Nihønshu Ø

Three sakes, derived from one batch, by fellow Mukune intern Kjetil Jikiun of Nøgne Ø. We met up at our local Malaysian restaurant, and tucked in. 85% Ginpu and 15% Yamada Nishiki milled (in Japan) to 70%, and then brewed with a yamahai starter (using #701 yeast.)

Hadakajima (Naked Island, i.e., as in Nøgne Ø) Yamahai Muroka Junmai [SMV -4, 16% abv] - good junmai character, quite full and sweet, and much to his chagrin, very clean. He likes his drink funky, does Kjetil.

Hadakajima Yamahai Nigori Nama Junmai [SMV -3] - Kjetil said that at bottling, this was 17% abv, but he thinks it's gone up. LOTS of sediment, coarsely filtered, with... some sediment added back?! Again, very clean, and chewy.

Hadakajima Yamahai Genshu Muroka Shiboritate Nama Junmai [SMV -6, 19% abv] - I wouldn't call this powerful or really terribly amino-acid driven, but it is full-ish, and has a nice bitter "stop" at the back of the mid-palate. It might be a little bit short, but all in all, nicely balanced, and a massive success for a first batch.

Norway, sake's next new frontier?

<img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxAiS4JYnHtXWPJ2Giwy6f_I3PzmM2xQEwJxOGmdFE5Mz3ynRfGuaGGZSa96x46ZdU633KPB6Wr65WjGpRz9u7CBlK954niSJiFWSKOYJw87273YChaMXhijdGhuSI5juXfJLtBeO7evXa/s400/IMGP4466.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;"><br />Three sakes, derived from one batch, by fellow <a href="http://www.jumanaidjimidjango.com/2009/03/mukune-international-sake-brewing.html" target="_blank">Mukune intern</a> Kjetil Jikiun of <a href="http://www.nogne-o.com/" target="_blank">Nøgne Ø</a>. We met up at our local Malaysian restaurant, and tucked in. 85% Ginpu and 15% Yamada Nishiki milled (in Japan) to 70%, and then brewed with a <i>yamahai</i> starter (using #701 yeast.)<br /><br /><b>Hadakajima</b> (Naked Island, i.e., as in Nøgne Ø) <b>Yamahai Muroka Junmai</b> [SMV -4, 16% abv] - good junmai character, quite full and sweet, and much to his chagrin, very clean. He likes his drink funky, does Kjetil.<br /><br /><b>Hadakajima Yamahai Nigori Nama Junmai</b> [SMV -3] - Kjetil said that at bottling, this was 17% abv, but he thinks it's gone up. LOTS of sediment, coarsely filtered, with... some sediment <i>added</i> back?! Again, very clean, and chewy.<br /><br /><b>Hadakajima Yamahai Genshu Muroka Shiboritate Nama Junmai</b> [SMV -6, 19% abv] - I wouldn't call this powerful or really terribly amino-acid driven, but it is full-ish, and has a nice bitter "stop" at the back of the mid-palate. It might be a little bit short, but all in all, nicely balanced, and a massive success for a first batch. <br /><br />Norway, sake's next new frontier?<br /><br /><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYbWqp62XosHCUC1_P7Ocsv8hCkxmSNaZCvatT6m99iuvOqdCbzn9AbpL0HJsKuI1WskTPIJsNtf4Z02RmawznhnalpHkegMdcD76vDhXnJze7FpTbfASsPyk70rlgWV-KHsv4vOi5om4/s400/IMGP4475.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;">

Movia Double-Dip Doomed

Was hoping to go for the 2000 Movia Puro disgorged vs. undisgorged taste-off, but somewhere along the way, things didn't work out so well on a number of fronts. Disgorgement of the first bottle went off without a hitch, but the second bottle poured even more cleanly - the lees didn't mix! And the bottle was corked, to boot. Shambolic! <img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOmaMnrz8hib164xsq1xUeSarBEBkSO5KUL4lqKmp6Ah3v9hLBJTDYvUhCFb7OQY6QPxScR0ets1kZ-ke2qcS7rGoZGn9-dLuG6EKOOGejfiVaz6xkifA4g9wPRIN8XN0OuyTkqVSRPpM/s400/IMGP4459.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;"><br />Was hoping to go for the 2000 Movia Puro disgorged vs. undisgorged taste-off, but somewhere along the way, things didn't work out so well on a number of fronts. Disgorgement of the first bottle went off without a hitch, but the second bottle poured <i>even more cleanly</i> - the lees didn't mix! And the bottle was corked, to boot. Shambolic!

