11/19/09 - 11/20/09: Day 1 in Japan

11/19/09 10:00 EDT

My annual trip to Japan started at Oasis Lounge, courtesy of a lounge ticket for NWA.

Although my flight is at 12:40, why not get there early and take advantage of free amenities (ahem, "drinks"), right?

With the acquisition of NWA by Delta, my flight was technically NW 0799 but the plane was Delta fleet B770.

11/20/09 20:00 Japan Time
11/20/09 06:00 My body clock

After safely touching down then checking into the hotel, next on my agenda was to enjoy ramen, even though especially because my body clock reads 6:00 am. Since last year's pattern went well, I decided to retrace the same steps.

Asahi Dry, medium bottle (well, it's large for us): 480 yen.

Large serving ramen with Char-Siu Pork: 780 yen.

Gyoza dumplings: 300 yen.

Total dinner cost: 1,560 yen ($17.93*)

11/20/09 20:30 Japan Time
11/20/09 06:30 My body clock

The next stop was saké bar. By this stage, I am ignoring my body clock.

While the saké bar features saké selections directly sent from Yokobué Brewery, there were many shochu and spirits on the list.

This year, I had their Honjozo (SMV: +5) which had some hints of creaminess with a clean and dry finish, followed by their "Tachinomi"(立呑) limited release (SMV: +5), made specifically for their bar. This was softer with more creamy flavors on the palate. Each order cost 300 yen.

The last selection was Kodou (古道) junmai (SMV: +2), described as made in richer styles in the older style. Generally, such styles meant darker color, rich and full palate, and sweeter finish. In reality, it was intense, clean, and dry, more along the lines of modern genshu. As a special brew, it cost 400 yen.

All in all, not a bad way to spend 1,000 yen ($11.49*)!

*Note: Conversion rate is $1 = 87 yen.

11/11/09: Akita Saké Tasting Event

This was the ninth installation of the Akita Saké Tasting Event. As usual, the place was packed.

One of the guest saké was the perfect opener...

I was very pleased to see Misato by Hinomaru Jozo, the saké I remember fondly from the Sixth edition of the tasting.

Kirishima-san from Joto Saké holding Akita Komachi Daiginjo, one of their top selections.

This bottle caught my attention. Sendai Bozu is made from the rice of the same namesake polished down to 50%. Evidently, it's a junmai ginjo genshu using a rice strain discovered in Miyagi prefecture in 1955. Today, its cultivation is limited to a section of one farm in the city of Odaté in Akita. The flavor expands quickly with depth, and it's a type of saké that might serve well lightly heated.

Next saké was highly controversial. Aged in barrel used to age Ay Grand Cru Champagne, chene d'argonne was a complex saké that didn't taste like saké due to its flavors that include green apples, vanilla, and spices. It's a very well-crafted saké, but far from what we're used to... for better or for worse.

No saké brought bigger smile to my face than seeing Hakuun Yuu Yuu Junmai Daiginjo by Asamai Shuzo, famous for their Ama No To label. Why the big grin? Because it brought me back to this time and place.

11/4/09: Reuter Charity Saké Event/ Robataya

Thomson Reuters Asia Pacific Employee Network hosted a charity saké tasting event to benefit victims of natural disaster in Asia. The event featured 3 breweries: Dassai, Akita Seishu, and Tenzan.

My evening started with a toast with Dassai "39" Sparkling Nigori.

My next stop was the Akita Seishu booth to see Ito-san (right) and my friend and sommelier Yang-san.

I especially enjoyed soft and smooth Matsukura Tokubetsu Junmai.

Right by the front entrance was this interesting character, who turned out to be Shichida-san from Tenzan Brewery. The design of the mask incorporates kanji characters of the brewery ("天" and "山").

Tenzan is known for their Genshu which is packaged in a bamboo leaf, but he brought Hitenzan Daiginjo and Junmai from Shichida brand.

As many of the audience was actually there for noble causes, the event featured saké lecture by Tim Sullivan to get the audience up to speed.

The lecture was followed by brewery introduction.

As the event lasted "only" two hours, some of us didn't have enough of a good time - time to plan for the next stop. We chose Robataya NY, which is the sister restaurant to Sakagura.

Once inside, a large counter awaits, lined by fresh ingredient to be grilled.

The counter and table area is separated by a decorative garden and water feature.

All the sakés that were ordered, naturally, were associated with the brewers. This one is light and delicate Rokushu Junmai Ginjo by Akita Seishu.

Don't believe we're having a good time? Well, then...

