Sake with 50 percent fewer calories debuts

RIKUZENTAKATA, Iwate -- A Japanese sake maker here has released a sake with 50 percent fewer calories than standard rice wine.

Respected sake brewer Suisen Shuzo is aiming the new brand, called Hana no Yoi, at calorie-counting women and middle-aged to older customers worried about their weight.

Click here for the entire article at The Mainichi Daily News, along with the Japanese version of the article.

So how many calories are in a glass of regular sake? From esake.com:

What is the sugar content of sake, and how many calories are there in a typical serving of sake? There are between 180 and 240 calories, or 20 to 27 grams of carbohydrates, in 5.5 oz glass of sake. Protein and fat are negligible. During the brewing of sake, the yeast cells eat the natural sugar created by the starches in the rice and give off alcohol and carbon dioxide. The starch-to-sugar conversion, and the fermentation of that sugar, take place simultaneously in the same tank. This makes sake unique; in other beverages the conversion to sugar occurs first, and fermentation later. Also, another important parameter to be aware of is the Nihonshu-do . Also called the Sake Meter Value (abbreviated SMV) in English, this is the specific gravity of a sake. It indicates how much of the sugars created from the starches in the rice were converted to alcohol, and how much remained to contribute to sweetness. By ancient convention, the higher the number, the drier the sake. What is the range? In theory, it is open-ended. In practice, + 10 or so is quite dry, -4 or so is quite sweet, and +3 or so is neutral. Keep in mind this parameter is affected by acidity, temperature, accompanying food, and a host of other factors so that it is limited in its usefulness.

Sakesocial.com

Sakesocial.com is a new online source for premium sake, information about sake, and more. They have joined forces with Beau Timken of True Sake in San Francisco to offer an enticing selection of sake available individually or through two Sake of the Month clubs:

Samurai Select: This group of sakes will focus on Junmai, Honjozo, and some Ginjo brews that speak to folks who like everyday drinking sakes rich in body and feeling. As these brews are a little less milled and pampered they bring out more rice tones and backbone, which translate to a wider spectrum of food pairing opportunities. This selection also lends itself to more temperature plays from chilled to heated.

and

Emperor Exclusive: This group of sakes will focus on Daiginjo and Ginjo sakes that speak to those drinkers who like the royal treatment in their brews. These sakes are the best of the best – the ultimate in hand-crafted brews that celebrate the nuances and subtleties of sakes that have been milled to insanely low polishing rates. This selection represents great sipping brews that lend themselves to gentle and subtle food pairings with an emphasis on clean.

You can also order sets based on Timken's "TasteMatch system" (see his book, Sake A Modern Guide), including sets put together for those who like red wine and those who like white wine.

Education is a large part of sakesocial.com and so is the social aspect; Timken maintains a blog at the site and there are forums for the community to ask questions and to post their ideas on tastings, pairings and anything else sake related.

I really like the site; it's thoughtfully put together, visually appealing and full of content. Check it out, join the community and order some sake!

WD-50 tasting menu

I had the tasting menu at WD-50 and, while I didn't have any sake, they do include a sake in the wine pairing , so I'll list it here.

Fluke, milk skin, black chickpea, barberry
'Ode Panos' Brut Domaine Spiropoulos NV (Peloponissos, Greece)

Everything bagel, smoked salmon threads, crispy cream cheese
'Ode Panos' Brut Domaine Spiropoulos NV (Peloponissos, Greece)

Foie gras, passionfruit, chinese celery
Miyasaka Yawaraka 'Sake Matinee' Junmai (Nagano-Prefecture, Japan)

Scallops, tendon, endive, parsley, hazelnut oil
Tokaji Furmint Tokaj Classic 1999 (Tokaj, Hungary)

Cold fried chicken, buttermilk-ricotta, tabasco, caviar
Verduno Pelaverga Fratelli Alessandria 2006 (Piedmont, Italy)

Snails, red lentils, juniper, orange
Verduno Pelaverga Fratelli Alessandria 2006 (Piedmont, Italy)

Rabbit, wild rice polenta, cassis, kale, black olive
Pinotage Kanonkop 2006 (Stellenbosch, South Africa)

Squab, butternut noodles, cream soda, carob
Pinotage Kanonkop 2006 (Stellenbosch, South Africa)

Vanilla ice cream, balsamic, raspberry

Hazelnut tart, coconut, chocolate, chicory
Chenin Blanc "Off the Rack" Plantagenet 2006 (Western Australia)