Three from Nøgne Ø

Nøgne Ø's Kjetil Jikiun is in town for Philly Beer Week, and to kick things off, a mini-tasting at The Head House (owned by Bruce Nichols, co-founder of Philly Beer Week.) Two that we are already familiar with, the Brown Ale, which I like quite a bit, and the Porter, which R. favors. And to round it off, a twist on a style that isn't my favorite - wit bier. Nøgne Ø's Imperial Dunkel Wit: Kjetil explained that at 10% abv, this is very much an amped up variant, with more than generous quantities of coriander and orange peel. Must admit, I didn't recognize either, but there was a definitive herbality behind the maltiness. Interesting, but not really my thing. <img alt="Nøgne Ø" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIhkZxO53sWyVcA6-pg6fWrsXopRMC2MDGT0KJdTctKHSKOp6UBQuJhycx9lU4NtOLGnUBaPzgB4Rq6C6oRnDO-N_s5gaO7c2juHfDc1IsGA7wAhxx3MyuSb4Cn72g2_YzX-tPPZ-JtAc/s400/IMGP4440.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;"><br />Nøgne Ø's Kjetil Jikiun is in town for <a href="http://www.phillybeerweek.org/" target="_blank">Philly Beer Week</a>, and to kick things off, a mini-tasting at The Head House (owned by Bruce Nichols, co-founder of Philly Beer Week.) Two that we are already familiar with, the <a href="http://www.jumanaidjimidjango.com/2010/02/ngne-brown-ale.html" target="_blank">Brown Ale</a>, which I like quite a bit, and the <a href="http://www.jumanaidjimidjango.com/2010/04/ngne-porter.html" target="_blank">Porter</a>, which R. favors. And to round it off, a twist on a style that isn't my favorite - wit bier. Nøgne Ø's Imperial Dunkel Wit: Kjetil explained that at 10% abv, this is very much an amped up variant, with more than generous quantities of coriander and orange peel. Must admit, I didn't recognize either, but there was a definitive herbality behind the maltiness. Interesting, but not really my thing.

Otokoyama Momenya [1 Koku - 13]

A tokubetsu junmai from Hokkaido's Otokoyama. Not sure why this would be called "Cotton Shop", if that is indeed the correct reading. To the best of my knowledge, Hokkaido isn't famed for cotton. But, cotton is considered a clean, wholesome, natural product, so perhaps that's the intention. Semaibuai of 55%, SMV of +5, acidity 1.5, and 15.5% abv (that's rather a lot of 5s.) The nose is grainy, with subtle wood, dairy, and apple notes. On the palate, this is certainly on the lighter side, not quite tanrei, but neither is it full-flavoured or fruit-forward. Rather, this strikes a pleasant balance between rice sweetness and starchiness, with an astringent, faintly cinnamon-laced finish. Very nice acidity supporting throughout, even offering a little bit of a surprise "kick." For our taste, a much better effort than the straight junmai from this kura. <img alt="Otokoyama Momenya Tokubetsu Junmai" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3FijildJ3kx8hYXZCgTfCH_27vaxsizDyMq7-AR0cqgsK0XRhUjfPNJHZr1PzoDZ7QTnMZ6VrLmIrctXw9-CkTwsrVg88LBzpt6wIX_I7SpMJfFA_apUCtqf8dX2H-NgMcQOCvKlyk-o/s400/IMGP4429.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;"><br />A <i>tokubetsu junmai</i> from Hokkaido's <a href="http://www.otokoyama.com/goods_d/index.html" target="_blank">Otokoyama</a>. Not sure why this would be called "Cotton Shop", if that is indeed the correct reading. To the best of my knowledge, Hokkaido isn't famed for cotton. But, cotton is considered a clean, wholesome, natural product, so perhaps that's the intention. <i>Semaibuai</i> of 55%, SMV of +5, acidity 1.5, and 15.5% abv (that's rather a lot of 5s.) The nose is grainy, with subtle wood, dairy, and apple notes. On the palate, this is certainly on the lighter side, not quite <i>tanrei</i>, but neither is it full-flavoured or fruit-forward. Rather, this strikes a pleasant balance between rice sweetness and starchiness, with an astringent, faintly cinnamon-laced finish. Very nice acidity supporting throughout, even offering a little bit of a surprise "kick." For our taste, a much better effort than the straight <i>junmai</i> from this <i>kura</i>.

