9/25/08: The Joy of Saké

The Saké Week reaches its climax when once again, the biggest show on saké rolls into town courtesy of World Saké Importers. Once upon the time, I used Joy of Saké as a vehicle to make tasting notes on as many sakés as possible. It's a good and noble concept, but let's face it, taste bud goes out the window after tasting 20 competition grade daiginjos or so. Then, you realize that you still have 280 sakés to try...

In reality, Joy of Saké is a grand ol' party for people in the industry.

Here's the photo-essay from JOS:

The event began with Kagamiwari, a traditional barrel breaking ceremony to kick off JOS. The featured saké was Taiheizan's Tenko, Kimoto Junmai Daiginjo that has won an unprecedented 8 consecutive Gold Medals in National Saké Appraisal.

The event was spread over three floor. I began at the top, and found one of my old time favorites Minowamon Jumai Daiginjo made in traditional Kimoto style by the incomparable Daishichi Brewery.

Most of the selections on the top floor was very intense, competition-type sakés.

Third floor with its open center offered a nice vantage point for a shot at table layout on the second floor.

On the second floor, I located a very interesting saké... the one that share the same name as yours truly. Fortunately, the saké was very good!

I came across an interesting looking bottle, made by one of the top producer Okunomatsu.

Second floor also featured Akita Brewers.

The first floor featured some nostalgic selections, including Dassai 39.

In addition, I came across a rare bottle by Shichiken

There were plenty of friends, including Aisawa-san from Také No Tsuyu and Midori-san of Sushi Samba in Miami.

Chad Beverlin of Vine Connections and Toshi from Saké Hana.

Here I am with Midori-san from Joto Saké.

After JOS, I headed to Rai Rai Ken for some of their gyoza...

...and in observance of the Japanese drinking culture, their Miso Ramen to finish off the evening.

9/24/08: Akita Saké Tasting at Sakagura

On the eve of Joy of Saké, Sakagura hosted an event hosted by Akita Saké Promotion and Export Council (ASPEC). As the name suggest, the event involved five following fine selections: Naba Shoten (那波商店), Akita Seishu (秋田清酒), Suzuki Shuzoten (鈴木酒造店), Tenju Shuzo (天寿酒造), and Hinomaru Jozo (日の丸醸造).

In terms of prefecture-wide promotion, noone does it better than Akita. With their efforts, their events tend to be very popular, and this event was no different as attendees filled the rear area of Sakagura.

Here's what transpired:


Mr. Ohi from Tenju Shuzo, producer of Chokaisan, my perennial favorite at Akita Saké Club Tasting Events.


Manabito Junmai Daiginjo, made by Hinomaru Brewery.


This is a local fish from Akita. Related to sardine, the fish was high in fat with juicy plumpness. Paired well with crisp honjozo or a ginjo.


Brewers in action.

9/15/08: Joto Tasting at Sakagura

One week before the Saké Week, Sakagura welcomeed two brewers from Joto Saké's portfolio. Mr. Marumoto of Marumoto Brewery(Chikurin label) reknown for harvesting their own organically grown rice, and Mr. Kato from Fuji Shuzo from recently discovered Eiko Fuji label.

As if having these two brewers wasn't a treat in itself, Sakagura offered a "Special Gift" for those who ordered a bottle of one of the sakés being served. The Gift turned out to be a masu with the Sakagura logo, branded by Mr. Kadoi himself. Here's what transpired over the course of the evening:

Meeting Mr. Kato.

Bottle of Eiko Fuji.

First course was Sakagura's intoxicating Masutaké Tempura. The liveliness of nama was perfect complement to the tempura texture. This dish was followed by another dish that pairs well with nama, hiyayakko (chilled tofu, not pictured.)

Next up was Jidori Shio Yaki (salt grilled free-range chicken) and Gindara Yuan Yaki (cod steamed in sweet soy sauce).

My friend Hideo just had to have Chicken Kara-age (crispy fried chicken).

The final dish was Nihachi Soba (soba made with 80% buckwheat and 20% wheat flours). Needless to say, all the dishes paired well with the saké... and that's not alcohol talking!