Carmelized brioche, gala apple, sage, brown butter
Commandaria St. John Keo NV (Lemesos, Cyprus)

Cocoa packets. Chocolate shortbread, milk ice cream

Tasting menu $140, wine pairing $75

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So, props for the fois gras/Miyasaka Yawaraka pairing! The meal was quite an experience. I loved when two men sat down at the table next to mine, went into shock when they looked at the menu, asked if they could get salads, and then left - not because of the prices, I'm pretty sure, but because the menu was too adventurous. I enjoyed it all because I love crazy food, although I could live happily without ever having the rabbit sausage again. The most INSANELY delicious thing was the fried chicken. Of course it sounds so ordinary, but it was like no other fried chicken. The foie gras with sweet passionfruit sauce, the vanilla ice cream with the balsamic hiding inside, and the unexpected everything bagel were pretty awesome too.

Oh, they also offer a bottle of aged sake with the dessert wine list
"Darume Masamune Junmai Koshu
Gifu Prefecture, Japan ~ aged junmai sake
aroma of roast nuts, dried fruits and spices
290.00 bottle (720 ml)"

Kaseki at Rosanjin

While in New York, I had one of the most memorable meals of my life at Kaiseki restaurant Rosanjin.

“Delicious food requires plates of a comparable level of beauty”
Rosanjin Kitaoji 1883 ~ 1959

Rosanjin is inspired by the artist and food critic Rosanjin Kitaoji and his lifetime quest for beauty and art through cuisine. The kaiseki meal with sake pairing really is an extraordinary experience. It's available at 3 price levels, $120, $150, and $200 and I tried the $150 menu with the sake pairing for an additional $98. I knew that, while I was in for a memorable evening, I would probably need help with the remembering and they kindly agreed to email a copy of my menu. The sake pours were really beyond generous. Do you know those glass bottles with small "pockets" for ice? Well, for each sake selection they first poured (from a 720 ml bottle) a small glass and then they half-filled the glass bottle! After about the 3rd pour I asked them to just fill the glass and forgo the bottle.

Kaiseki meal with sake pairing, the menu, April 1, 2009

Zatsuki: Shimmered spring vegetables with ise shrimp on top
Sake: Dassai Nigori - Yamaguch

Tsunagi: Mackerel sushi

Owan: Giant clam in sake based soup

Tsukuri: Toro & fluke sashimi, simmered octopus in sweet soy sauce
Sake: Ugo-no-tsuki - Hiroshima

Yakimono: Grilled black cod marinated in saikyo miso sauce
Sake: Square one - Nagano

Shiizakana: Abalone steamed with sake
Sake: Shimerhari tsuru Jun - Niigata

Takiwase: Deep fried butterfish with tofu skin, golden sauce on top
Sake: Kubota manjyu - Niigata

Syokuji: Japanese premium beef steak, rice & miso soup
Sake: Kanchiku - Nagano

Dessert: Gelato, rice cake with red bean paste

Rosanjin also offers an a la carte menu.

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Rosanjin also has a delivery menu with the most beautiful looking bento boxes I've ever seen. Seriously, go to their delivery page and you will cry because you are not it their delivery area!

Tempura and sake for lunch at Kai, shopping at Ito-en

I had lunch at one of my favorite restaurants, Kai, which is only a few blocks away from the book fair. Usually I have dinner there when I'm in New York, but I had limited time so decided to visit for lunch and, really, lunch was as special an occasion as dinner at Kai.

First I was brought a welcome cup of green tea which was refilled throughout the meal. I decided on the large prawn and vegetable tempura set which included tempura, miso soup, assorted vegetables, housemade oshinko, white rice and, for dessert, fruit, yazu cheesecake and jasmine creme brulee. I asked for advice on a sake to drink with lunch and went with the Hakkaisan ginjo ($17/glass). I think it was the best tempura that I've had in the U.S.!

Here are the stats for the sake:

Brewery: Hakkai-Jyozo Sake Brewery
Prefecture: Niigata
Rice: Yamada-Nishiki, etc.
Polishing rare: 50%
Alcohol: 15.6%
SMV: +6
Acidity: 1.2

After lunch I went downstairs to Ito-en tea shop and bought some tea and cups and also this glass pot and warmer that was marketed as a sake heater. It seems more like something you would use to keep tea warm - the little candle is not hot enough to warm sake that was stored in the refrigerator.






