Madonoume Sake Brewing

A junmai-shu sake from Madonoume Sake Brewing. Junmai-shu: pure rice wine; no adding of distilled alcohol.

There is no English on the website. This Sake is not dry at all, very fruity. Can be drunk warm or cold. I didn't like this sake too much.

1208 Yen in Japan (10 euro). 20 euro's in The Netherlands. Ouch!

Ginjo Rokushu (sake)

Ginjo Rokushu is a dry sake meant to be drunken very cold (5 - 10C). From the company website: "We have two breweries, DEWATSURU and KARIHO. DEWATSURU is a refined sake that has a soft and subtly gentle flavor, By contrast, KARIHO, made from hard water, is much drier, with a lively, crisp character."

Among KARIHO there are several sakes. I bought the Ginjo Rokushu for 20 euro. I would buy this sake again.

"Very smooth taste with a fruity aroma. This sake goes well with lightly flavored dishes. Recommended drinking temperature: 5-10C."

Company website: www.igeta.jp

Soma no Tengu

Soma no Tengu, Usunigori 2008. Producer Uehara Shuzo, Takashima, Shiga, Japan. Very nice sake. Recommended.

Imported in The Netherlands by Yoigokochi Sake Importers

Junmai ‘extra dry’ sake, Harushika

A Junmai ‘extra dry’ sake brewed by Harushika. It’s one of the six sake’s Harushika brews for export.

Commercial Description:
日本の名: 春鹿　純米　超辛口
Rice: Yamada Nishiki
Nihonshu-do: +12
Seimaibuai: 58%

Very dry sake with medium body. Refreshing earthy aroma with hint of flower, combined with crispy citrus fruits flavor and clean bitter finish. [Drunk before and after pasta bolognese, it seemed pretty dry indeed although I have little to compare. I believe the pitch "goes well after a big meal" (see below) is correct. Will buy again, but only to accompany a full dinner.]

Marketing pitch:
“This is about as dry as they get and is nonetheless pleasant and finishes grassy and light bodied. It goes well after a big meal.”

Harushika, or "Spring Deer," takes its name from the deer that roam free in Nara Park. Harushika began by brewing sake for the well-known shrine Kasuga Taisha. Seventy percent of Harushika's brew is junmai and is quite dry indeed. A very subdued nose and clean, smooth flavor combine to give a non-obtrusive flavor profile. Although Harushika is quite pleasant slightly chilled, it goes down smoothly when gently warmed as well.

Tengumai sake

A 720 ml bottle of tokubetsu junmai-shu sake: Tengumai, brewed by Shata Shuzo Co. Quality: Junmai-shu, taste: full flavoured, slightly tangy, medium dry. Rice polishing ratio: 60%, alcohol content: 15,9%, origin: Ishikawa. Only naturally cultivated lactic acid bacillae are used. [excellent sake, although I don't have much reference. For the time being: will buy again. Much better cold than at room temperature]

Founded in 1823 in the late Edo period. At the time it was founded the Kura (brewery) was surrounded by dense forest where Tengu, long-nosed goblins seemed likely to exist. Tengu, according to Japanese tradition, possess mysterious powers. The sake's name, "Tengumai", is derived from the meaning that even Tengu would dance after drinking this sake because it tastes so good. Since its foundation the Shata family has operated the brewery in this beautiful pastoral setting and the present head is the 7th generation. [source]

Guinomi, sake cups

I don't drink much sake because it's a rather expensive drink in Europe. Of course there is Gekkeikan sake, brewed in the USA, and easy to find. Unfortunately, the cheaper Gekkeikan is not tokutei meishoshu but futsuu-shu. I'll order some 180ml. sample bottles from sake.nl and keep track of the names and quality.

More information on John Gauntner's sake-world.com

In the meantime I bought two sake cups on eBay.



An ONI-HAGI WARA-HAI-YUU GUINOMI (rough sand straw-ashes glaze sake cup) made by Deishi Shibuya. KOUDAI (=the foot) of this cup is WARI-KOUDAI (cut KOUDAI), often seen on Hagi ware. Hagi ware is excellent for sake. Even five days after use the cup still smells of sake. I guess this cup should not be used for anything else but sake.



And a GUINOMI (sake cup) with black iron glaze by Seigan Yamane. The glaze contains a lot of iron. The clay is HIME-HAGI-TSUCHI (fine-grained Hagi). Works very well with Nigori sake. Visually that is.