A sake drinker Ichibay reports events that occur in his daily life and coveys his casually conceived ideas, focusing especially on sake and sake-related items and events. He sometimes writes about his short trips in his country Japan or provides some Japanese cultural stuff related to kimono, local performing arts, etc.
I went around in Saitama prefecture to visit several sake breweries in November as I described in a past article (please see Sake Brewery Stamp Rally). Yao Honten is among the breweries I visited at that time, and I bought the sake "Masuya Rihei" there.
This sake is of my favorite type with a dry and clean-cut but full-bodied taste. The soft ginjo bouquet is pleasant. It is also good to enjoy this sake after heating it lukewarmly.
Actually, I recently learned that Saitama prefecture produces 13,000 kilo litters of sake annually, and this amount exceeds those of Nagano and Yamanashi prefectures. Speaking of sake breweries in Saitama prefecture, for several years, I have been fan of Igarashi Syuzou, which is making Tenranzan, and Koedo-Kagamiyama Syuzou, which is brewing Kagamiyama. Recently, I found another favorite, Biwa-no-Sasanami from Asahara Syuzou.
Saitama is a next prefecture to Tokyo, and I want to visit different more breweries in Saitama next year.
I love namazake that has a certain flavor "characteristic of namazake."
The flavor "characteristic of namazake," which I consider to be a right expression, is very difficult to describe by words.
"Tarekuchi" by Taiyo Syuzou, Junmai Muroka Nama "Yuho" by Mioya Syuzou, and Tamajiman Sake-wa-Tanoshiku Nama from Ishikawa Brewery have this flavor. Biwa-no-Sasanami from Asahara Syuzou, which I recently drank, also has this flavor "characteristic of namazake." Oh, I must not forget to mention Kikusui Funaguchi Ichiban-Shibori, aluminum-canned sake, which also has a rich flavor "characteristic of namazake." I wonder where that namazake flavor comes from or what ingredient of sake causes that flavor. I must continue to drink more types of sake to solve my question.
Tamura Syuzoujou shipped its first brew of "Yamasake 4-go Tamura Namazake" on December 10. Having been making Junmai Ginjo Tamura using the rice named Ginginga, this brewery added a new Tamura, which uses Yamasake 4-go rice, to its product lines in this brewery year.
Yamasake 4-go Tamura Namazake is limitedly produced and sold by subscription, and I needed to order this bottle before its shipment. Recently, the liquor shop brought the bottle to me, and I tasted it yesterday.
The first aroma note is mild but smells like melon, at the same time, it suggests that the taste is clean and dry.
I feel the sake somehow sweetish to my palate, but the sake meter value is actually +5, which is rather dry. The sake also tastes clean. The acidity, by the way, is 2. When swallowing the sake after holding it in mouth for a while, I feel briskness and sturdy astringent bitterness in the deep part of the mouth, which refresh my mouth. A little bit higher alcohol content makes me feel somehow warm in my stomach.
In terms of richness in taste, I am in favor of the Ginginga version, but Yamasake 4-go Tamura is more interesting. This sake has just shipped, and may change in its taste as it is mellowed with the course of time.
Ms. Rosina Lau, a citizen of Toronto, Canada, owns a company that sells useful Takui bags.
At the beginning of October, I received an E-mail message from her. She said she read my blog and got interested in sake. She had had rare chances to enjoy sake in Canada, and wanted to visit Japan to experience and learn about the sake world.
As early as 12 of November, she was already in an inn in Kyoto! Then, she visited Fushimi, Saijo city, and Takayama city, which are all famous for their sake. On 21 of November, she arrived at her hotel in Tokyo. She makes her decision and moves really quickly!
I met her on 25 of November. She had come to Japan long way from Canada, and I of course wanted to welcome her. So, I asked Mr. Shimizu, sales manager of Ishikawa Brewery, to show us their brewery and he did so. Then, I took her to an izakaya restaurant, "Shutoan," in Yotsuya in the evening. "Shutoan" carries a lot of sake and it offers good dried fish and oyster.
Ishikawa Brewery started its sake brewing as early as 1863 boasting a history of over 140 years. Measuring 25.2 meters in width, 13.25 meters in height, and 28 meters in depth, the Hongura building, where fermentation process of sake takes place, is the hugest as an existing wooden kura building in the Kanto region. The Ishikawa family, the owner of the brewery, has its house on the premises. In front of the house, stands an old gate with wings on each side. This gate was built about 240 years ago and both wings were used as living spaces for gatekeepers. Many of the building and architecture on the premises, as well as the two mentioned above, have been registered as tangible cultural properties of Japan. So, I wanted visitors from abroad such as Rosina san to visit and see this brewery, and I am happy that I could actually take her to this place.
Then, we were headed from Ishikawa Brewery to Shutoan, which I had wanted to visit for enjoying part of its great selection of sake. This izakaya restaurant is reputed to offer a lot of types of sake (actually it carries 450 types of sake) and good foods especially oyster from different places inside and outside Japan, having been enjoying popularity among sake lovers since its inauguration in September. I decided to go to this izakaya restaurant on my own judgment, but I was sure Rosina san would like it. In addition to its wide selection of sake, one of the sales points of Shutoan are oysters; they are brought from various places including Iwate prefecture, Miyagi prefecture, and some are from Canada or the United States. The menu shows a list of producing districts of oysters that are available on the current day. Since oyster contains ingredients that are good for the liver such as taurine, it seems to be paired well with sake.
On this day, I couldn't decide what we should drink because there were so many bottles in the refrigerator in the restaurant (they displayed sake bottles in the refrigerator). So, I asked Mr. Takeguchi, owner of the restaurant, to select some bottles for us. We enjoyed as many as abut 10 different types of sake, including Kunpai (君盃), Eikun (英君), Waruno-Daikan (悪の代官), Azumamine (吾妻嶺), Kaze-no-Mori (風の森), Kame-no-Umi (亀の海), Nanbu-Bijin (南部美人), Okunokami (屋守). Personally, I liked Kame-no-Umi, which, I feel, is rich in taste.