I also got this incredibly cute masu with a "saucer."

A bit of Japan in New York

I had a nice trip to New York for the ABAA book fair that took place April 3-5 at the Park Armory and while I was pretty busy with books, I got to visit a few of my old and new favorite places.

At Takashiyama I had the East/West Afternoon Tea (see bad photo) which included 4 small sandwiches (spring roll, cucumber on rice, smoked salmon on rice and turkey and horseradish on white bread), vegetable chips, fruit (strawberries, melon, pineapple, blueberries, blackberries, and grapes), candied nuts, custard, chocolates, cookies and cake. Something was seriously wrong with the service - there were several servers and they must all have assumed that someone else was helping me. Don't go there if you are in a hurry. The tea and treats made up for it and I can't stay mad at them. Right outside the the cafe they sell tea, cups and pots, incense, cookies, etc. I bought a teacup, some incense and a few other things and the customer service in that department was outstanding.

I had only about 5 minutes to visit sake shop Sakaya, so I just ran in and asked if they had any nama sake. That is how I ended up with a bottle of Masumi Arabashiri "First Run." I can't wait to spend more time looking at all the sake and maybe attending one of Sakaya's many tastings on my next trip to New York.

Down the street was Cha-an Japanese Tea House where I had an order of green tea truffles on reserve. They were packaged in a lovely bamboo gift "bag," and were a beautiful pale green color. I shared them with some friends after I got home and the opinion that they were delicious was unanimous. While at Cha-an I ordered the 3 item dessert kaiseki which included mixed berry ice cream with a sesame crunch cookie, orange chocolate mousse and creme brulee, and a cookie and poundcake, along with several cups of genmaicha tea.

I also made a quick stop at Kyoto-fu where I had several boxes of sweets on reserve. While there I tried the ginger-infused soymilk rice okayu with apple-cranberry compote, seven spiced tuile, and shiso cream. They have a nice sake list with over 30 different kinds of junmai, junmai ginjo, daiginjo, nigori, aged, and sparkling sake and several sake flights if you want to experiment. Also, they currently have a great sake promotion, Sake Sundays with half off all bottles and glasses (check the website for more details).

Serenading a Hong Kong saké shop

Elvis! I can't read most of this blog, but I know it's another reason to get back to Hong Kong!

Notes from the saké and cheese tasting

*The Japan Meteorological Agency reported that cherry blossoms will open earlier than usual this year. Check here for the forecast.*

The saké and cheese tasting at Cooks of Crocus Hill was a great success. Ken Liss of Premier Cheese Market and Mark Hamer of Vino Source led the group through the tasting with 6 cheeses and 5 sakés. I thought that we would try each saké with one of the cheeses, but we tried each saké with each cheese. Of course, that made a lot more sense and it was amazing to try all the combinations.

Cheeses
1. Greek Kiss, Alabama, goat's milk
2. Brie de Meaux, France, cow's milk
3. Patacabra, Spain, goat's milk
4. Prairie Breeze, Iowa, cow's milk
5. Cereta alt Urgell, Spain, cow's milk
6. Shropshire Blue, England, cow's milk
Bonus cheese: Ewephoria, Sheepsmilk gouda

Sakés with some notes on the pairings
1. Nanbu Bijin (Southern Beauty), junmai ginjo
No notes...was this the last saké we tasted???

2. Mukune (Shadows of Katano), nigori junmai ginjo
People tasted mushrooms with the Brie de Meaux, a candy taste with the Prairie Breeze and "turned butter" with the Cereta alt Urgell. I actually liked the Cereta alt Urgell pairing.

3. Mukune (Root of Innocence), junmai ginjo
Chocolate was noted with the Greek Kiss. The class favorite seemed to be the Shropshire Blue. Again, I liked the Cereta alt Urgell. Do I have bad taste? Others found it bitter.

4. Sato no Homare (Pride of the Village), junmai ginjo
This saké, when combined with the Certa alt Urgell, made for a strong chocolate taste. My favorite pairing with this was the Patacabbra.

5. Chiyonosono (Sacred Power), junmai ginjo
I liked the Greek Kiss with this. Interestingly, it cut the aftertaste of the saké.

The differences in the pairings were pretty amazing, especially considering that all the saké were junmai ginjo. It would be fun to try pairing cheese with other saké, such as a koshu, honjozo, even a junmai daiginjo (would the cheese overpower the most delicate saké?) I guess that's a homework project!