10/20/09: Joto Saké Tasting at Matsuri

On this day, Joto Saké welcomed several brewers at Matsuri restaurant. The brewers from Saiya ("Yuki No Bosha"), Eiko Fuji ("Eiko Fuji" and "Banryu"), Tomita Shuzo ("Shichi Hon Yari"), and Kasumi Tsuru were present.

The evening started with a lecture, followed by tasting. Lucky for us, the brewers brought sakés that are not available in the U.S. including seasonal Hiyaoroshi namazaké.

Here is Shirahata-san from Eiko Fuji with Midori-san from Joto Saké.

After the event, Henry was nice enough to invite me to join the brewers and Joto staff for a dinner (lucky me!). Here is Tomita-san with bottle of Shichi Hon Yari Shizuku Junmai Daiginjo. As a limited release, only 400 bottles are brewed each year. In the rear is Fukumoto-san from Kasumitsuru.

The evening lasted into the wee hours...

9/26/09:Nanbu Bijin at Sakagura

Kuji-san and Chizuko-san hosted a Nanbu Bijin tasting night at Sakagura. There were 4 selections to the set, the familiar Tokubetsu Junmai and Daiginjo, as well as innovative All-Koji and umeshu.

While I don't generally greet umeshu with overwhelming sense of enthusiasm, this umeshu was different. Based on All-Koji saké and made without any added sugar, Nanbu Bijin umeshu relies 100% on the plum and saké's natural sweetness. The result is a umehsu with clean flavor and semi-dry finish.

The sakés were served with smoked cheese and Iwaté sembei crackers. Kuji-san brought the crackers in his suitcase - how they didn't break remain a mystery to this date...

Kuji-san was his usual self, full of energy, even though this was third of four events they were hosting!

9/24/09: Scenes from The Joy of Saké 2009

Like last year, the Joy of Saké was held at Webster Hall.

Although the turn out was smaller in the beginning, the crowds began to pick up about one hour into the event.

The first bottle I found was Shichi Hon Yari Junmai, one of my favorites.

"Matsu Kura" by Dewazakura, was one of the standouts early on for its outstanding texture and balanced flavor.

Modorikawa made this interesting bottle, aged in snow, although I am not sure how I feel about wine-inspired bottle...

Right by Niigata Saké Selection was Beau Timkin of True Saké, America's first saké store. He was kind enough to present me with an autographed book he authored, "Saké, Modern Guide."

On the second floor, where the lights got funkier, I bumped into Kuji-san from Nanbu Bijin. He is holding his Daiginjo that was on display.

Right next to Nanbu Bijin was Akitabaré "Sui Raku Ten" Daiginjo, which was the first saké that got me addicted to the "water from heavens."

Sakura Masamuné was not hard to spot, as the 1800 ml towered over other 720 ml bottles.

Next bottle on my radar was another Akita saké, Manabito Junmai Ginjo by Hinomaru Shuzo.

One saké really stood out from the evening, in the form of Yuki No Bosha "Hiden" Yamahai Junmai Ginjo, which was flawless. Only if this bottle was available in the US... (hint, hint, Henry!)

ASPEC wsa very active as usual, holding their booth and inviting some of their brewers. Here is Suzuki-san fron Suzuki Brewery, maker of "Hideyoshi" label.

Next to him was Ito-san from Akita Seishu, famous for their "Dewatsuru" label.

Moving right along, I came across Ohi-san from Tenju Brewery and his award winning Chokaisan Junmai Daiginjo.

Another familiar face was next to Ohi-san, none other than Sato-san from aforementioned Hinomaru Jozo.

One of the good thing about events like this is the chance to try rareties like "Juhachidai Ihei" Junmai Ginjo Shizuku saké from accomplished producer Okunomatsu.

On the third floor, I came across Tenju Junmai made from Miyamanishiki rice.

Also in the area was Shichiken Brewery, which made my memory flood back to the good old days as well.

Lastly, I found Nanbu Bijin Tokubetsu Junmai hiding on the third floor. According to Kuji-san, the batch I helped poison brew was a Tokubetsu Junmai. I certainly was glad to see it on display despite my involvement!

8/20/09: Hanging out in Astoria

On this balmy night, I went over to Ms. Aomori's place to hang out with our fellow baseball team members.

As Ms. Aomori recently got back from Japan with a few bottle of souvenirs, the theme was a simple Bring Your Own Bottle.

I figured that this was the perfect evening to contribute a bottle that's been sitting in my refrigerator since last fall, a gift from Kakizaki-san from my visit of Asamai Shuzo. This is their Daiginjo made with local Gin No Sei, polished to 45%.

To complement the sakés, our hosts graciously prepared wonderful Japanese dishes. (It really helps that her S.O. is an accomplished chef!)

The dishes include steamed lobster, grilled chicken, boiled octopus, and...

...essense of crab from Japan.

