Mar 4, 2011

Niigata Sake Festival just around the corner

Niigata Sake no Jin 2011 (Niigata Sake Festival 2011) will be held on the next weekend (March 12 and 13). I had been attending this event every year, and also have been taking exams for Niigata Sake Expert since 2008.

Last year, I took the exam for "Kin no Tatsujin" (Gold Expert). In this exam, the examinees tasted 10 sakes and how many they can identify was checked. Actually, it was very tough for me, and I could identify two out of 10. Of course, this miserable result meant that I failed in the exam.

Also this year, I am going to take the same exam, so I have been preparing for the exam through the training of sake tasting since quite before. However, it does not seem the training yields significant results. I am now pessimistic about my development in sake tasting. How can one who could only identify two sakes out of 10 develop his tasting ability so that he can identify 7 or 8 out of 10? Anyway, I train myself hard and will do my best.

Well, all my friends in Niigata, I will visit Niigata soon. Let's have a fun time together. Those in the Niigata sake brewing industry, please let me drink nice sake also this year!




The video below is nothing to do with the above description. Lately, a couple of wild birds visit the tree by my room and they are quite tame. Especially, the female bird takes food even directly from my hand. I named this female bird Hiyori, and I am petting her.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

I wish you every success in the next exam. It sounds like an high achievement indeed.

My expertise extends only as far as telling from taste which sake I like or not. In England there is little opportunity to taste as many as 10.

I look forward to seeing your results.

いちべー said...

Simon Key,
Thank you for the warm comment.
I will do my best and I will write about the Niigata Sake Festival as well as my results of the exam in a future post.