Rosina san said, "I drank about 10 types of sake today, and still I have 440 types to try. So, I must come back here." She was very eager to come back to Japan and told me she would go to Niigata next time in March for Niigata Sake Festival 2010 (にいがた酒の陣2010). I, as a sake lover, am very happy to have such an enthusiastic sake friend abroad.
In front of me were daiginjo, namazake, junmai sake, tokubetsu honjozo, yamahai, etc. I was drinking these sakes and comparing them with each other. There was plenty of sake, and there was no fear that all the sake was drunk off since I was then at a sake brewery.
I enjoyed various kinds of sake beginning with the freshness of the namazake followed by the fragrance and smooth taste of the daiginjo. Then, I had some food before drinking acid and full-bodied yamahai. In this way, I continued trying one sake and another. One gou, two gous, three gous, and I drank more, and there was plenty of sake since, I repeat, I was at a sake brewery. It was November 14. I was participating in "Gathering for Enjoying 'Tamura' and 'Kasen'" at Tamura Syuzoujou brewery.
With few acquaintances in the venue, I was a little nervous at first. However, after drinking some sake and getting drunk, I felt easy and could talk with people and staff of the brewery freely. Sake really makes people friendly!
And I continued drinking more and more. However, any heavy drinker has the limit and finally gets drunk if continuing drinking sake. I got drunk and my nose and tongue less well understood the virtue of the drink. How much sake in the world did I drink?
If a man in the state of inebriety continues drinking and frequently extends his hand unknowingly to a specific bottle of sake, this is the bottle he unconsciously selects. And, maybe he selects right sake for himself.
In the event, we could literally enjoy various sake of the brewery to our hearts' content. When I had got drunk very badly, I suddenly found myself drinking "Kiwametsuke Karakuchi" single-mindedly without paying no attention to daiginjo and other premium sakes.
"Yes! A good brew must be one that you want to drink more even after you drank very much of it," I thought.
Thus, in my conclusion, "Kasen Kiwametsuke Karakuchi" can be said to be certainly a good brew.
I am participating in the stamp rally "Visiting Sake Breweries by Seibu Railway Line." Participants are to visit some or all of the specified breweries in Saitama and Tokyo, which are located along or relatively close to Seibu lines to collect stamps of breweries. After collecting stamps, I will participate in the prize competition for bottles of sake.
On the day when I visited Tamura Syuzoujou for sake brewery study tour, I first visited Ishikawa Brewery to collect the Tamajiman stamp, and then went to Tamura Syuzoujou, where I of course obtained the Kasen stamp.
Later, on another day, I went to Ozawa Syuzou to collect the Sawanoi stamp. Thus, I easily collected the three stamps since my home is along the JR Ome Line and these breweries are also along the same line.
October 11, my friend and I went for drive to see autumn leaves in a Chichibu area. Of course, this was a good opportunity to visit some breweries in the area.
Bukou Syuzou for the brand name "Bukou-Masamune" The shop building has been registered as national tangible cultural property. They have a wide merchandise assortment.
The mother water has been registered as one of the 100 excellent spring waters of the Heisei period (from 1989). Bring a PET bottle and be given some of the water.
Yao Honten known for the brand name "Chichibu-Nishiki" In contrast to Bukou Shuzou, the factory of Yao Honten has modern facilities.
The souvenir store for tourists and sake brewery museum are on the premises of the brewery. These establishments can be visited at ease. Beside sake, the souvenir store sells shochu, wine, and other local products.
We had lunch at the restaurant "Nosaka" close to Seibu Chichibu Station. Pork miso bowl is sold at 850 yen. Charbroiled pork is very hot, soft and juicy.
In any case, autumn leaves in the Chichibu area were like those in these pictures (taken at a point close to Ashigakubo Station).
Finally, we visited Igarashi Syuzou brewing "Tenranzan. The brewery displays antique items representing their history in their cozy little direct sales store.
Saturday, a sake drinking gathering for enjoying "Tamajiman" was held at the izakaya restaurant Nanoka in Tachikawa city.
Tamajiman is sake brewed by Ishikawa Brewery in Fussa city, Tokyo, and there are many people who love this sake here in the western part of Tokyo.
On this day, we enjoyed many different types of sake including Daiginjo Nama Genshu Shizukudori, Tanrei Ginjo, and Tama-no-Yorokobi Junmai Daiginjo. Among these sakes, a 720-ml bottle of Daiginjo Nama Genshu Shizukudori is sold at a price over 10,000 yen and was used to give a toast on that day. This high-end premium sake has an elegant fragrance and soft touch of taste with richness.
Tanrei Ginjo is dry sake with the alcohol content of 14 to 15 degrees. It has a mild aroma and is smooth drinkable sake. In this sake, I felt an attractive taste, which I guessed drived from koji, and I liked this sake best on that day.
Also, every participant was given a sake cup, which was sold by Mr. Tatsuro Sasaki, and everyone enjoyed sake with the given cup.
At the venue, Mr. Sasaki was also showing and selling his goods including sake cups and tokkuris. So, I bought one sake cup in addition to the given one, and thus I got two cups. The purchased cup (right in the picture above) is an earthenware work called "Oribe" and this was created by Mr. Mitsunori Demachi. The one on the left is the cup given in this event. Using these favorite cups really adds to joy of drinking.
I am really enjoying looking closely at this Oribe cup. As you see in the photo below, it exhibits such different features from different angles. I'm sure I will more enjoy sake with this cup.
