milled to 50%, SMV +3, acidity 1.5, and a hefty 17.5% abv. Rich fruity nose, full of cantaloupes, carrying over into the palate, which tastes sweet, rich and concentrated, round and full, but equally balanced by a rising late acidity and well-placed bitterness on the edges. Perfumed without getting floral, very enjoyable and easy to drink. <img alt="Ume no Yado Junmai Ginjo" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9T848u4wxrU/TP1KhlokrQI/AAAAAAAADnM/vL8fPRYT22w/s400/IMGP6618.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;">From Nara Prefecture's <a href="http://www.umenoyado.com/" target="_blank">Ume no Yado</a>, Yamada Nishiki milled to 50%, SMV +3, acidity 1.5, and a hefty 17.5% abv. Rich fruity nose, full of cantaloupes, carrying over into the palate, which <i>tastes</i> sweet, rich and concentrated, round and full, but equally balanced by a rising late acidity and well-placed bitterness on the edges. Perfumed without getting floral, very enjoyable and easy to drink.

Wild Rose Barley Wine

Picked this up in Canmore, Alberta earlier this spring. Wild Rose is a Calgary-based craft brewery, and this came highly recommended. Brewed in January 2009, aged for a year before release, and a full-on 8.7% abv. Poured a brassy red copper, with little head to speak of, and almost no lacing. Nose is malt-forward, mild prune and chocolate. Surprisingly light, not terribly chewy, malt-dominant, a slightly funky chocolate note towards the finish, which was sharp, moderately dry and assertive. Not sweet, not heaty, but still packing a wallop. I think I need to lie down now. <img alt="Wild Rose Barley Wine" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9T848u4wxrU/TO2yq-XgvXI/AAAAAAAADm8/2xspLhHxVAA/s400/IMGP6609.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;"><br />Picked this up in Canmore, Alberta earlier this spring. <a href="http://www.wildrosebrewery.com/" target="_blank">Wild Rose</a> is a Calgary-based craft brewery, and this came highly recommended. Brewed in January 2009, aged for a year before release, and a full-on 8.7% abv. Poured a brassy red copper, with little head to speak of, and almost no lacing. Nose is malt-forward, mild prune and chocolate. Surprisingly light, not terribly chewy, malt-dominant, a slightly funky chocolate note towards the finish, which was sharp, moderately dry and assertive. Not sweet, not heaty, but still packing a wallop. I think I need to lie down now.