9/5/08: Sixth Akita Saké Tasting Event

It's hard to believe that since November of 2006, Akita Saké Club (ASC) is holding their Sixth tasting event already. Like the first time, I am attending ASC Tasting Event as a tail- end of a double header.

My company held off-campus "End of the Summer Party" with buffet and open bar, as it is September after all. I only had 1.5 hours to enjoy this event leading to the start of ASC Tasting Event. Let's just say that downing 3 pints in 90 minutes means I shouldn't be operating a motor vehicle...

For this event, they featured 16 breweries (1 from Iwate) and 38 selections. Because I was not exactly in condition to operate heavy machinery, I was not going to taste all 38 sakes. My strategy was to try the sakés I have not tried before, those that I am less familiar with, and my favorites. On this night, I came across a saké that I've never tried before that I enjoyed tremendously: Mansaku No Hana "Misato" Junmai Ginjo Nama Muroka (SMV: +2, Acidity: 1.6, Rice: Misatonishiki, Seimaibuai: 50%, Yeast: Assoc. #9) by Hinomaru Shuzo.

Developed over 14 years, Misatonishiki (美郷錦) is a rice whose parent strains are Yamadanishiki and Miyamanishiki; therefore, the saké had softness of Miyamanishiki and fruitiness and sweetness of Yamadanishiki. In addition, the unfiltered and unpasteurized nature provided boldness on the flavor with vibrancy of the palate, and yeast #9 provided aromas of melon and Japanese pear.

While I am sure I forgot more than I remembered from the evening, there was absolutely no mistake that "Misato" stole the show.

8/14/08: Chizuko-san's Last Day at Sakagura

After learning from Kadoi-san that Thursday 8/14/08 would be Saké Sommelier Chizuko-san’s last day at Sakagura, it was time to pay my respects for her outstanding service and friendship. Her reason for departure is to run her own company that focuses on networking and education. Her main client base will be the Japanese brewers.

Here's what transpired over the evening:

Chizuko-san's impact is felt throughout Sakagura...

Chizuko-san and Yamaguchi-san took care of me for the evening

Isojiman Junmai Ginjo. Tonight,I noticed its outstanding depth and acidity.

Chizuko-san let us try Sato No Homaré Yamawatari Nama which had gone bad. This bottle lacked any character and vibrancy, and was truly flat. She cited sotrage issue prior to arriving at Sakagura as causing this type of damage.

MY next selection was Eiko Fuji Nama, as I fondly remembered tasting it in April. Comparing to Isojiman, I noticed its fruitier and focused style.

Next, Kadoi-san opened up two bottles he recently found in Japan. Both were by Tatsuriki from Hyogo Prefecture. The Junmai Ginjo was soft and balanced, and I was surprised that it didn't have the dominant character usually associated with Ginjo made from Yamadanishiki.

The Junmai Daiginjo was initially very soft, and felt like gentle water; however, it gained structure after chilling. The brochure indicate that Tatsuriki makes their saké using five of my favorite rice: Yamadanishiki, Omachi, Yamadaho, Shinriki, and Gohyakumangoku. I'm very intrigued by these selections, and hope I can find them in the States soon...

To wrap up the evening, I ordered Ginga Kougen *gasp* beer from Iwate Prefecture. This was fantastic: crisp, vibrant with taste of barley, followed by complex hops on the finish. I highly recommend this for beer lovers.

Just when I was getting ready to leave around midnight, Kadoi-san asked me to stay. Sakagura was going to hold a staff farewell party for Chizuko-san. Here is Chizuko-san with Yamaguchi-san and sommelier Momose-san.

For a special lady, a very special saké: The Daishichi Myouka Rangyoku.

Myouka Rangyoku with flowers and card for Chizuko-san.

Chizuko-san and her husband Jim.

Staff getting ready to toast. I felt very much honored and also a little odd to be a part of intimate staff farewell party; I kept telling myself that in a way, I am there to represent the customer base...

Kadoi-san enjoying the aroma. The thing that really struck me about this saké was the unbelievably long finish, singing its sweet song on my tongue. The pour easily lasted 30 minutes to finish.

After the party, Chizuko-san, Jim, and I went to Donburi Ya to wrap things up. I ordered "stone-bowl cooked udon" and Yebisu beer. After Myouka Rangyoku, there was no way I was having another saké!