Cantillon

Jean Van Roy of Belgium's Cantillon was in town over the weekend, to take part in some of the Philly Beer Fest activities. He also took the time to stop into one of our local winebars for a chat with the locals. Even on a Sunday afternoon, Jean was swarmed inside - seems he's a bit of a legend around these parts.

Not for us the big crowds though. We chose instead to cool our heels under the awning, refreshing ourselves with a couple of rounds of Cantillon's Fou'Foune (5% abv), a lambic flavoured with Bergeron apricots, hand stoned at the brewery and soaked in two-year-old lambic for two months. Apparently, this is to be the last batch of Fou'Foune, as Francois Daronnat, the Bergeron-grower has decided to retire from the fruit trade. Or so we hear. Anyways, this was from a barrel, nicely chilled. Brilliant orange-yellow, mango-colour and full of fruit on the palate - the apricots were unmistakable, as was the brett funk. Sour, with pretty intense acidity, yet coming together with a pillowy soft mouthfeel. Surprisingly sessionable, even though the acidity half left one feeling a bit of heartburn afterwards.

Nonetheless, this being my first Cantillon experience (not for lack of interest), I had to give the "Classic" Gueuze (also 5% abv) a go as well. A blend of 1, 2 and 3 year old lambics, it is advised that aging for 20 years will reveal rich rewards. Not having so much time, I was taken a bit aback by this, as it wasn't at all as funky as I expected. In fact, though lacking the very appealing fruit, I found this even smoother and approachable than the Fou'Foune. Very impressive stuff. <img alt="Cantillon Fou'Foune" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKDMKGql5wfCV5IIYqLHEx-s-_p2CBr7FognFba6O5XOT68Gk1ze99yrKnAGX32FCF_XB9DfjkYebSv5h7VftHs6Yq1AVyt-QPG_Mi9-61hVUlVQqKdI40uLDntYDIlS62RVxTuj5CJPU/s400/IMGP4419.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;">Jean Van Roy of Belgium's <a href="http://www.cantillon.be/" target="blank">Cantillon</a> was in town over the weekend, to take part in some of the Philly Beer Fest activities. He also took the time to stop into one of our local winebars for a chat with the locals. Even on a Sunday afternoon, Jean was swarmed inside - seems he's a bit of a legend around these parts<span class="fullpost">.<br /><br />Not for us the big crowds though. We chose instead to cool our heels under the awning, refreshing ourselves with a couple of rounds of Cantillon's Fou'Foune (5% abv), a lambic flavoured with Bergeron apricots, hand stoned at the brewery and soaked in two-year-old lambic for two months. Apparently, this is to be the last batch of Fou'Foune, as Francois Daronnat, the Bergeron-grower has decided to retire from the fruit trade. Or so we hear. Anyways, this was from a barrel, nicely chilled. Brilliant orange-yellow, mango-colour and full of fruit on the palate - the apricots were unmistakable, as was the brett funk. Sour, with pretty intense acidity, yet coming together with a pillowy soft mouthfeel. Surprisingly sessionable, even though the acidity half left one feeling a bit of heartburn afterwards.<br /><br /><img alt="Cantillon Gueuze" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAU5hCp-f0wIMCX7m52zm1zZjcknnY3xsfz9I5GHVm2NmcDfqKjyrFSMZx41O8neAyEbFSGOiYkeX19t_JhcjZmsEXL1D2JwO6IGwkPcTMZXMTloc6VX8FnSaiymef0cOvw17B76U4pwo/s400/IMGP4420.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;">Nonetheless, this being my first Cantillon experience (not for lack of interest), I had to give the "<i>Classic</i>" Gueuze (also 5% abv) a go as well. A blend of 1, 2 and 3 year old lambics, it is advised that aging for 20 years will reveal rich rewards. Not having so much time, I was taken a bit aback by this, as it wasn't at all as funky as I expected. In fact, though lacking the very appealing fruit, I found this even smoother and approachable than the Fou'Foune. Very impressive stuff.</span>

Housui Tokubetsu Junmai [1 Koku - 14]