The first bottle from Japan was Sawa No Izumi Honjozo from Miyagi.

The second bottle was also from Miyagi, by Hidakami Junmai from Hirakou Brewery.

The third bottle was Maruden Tokubetu Junmai from Hokkaido. All three bottles had traditional feel, a taste of saké lover's saké.

I wasn't able to take much of tasting notes, as I was hanging out with Shiro, the pet cat of the hosts. For some reason, it decided that my right leg was the perfect place to spend the evening...

Shaking hand with the kitteh...

Eventually, it really got comfortable...


...before totally falling asleep on my lap. Hey, it's all good!

5/19/09: Niigata Saké Selections Tasting

While sakés from Akita are getting lot of publicity in NYC, Niigata still carry a lot of clout in the world of saké.

On this date, I was able to sample quite a few sakés at the brewer tasting courtesy of Mr. and Mrs. Kobayashi, who run Niigata Saké Selections.

Mr. Saito from Kirinzan Brewery holding Kirinzan Junmai (SMV: +4, Acidity: 1.4, Rice: Gohyakumangoku, Yuki No Sei, Seimaibuai: 60%, Yeast: G9NF), one of my favorites from the tasting. While I am a big fan of their Junmai Daiginjo, the junmai more than held its own. Slightly more brawnier than the subtle and smooth junmai daiginjo, the junmai brings out the essence of the flavor of the rice.

Speaking of the junmai daiginjo, here is their highly distinctive bottle.

Here I am with Mr. Hirashima of Obata Shuzo, which is located on the Sado Island in Japan Sea. He was pouring their fruity daiginjo (SMV: +5, Acidity: 1.1, Rice: Gohyakumangoku, Seimaibuai: 50%, Yeast: #1701), and deep and balanced junmai ginjo muroka genshu (SMV: +3, Acidity: 1.7, Rice: Gohyakumangoku, Seimaibuai: 55%, Yeast: #1701), both from their Ma No Tsuru label.

The four diamond boxes on the family crest of the brewery represents rice, water, man, and "Sado Island terroir." Although tough to find in the NYC area, their sakés are worth seeking out.

It was great to see Mr. Aoki from Aoki Shuzo, who I first met 2.5 years ago. I noted with a tinge of fear in my voice that the Junmai Ginjo seems to be more fruitier compared to 2 years ago. Fear not, this was a result of changing rice from Miyamanishiki to the locally grown Koshi Tanrei, to keep with the brewery's philosophy of using local ingredients.

No, this man is NOT from Niigata (Sakurai-san from Dassai Brewery in Yamaguchi.)

We have couple of attendees representing Akita. Speaking with Mr. Kobayashi is Mr. Kakizaki from Asamai Shuzo, maker of Ama No To label, and saké sommelier Chizuko Niikawa.

Rick Smith of Sakaya, Tim Sullivan of Urbansaké, and Mrs. Kobayashi of Niigata Saké Selections.

Here I am with Mr. and Mrs. Kobayashi, who is holding a bottle of Yukikagé Tokubetsu Junmai (SMV: +4, Acidity 1.3, Rice: Gohyakumangoku, Seimaibuai: 58%, Yeast: S3). For under $30 a bottle, Yukikagé is one of the best valued quintessential Niigata saké, showing gentle and subtle expressions of rice and grain.

For these sakés and ones I couldn't mention, visitNiigata Saké Selections for further details.

4/30/09: Sakagura

Tonight's visit to Sakagura was a momentous occasion, as it marks the last night for my long time friend Kadoi-san before moving onto Robata-ya in East Village.

For this occasion, he brought out Juyondai "Hiden Tamagaeshi" Tokubetsu Honjozo (SMV: +2, Acidity: 1.2, Rice: Gohyakumangoku, Seimaibuai: 60%) that has been resting in the Sakagura refregirator for 4 years. The aging brought out ripeness both in the nose and the palate, and while the flavor was initially sweet, the intenseness and dryness led to a long finish. I couldn't really decide whether I liked it or not, but it certainly was interesting.

The second saké was one of my comfor saké, the Shichi Hon Yari Junmai. This complex junmai never fails to meet my saké demands!

Third saké was Ama No To "Junkara" Junmai, as Akita is always on my mind (when it comes to saké).

Lastly, I had Kikuyoi Tokubetsu Junmai (SMV: +6, Acidity: 1.6, Rice: Nihonbaré, Seimaibuai: 60%, Yeast: Shizuoka) based on Kadoi-san's recommendation. Soft on approach and exzpressing true essence of saké, I very much enjoyed Kikuyoi.

I will miss his friendship as well as this type of personal attention. Best of luck!!!