By the time we were done, it was 3:00 am... it was really a good thing I had scheduled day off for Friday!

Chizuko-san - Thank you, and Good Luck!!!

Two events

Over the summer, I attended two events that are worthy of mention:

June 24, 2008: Sakagura welcomed two breweries by Joto Saké: Kasumi Tsuru from Hyogo Prefecture and Fuchu Homaré brewery (of "Wataribuné" label) from Ibaraki Prefecture.

As Timothy of Urban Sake does a fantastic job of narrating the evening, I'll focus on the unique sake and the aftermath. (After all, I have to fit two entries in one here!)

Fukumoto-san of Kasumi Tsuru with Midori-san of Joto Saké.

Yamauchi-san of Fucho Homaré. His Wataribune Nama was one of my favorites of the evening

Since I was conversing with quite a few friends, I couldn't quite keep up with the amount of sakés coming my way...

One of those friends Masa with Henry and Fukumoto-san

This was, as we may say in Japanese, "Maboroshi no saké" (the mirage): Kasumi Tsuru "Tenno No Toiki" (天女の吐息, "Breath of an Angel")

The gentle name is very misleading, as this saké comes in at 25% alcohol by volume. The high alcohol content is achieved by freezing genshu then removing ice. This technique is actually used in making some dessert wines, such as Bonny Doon's "Vin de Glacier" and Selak's Ice Wine. Unlike the those dessert wines, this saké had earthy elements with hints of chocolate and nuts with dry finish.

Afterwards, Timothy, Masa, Hideo and I went to Donburi-ya for some casual Japanese munchies. Donburi-ya features "don," or dish based on rice with various generous toppings such as Tonkatsu pork cutlet. A perfect remedy after a night of drinking...

Timothy noticed on the menu that they carried Ozeki One Cup. Hideo essentially told Timothy, "you've never had One Cup? You're wasting your life!" Here is Timothy's reaction on such life-changing event.

***

July 1, 2008: Saké Hana hosted Takasago Brewery for an evening of saké from Hokkaido. I was invited to be translator for Mr. Shunsuké Kohiyama from the brewery, but his charismatic presentation hardly required my assistance.

Again, Timothy provides a nice recap of the evening here.

As always, the ambiance at Saké Hana is rather intimate

The sashimi combination was paired with Taisetsu Junmai Ginjo...

...while the sea-urchin flavored rice and sushi was paired with their flagship Ginga Shizuku "Divine Droplets" Junmai Daiginjo, made in the free-run style.

Being at the northern-most point of Japan, Hokkaido offers creative means of handling saké. Here, Mr. Kohiyama shows illustration of the igloo where they store their saké.

These were the last two events I attended during summer.

With the baseball season being over and saké season ready to kick off, I look forward to an active autumn.

Let's Talk Baseball.

Yes, it’s a saké blog, but baseball is inexplicably linked to Nihonshudo.

The postings have been too few and far in between since April (my bad.)

I play in an organized baseball league ran by Japanese- American Association (JAA). Their season starts? You guessed it, in April.

I've been playing for team called Shinsengumi, named after roaming samurai (a.k.a., "Band of Assasins" or "Wolves of Miba"), for 3 years now.

In my first season, we advanced to the playoffs.

Last year, we missed out with 4-6 record.

This year, I felt a sense of urgency to do better, and help our team get back in to the playoffs.

To give you perspective, I batted around lowly .250 range (yeah, it's been a while since I last played...). Last year, I improved to .350 range, but I knew I still had lot more to give.

Realizing that merely going to the batting cage wasn’t enough, I had to do the unthinkable and severely cut down my alcohol intake, including saké.

This is a significant commitment (at least by my lowly standards), but one I felt I owed to my teammates.


Shortly thereafter, I also began a new sport to improve stamina and hand-eye coordination during the weekday as part of my training regimen: badminton.

I’m not sure if everyone views badminton as a “real sport,” so judge for your self:



I now do this twice a week.

The combination of limited saké intake + less free time = minimal blog entries.

This begs the question: was it worth it?

Our team had a rebound season in couple of ways. We finished 6-5 to advance to the Playoffs, but were defeated by the defending Champions by 5-2 score. (The game was much closer than the final score.) We finished 6-5 despite starting 1-4 and 2-5, showing a lot of reserve and determination.