I want to mention that Ken Liss knows cheese...I'm really looking forward to visiting the shop. They are taking part in "Ladies' night out" on March 12th at 50th and France and offering 10% off all purchases from 4-9 pm and men can get in on the deal too.

Story on moto-i with video of sake making

Here's a story on moto-i with a video of sake making.

Sake seminar at moto-i

Get a load of this: 8 hours with 2 sake experts, a 20-page manual, over 20 different sakes to taste, a tour of the brewery and lunch and snacks for $150. Amazing!

Become a Sake Expert - Monthly Sake Seminar at moto-i

On the first Saturday of every month, moto-i is offering a full day seminar for anyone interested in learning more about sake. Comprehensive, informative, and fun, participants are promised an education on sake unparalleled in Minneapolis! We aim to have the most knowledgeable, savvy sake aficionados here than any other city in North America. The 8-hour seminar will focus on various topics like sake history, sake grades and styles, the brewery process from start to finish. The class, conducted by Blake Richardson, moto-i head brewer, and Elise Gee, assistant brewer, includes a 20-page manual for you to keep, tastings of over 20 different sake, brewery tour, lunch and snacks. Cost is $150.

The next class is Saturday, December 6, 2008 from 9am to 5pm.

In order to fully understand sake, tastings are needed in order to hone one's palate. The 20 sake students shall taste will provide a good understanding of grades, styles and flavor profiles. We have scoured far and wide to obtain the best selection of sake for our seminar-- some are even hard-to-find rarities, unavailable for purchase in Minnesota.

Here is a list of the sake students will try:
Akitabare Honjozo "Spring Snow"
Dewazakura Dewasansan Junmai Ginjo
Gekkeikan Futsuu
Gekkeikan Horin Junmai Daiginjo
Houhoushu Sparkling
Kasumi Tsuru Junmai Kimoto
Kasumi Tsuru Junmai Yamahai
Masumi Junmai "Mirror of Truth"
Murai Family Nebuta Honjozo
Murai Family Tokubetsu Honjozo
Murai Family Junmai Ginjo
Murai Family Daiginjo
Momokawa Junmai Ginjo Nigori Genshu
Momokawa Junmai
Nambu Bijin Jnmai Ginjo Nama
Nambu Bijin Junmai Ginjo
Sake One G Junmai Ginjo Genshu
Sato No Homare Junmai Ginjo
Watari Bune Ginjo 55 Muroka
Yuki No Bosha Junmai Ginjo Nigori

The lunch offered with be a choice of either a rice or a noodle dish from moto-i's menu.
Snacks include a choice of two small plates under $10 each from our menu with a sampler of moto-i's own sake.

Email us at class@moto-i.com to sign up for a seminar.

Sake and cheese class in Edina

Cooks of Crocus Hill is offering a Sake and Cheese in February.

February 27th 6:00 PM-8:00 PM, $55 Ken Liss, Mark Hamer

You may know about wine with cheese or beer with cheese....but what about Sake and cheese? Really? Yes really! Without the tannins of wine, you can focus purely on the textures, flavors and sensations that come with pairing this rice beverage with cheese. The result is a completely new experience! Join Mark Hamer from Vino Source and Ken Liss from Premier Cheese Market as they pair 5 sakes with a variety of cheeses and share all the ways to serve and taste both.

Sign up here.

Japanese Hand Craft

I found a link to this blog on Melinda Joe's blog and fell in love with it immediately. It's full of Japanese culture and beautiful photographs along with some great recipes. When you've finished reading the blog, check out the store for some truly exquisite sake ware among other things.

Japanese Hand Craft Blog
Japanese Hand Craft Online Shop

Looking forward to Moto-I!

From their website (http://www.moto-i.com/)

What is moto-i
moto-i is the first sake brewery restaurant outside of Japan. Located in Uptown, Minneapolis, moto-i is a full service restaurant with liquor, beer, wine and, of course, sake! moto-i makes draft sake or namazake. Nama is unpasteurized, and needs plenty of care as it can never get warm.
Our menu is reminiscent of an Izakaya, a Japanese Pub. With small plates as well as noodles and rice dishes, we incorporate many Asian ethnicities and keep the focus on street food of the best Asian Hawkers.

This is obviously very exciting news!

More Tokyo

There was nothing sake-related to report on Monday, although I did win $10.00 from Rob on a bet about a book and that's very newsworthy, although maybe not because I nearly always win my bets with Rob.