3/9/09: Pairing Saké with... Pottery?!

Saké Hana teamed up with antique pottery dealer Makari to bring interesting saké tasting event: studying how different pottery impacts flavor of saké.

There were three famed pottery styles represented in Hagi, Iga, and Imari (three on the left, clockwise).

Each pottery was paired with a different saké, also poured into the control cup (three small glasses to the right).

In the end, I found Imari to have very minimal impact in terms of flavor, as the material is fine china instead of rough clay. The wide mouth did allow the sides of the tongue to taste the sakés first, which made the the saké feel lighter in the mouth.

Hagi had a significant change to the flavor, as it brought out more mineral flavors. With high grade sakés, I am afraid it may detract from the fruity flavors.

In my mind, Iga was the ideal vessel as it softened flavors and rounded out the edges. This is a definite plus if you're having some Junmai or Honjozo. For the Ginjo and Daiginjo classes, it provides similar effect to aging saké without the oxidization.

In an interesting twist, Toshi had submerged a Hagi cup in saké overnight, which made it much more round and mellow.

All in all, it was a great lesson to see how the material and shape of a vessel can affect flavor of saké. If you have different saké cups, try to see how different they can make your favorite bottle taste!

2/1/09: Nanbu Bijin Junmai Ginjo

2009 greeted me with new job at a very well-known Japanese Media Company. The good news is that it's a big step up in my career and keeps me challenged. The bad news is that I haven't had too much time to play (kind of explains why I am posting about February in August...) It also took me into February to get my first saké-centric post.

On this cold Saturday,I invited few friends for a home-made pasta party (saké and pasta? Sure, why not.) Here is one of the lovely guests making her first hand-made pasta.

The saké of the choice was another bottle I came home with, the Junmai Ginjo Hiyaoroshi Nama Genshu (SMV: +5, Acidity: 1.5, Rice: Miyamanishiki, Seimaibuai: 55%, Yeast: #9) from Nanbu Bijin. Fruity with vibrant and lithe texture with tremendous depth, this was the highlight of the party.

It should be noted that we didn't actually pair saké with pasta, as it was drank while waiting for water to boil. Let's just say that we didn't wait too long to get to the next bottle, the Vietti Barbera...

November and December, 2008

11/29/08: Nabé Party

After my trip to Northern Japan, I definitely had to meet up with the Tohoku Girls. This time, I was invited to Ms. Iwaté's place for a Japanese hot pot party, along with Ms. Aomori, Ms. Miyagi and a new member, Ms. Hokkaido.

Ms. Aomori prepared marinated Gyu-tan, which is a thinkly sliced beef... well, you can Google it.

I contributed two bottles. The first one to be opened was Nanbu Bijin Junmai Daiginjo (SMV: +1, Acidity: 1.5, Rice: Yamadanishiki, Seimaibuai: 40%, Yeast: #9) that I brought home from Japan. This was a prototypical modern-style Jumnai Daiginjo, with soft apporach and incredibly round and fruity flavor.

Nabé, or Japanese hot pot is essentially cooking ingredients in a dashi-filled communal pot at the table, which makes it a very social event and highly suited for drinking saké. The ingredients were fresh vegetables and seafood.

The second bottle was Kudoki Jouzu Junmai Ginjo from Yamagata. The refreshingly fruity and clean style was a good match to go with the nabé.

Here is Ms. Aomori, Ms. Iwaté, and Ms. Hokkaido. Ms. Miyagi is presumebly holding the scallops shown on the lower right...

12/13/08: Nanbu Bijin Nama

On this Saturday, I stopped by Sakaya to discover that Nanbu Bijin Nama is now available in the US. Surely, this must be from this batch. Two years ago, Nambu Bijin Nama was light and dry with flavors of steamed rice, more traditional in style. Last year, the style was far more modern, emphasizing fruits. This year, the change in yeast added elements of fresh mushrooms to the fruits. I wonder what next year's version will bring?

12/31/09: New Year's Eve

My friend Hideo invited me to a New Year's Eve Party at our mutual friend's office space. While "office space" doesn't sound particularly attractive, I couldn't resist as it was located right near Times Square,where I could enjoy the atmosphere from inside.

Inami-san contribted a whopper of a bottle, Kokuryu Shizuku Daiginjo in a 1.8L size. Polished down to 35%, this was extremely gentle, fruity, and deep.

My contribution was Ama No To "Umashiné" Tokubetsu Junmai.

Much more traditional in style, I really enjoy the rich umami of Umashiné.

A shochu made an appearance, and a rare one at that - Hozan red label made with sweet potato koji mold. Soft, complex, and delicious.

I am sure that wlcoming the New Years with Umashiné will bring good luck in 2009!