With a clear head (as much as one can have after waking up at 4:30 am), I was able to improve my batting to .469. The good news is that I feel I am just getting started, and I expect to do even better next season. I believe we can win it all.

Stay tuned, as next year, I might have baseball updates as part of this blog!

(Photo credit of my batting: Yuka Teshima)

In Memoriam: Hiroaki "Rocky" Aoki 1938~2008

It is with great sadness that I report the passing of Rocky Aoki on July 10, 2008. He was 69.

While Rocky is widely respected as a pioneer and a giant in the Japanese restaurant industry through his establishment of Benihana and Haru restaurant chains, he also was a key figure in the rise in popularity of saké in the United States.

"Walked outside, summer moon was nearly down. Mist on the fields, holy stillness all around. Death's no stranger, no stranger than the life I've seen. Still I cry, still I begged to get you back again." -Bruce Cockburn

I was priviledged to have known and have worked with Rocky in a small capacity.

In September 2003, shortly after the release of his "Saké: Water from Heavens" book, I approached Rocky about hosting a saké tasting event at the New York Athletic Club where we were both members. Although I have not met him before, he was very gracious in volunteering his services to the tune of sakés and his Benihana restaurant staff.

After nearly six months of planning, the "Fire & Water" event came to fruition on March 25, 2004, with a resounding success far beyond our expectations. While we were hoping for 50 participants, we ended up with the maximum capacity of 105 participants and additional 50 guests on the waiting list. The success was largely attributed to Benihana chef demonstration and pairing of fantastic sakés with Japanese food.

In 2003, Rocky also started RKA Saké Club, which provided "Saké of the Month." In addition, he organized several tasting events and saké-centric trips to Japan for the members, often subsidizing part of the cost of the events to make saké accessible to wider audience. Although his philanthropical approach was not suitable for sustainable growth and the club dissolved after three years, it was an honor for me to serve as member of the club's planning committee.

"The king is gone, but he's not forgotten."-Neil Young

While my contact with Rocky diminished, we crossed paths at industry events. I appreciated the fact that he would always take time to ask how I am doing, even though he was often surrounded by key members of the industry. While I will miss our conversations, his legacy will live on with the continued growth and success of Japanese restaurants and saké industries here in the U.S.

Tonight, I raise my glass of the water from heaven in your honor.

Rest in peace, my friend.

6/17/08: Tasting Notes on Hiroki, Naraman

Is it ever possible, when going to Sakagura, that you leave having tasted just one saké? I don't think so.

Here are tasting notes on two standout sakés for different reasons:

Hiroki Tokubesu Junmai (SMV: +3, Acidity: 1.6, Rice: Yamadanishiki/ Gohyakumangoku, Seimaibuai: 50%/ 55%, Alcohol: 16/8%). I've tried this Fukushima- brewed saké on two other occasions in the past. In September, 2006 I had a very high opinion of the bottle. Six months later, not so much. Was third time a charm?

Maybe it was the Juyondai I tasted before, but my opinion of Hiroki was more along the less than thrilling 2007 version than the outstanding 2006. (You can be assured that I did attempt to cleanse my palate several times.)

With the aroma of celery and focused flavors of koji yeast, it lacked the fruitiness typically expected out of Yamadanishiki rice (or their earlier incarnation, for that matter.) The depth and umami of Gohyakumangoku is evident. The profile of this saké suggests that it may be best served warm.

I've now tasted Hiroki three different times, with three different results...

*****

Naraman Junmai Muroka Bin-hiiré (SMV: +3, Acidity: 1.3, Rice: Gohyakumangoku, Seimaibuai: 55%, Alcohol: 16.5%). With "Nara" as part of the name, this saké is of course from the prefecture of... Fukushima?!

Anyways, this saké is made in the unfiltered and pasteurized style. Right from the get go, this bottle felt like an "old school" saké, from the design of the label to the gentle aroma of steamed rice. The high polishing ratio translates to smoothness, and earthy koji-driven minerals on the palate provides depth and structure. While this saké flexes its muscle when served chilled, flavors round out nicely when served slightly warm.

This just may be a nice saké to revisit in the fall.