On Tuesday (March 11th) we went to Mr. Nitta's (of Yushodo) "friendship" dinner for about 25 booksellers. The dinner was at Kagurazaka, a fish restaurant at the Umi Hotel. As Nitta-san hosted the dinner, we didn't actually see menus, so I'm not sure what sake I had, but the restaurant's web site assures me that it was "the best-selected sake that goes best with the fish." Nitta-san and his wife, Mrs. Nitta-san, are two of my favorite hosts, always gracious and always generous, and, most importantly, always fun! Mr. Nitta, Rob and Robert Frew (who has a way with profanity that I very much appreciate) were drinking shochu with a nice, big ume dropped in, and that really got the party started.



Wednesday, Thursday and Friday were book fair days, so we were very busy. Happily, we got to have a nice dinner Friday night with our friends, "Masa and the other Masa" (they gamely let us refer to them this way), and they are fun Japanese academic party animals. They seem to be very amused by me as I'm interested in antiquarian books, cats and the Japanese cat cafes (here's one), and sake. One of the reasons it's fun to hang out with these guys is that they're both brilliant English professors and they alway bring a bunch of questions for us. They want me and Rob to explain the meaning of things like "riding shotgun." Sometimes they ask us the same questions year after year and I wonder if they are looking to catch us explaining things which we know nothing about.

Tokyo! and flea market sake

Rulon-Miller Books exhibited at the Tokyo International Antiquarian book fair in March, so I made my sixth trip to Japan and Rob made his twenty-somethingth, probably close to thirtieth, trip. We arrived in Tokyo on the 8th and checked into the Hilltop Hotel, known as "the hotel with personality" and "the hotel to maintain health, probably the only hotel, which circulates oxygen and negative ions into the rooms for the guests to appreciate the refreshing atmosphere as of Karuizawa while in Tokyo." It was a nice change from our usual place, the New Otani, which I still get lost in after spending a total of about three months of my life there. The Hilltop was the tiniest bit threadbare, but it made up for that with an abundance of charm and it is near bookseller street as well.



We ignored jetlag and headed out early on the 9th to check out some flea markets. The first, at the International Forum, was disappointing. There were very few sellers and it seemed that many of them were selling new items. Still, the venture turned out not to be a complete failure because there was a section of food stalls and I found one selling what one of the salespeople called "farmer's sake." The lady in charge of the booth (pictured on the left) was able to speak a bit of English and explained to me that I shouldn't store the bottle on its side. She was right...there was a hole in the cap (which seemed to be there on purpose...so the bottle didn't explode??) with only a piece of paper under it, so I had a mini disaster in the mini bar. Unfortunately, I think I waited too long to drink this. It was a really thick, chunky sake and whenever I see something like that, I expect it to taste like a pina colada. This was very bitter, so much so that I think it had gone bad. Very fizzy too, which I thought was probably not unusual for fresh, farmer's sake.

The second flea market was bigger, but just as unsuccessful. There were quite a few kimono stalls, but the competition (mainly foreigners) was fierce so I stayed away.

Dinner the first night was at Yamano-ue, the famous tempura restaurant at the hotel. It turned out to be quite a treat. I had 2 fresh prawns ($15.00 each), asparagus, kiso (white fish) and sweet potato, which was served last because of the time it took to prepare the fist-sized vegetable. It was served with brandy and very tasty. The server was very sweet...Rob asked her a question and she said "yup," and Rob asked if she had been educated in Britain. She was very embarassed at having been caught being so informal with a customer, but I really liked her. She suggested the sake that I had with my meal, Tateyama (Toyama Prefecture) according to the notes she made for me. It was a very fine sake...light floral aroma with a taste almost like lightly flavored water. Rob tried it and said "smooth, easy, cherry."

What's hot and what's not

A new list of what's hot and what's not was just published by the American Restaurant Association. Scroll down to page six to see alcoholic beverages and cocktails. It's a bit sad to see that sake ranks below energy drink cocktails and mojitos, but interesting that it's ahead of red, white and sparkling wine, vodka, tequila and rum. I found this link on Andrew Zimmern's food blog. He also posted this link to a youtube video of Kobayashi going up against a bear in a hotdog eating contest. It looks like it was an unfair competition!

Another Minneapolis event: December 5th

DECEMBER 5th EVENT: SPARKLING AND SUSHI!