From Tokushima Prefecture's Housui Shuzo, a young-ish brewery that will reach a century in 2013. This "Fragrant Water" is made from Hyogo Yamada Nishiki milled to 60% and brewed with #9 yeast, SMV +5.5, acidity 1.5, amino acidity 1.5, and 15.6% abv. With a good chill, clean and crisp, allowing the dryness and acidity to shine, characterised by a delightful melon topnote/tang on the entry and a minty herbal finish. At room temperature though, this becomes much fuller and rich, with a sturdy mid-palate savouriness. A multi-dimensional sake that doesn't needlessly become thought-provoking. And that... in itself... is something to ponder. <img alt="Housui Tokubetsu Junmai" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyoRGcdA80v3aD26KjttmOIAOfp38-_BPV9JRf0bfrEQ2p9frU-Mdbr-UA4Qhz60tTjoEqdVePUbvN-M6riL1nlBFDmyxHOPknkZL987tHeMCo3ymf-pkuUBZ6Z4XGm5C2ME0O27zOWzQ/s400/IMGP4408.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;"><br />From Tokushima Prefecture's <a href="http://www.housui.com/" target="_blank">Housui Shuzo</a>, a young-ish brewery that will reach a century in 2013. This "Fragrant Water" is made from Hyogo Yamada Nishiki milled to 60% and brewed with #9 yeast, SMV +5.5, acidity 1.5, amino acidity 1.5, and 15.6% abv. With a good chill, clean and crisp, allowing the dryness and acidity to shine, characterised by a delightful melon topnote/tang on the entry and a minty herbal finish. At room temperature though, this becomes much fuller and rich, with a sturdy mid-palate savouriness. A multi-dimensional sake that doesn't needlessly become thought-provoking. And that... in itself... is something to ponder.

The Hunter's Beer?

From Okinawa, a 5% abv rice-lager in a 500ml bottle, and frankly, unless you've just been strenuously exerting yourself outside, in the hot sun, this is 2.5 wasted units. Seems unusually thin even by Japanese lager standards. I'll probably stick with Asahi Super-Dry, the best of a bland lot (I'd much rather have a Yebisu.)

<img alt="Orion Premium Draft" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIBVopZjB92ausnrOMYGSgnjHvPf6RSUKegIkssZU-CJ2QBoFrygWvCfvGqSclZ3ZgGIl8XmzePplHFkTNx9CQcWDaUEKhetiMG3Umb-Z3N_Hb3yoFwWjZkTCkbljUGZf-yTaCDc-s0Z0/s400/IMGP4402.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;"><br />From Okinawa, a 5% abv rice-lager in a 500ml bottle, and frankly, unless you've just been strenuously exerting yourself outside, in the hot sun, this is 2.5 wasted units. Seems unusually thin even by Japanese lager standards. I'll probably stick with Asahi Super-Dry, the best of a bland lot (I'd much rather have a Yebisu.<span class="fullpost">)<br /><br /><img alt="Orion Premium Draft" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiByoW_lJf81iADDOh1LXl-S9LlKKhevX4MkVsl72nkHqjH4tsI0ib1Ge9yM-09oG0ro7Q1VubvsgDWUg8NqPlj5zzsGTLlVegkoctVyzOwGn9reQtSmWQQZrZr0Efd2Rq1FLiLkZ72-uE/s400/IMGP4399.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;"></span>

Koshi no Sasameyuki Junmai [1 Koku - 15]

From Niigata Prefecture's Echigo Shuzo. Gohyakumangoku and Koshibuki milled to 60%, SMV +5, acidity 1.4, amino acidity 1.4, and 15.5% abv. This "Light Snow Flurries of Koshi" is a solid representative of the oh-so-easy to drink Niigata style - light, crisp, dry, pure and mineral driven. Seems perfectly content to melt into the background, but no complaints here. <img alt="Koshi no Sasameyuki" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ7L5qtexxBD2QpVUH7x1eGl2rvaaoVoDosN44KqH_rx2BDCZI5Bb0KOPRY58na-c_4jN45rZ9DbfZmv4woeBemnwJxXhKDlYIxIS8pBCQh-XFhVQQnXPuxmisuAp4HWA3HfkK0kpDy-Q/s400/IMGP4391.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;"><br />From Niigata Prefecture's <a href="http://www.echigoshuzojo.co.jp/" target="_blank">Echigo Shuzo</a>. Gohyakumangoku and Koshibuki milled to 60%, SMV +5, acidity 1.4, amino acidity 1.4, and 15.5% abv. This "Light Snow Flurries of Koshi" is a solid representative of the oh-so-easy to drink Niigata style - light, crisp, dry, pure and mineral driven. Seems perfectly content to melt into the background, but no complaints here.