TICKETS ON SALE NOW

What : "Sushi & Champagne Tasting"
When : Wednesday December 5, 7-9pm
Price: $38
Where : Nami, Downtown Minneapolis at 241 1st Avenue North
(corner of 1st Ave North and 3rd Street)
Buy Tickets at tc-uncorked.org

Time once again for our annual "Sushi & Sparkling" event to get you into the holiday spirit! Swill a little sparkling wine and champagne and sample a bit of sushi and rolls from our good friends at Nami. We also hope to have a few sakis so you can try a sip of those as well. Join us and kick off the holiday season!

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Cheers!
~ Pam, Toni, Tracie, Rachel, Tom, Lana, Kelly, Mark and Jonathan

Sake tasting dinner at Spill the Wine in Minneapolis

This should be fun!

Sake Dinner
Presented by VinoSource, who will be sharing tasting notes on the wine for the evening and our Chef who will be discussing the food.
November 29th, 2007 | 7pm
$69/person (includes tax and gratuity)

Course One
Mango Crab Salad with Cucumber, Lime and Mint
tozai living jewel, kyoto

Course Two
Miso Tofu Soup
with Fish Stock and Green Onion
rihaku wandering poet, shimane

Course Three
Ribeye Carpacio
Thai Style, Green Papaya Red Curry
tentaka hawk in the heavens, tochigi

Course Four
Tuna Tataki
Black pepper and Pickled Ginger Rice
mukane root of innocence, osaka

Course Five
Green Tea Panacata
tozai snow maiden, kyoto

Go here to find out more about Spill the Wine and to register.

Oldtime saké rituals

I was cataloguing a book today by a member of the Circumnavigators Club and I found an interesting description of saké drinking at a mid-1920s Geisha-Dinner Party. I like to think of all the men getting a little rambunctious and smashing sake cups into their heads! Here is the description:

The only wine consumed during the dinner was saké, and a few words regarding this are necessary.

In color, saké looks much like weak tea, and is always served hot in small shallow cups which hold about three table-spoonfuls. In taste it resembles hot sherry, and it is probable that its content of alcohol is about the same. All through the dinner saké was constantly being brought in and served to the guests. The customs surrounding its consumption are somewhat curious, and in brief are as follows:--

The first cup of wine is drunk by the guest of the evening. The host selects a cup, names the guest and says, “Dozo saké ippai onomu nasai” (Graciously condescend to imbibe a cupful of wine), at the same time touching the cup to his forehead and bowing toward the guest. The latter bows to his host, accepts the cup, touches it to his own forehead and holds it forward on the palm of his hand for the maid to fill, at the same time replying, “Arigato gozaimasu, itadakimasho,” (Thank you, I sure will). He drains the cup, rinses it out in a tureen of water which stands beside him, touches it to his forehead and returns it to his host with the request that he have one himself. Formalities satisfied, everyone else begs the privilege of a cup with the guest, and after him whomsoever he may fancy. To the uninitiated a word of caution: ‘Ware the cup that cheers in Japan, for the custom above outlined is easily capable of being carried beyond the realms of a joke, and in his desire to be polite one may learn that hot saké in sufficient quantities, and taken in small doses, “biteth like a serpent and stingeth like an adder.” Furthermore, saké does not behave well in mixed company.

JOHNSON, GEORGE A. The log of a circumnavigator being a series of informal narratives descriptive of a trip around the world. Boston: The Stratford Co. , 1927.

Trader Joe-san's Sake

Sake at Trader Joe's...who knew? On a recent trip I found two varieties, a junmai ginjo and a sparkling sake. Here are the specs and my tasting notes on each:

Junmai Ginjo Premium Sake
Alcohol 14-15%
SMV +3 (medium dry)
Serving suggestion: Chilled
Texture: Soft and smooth
Pairing food: seafood and lightly grilled meats
Produced and bottled by Oimatsu Shuzo Co., Hita
Tasting notes: The scent is very pleasant, yeasty, and full of butterscotch. Taste is light and earthy, no fruits or sweetness at all.

Sparkling Sake
Alcohol 7%
Produced and bottled by Ume no Yado Brewery Co., Nara
Tasting notes: The aroma out of the bottle is ricey and fruity. The color is a creamy yellow and the bubbles are tiny and abundant. This was less sweet than the other sparkling sakes that I've had. I think I could confidently serve this to a skeptical champagne lover, while with something like Hou Hou Shu (which I love) I'd be worried it would be too sweet.