Japanese sake can be interpreted in many different ways and a perspective that I like to associate it with is fantasy. From the magical koji mould that’s vital to producing sake, to the heart and soul brewers put into their craftsmanship, there’s definitely a fantastical element to Japan’s national drink, which is where the inspiration for Flights Of Fantasy comes from.
The segment pairs sake with different fantasy characters, revealing their motivations and the stories behind the bottles. This edition of Flights Of Fantasy focuses on Kest Murrowson, a member of the main trio from Sebastien De Castell’s acclaimed The Greatcoats series.
A man of logic, stoicism and tremendous fighting ability, Kest’s sake flights feature drinks with hidden depths.
Bushido Sake
Kest has spent his entire life training to be the greatest fighter in all of Tristia. At one point, he was the Saint of Swords, the purest embodiment of what a master swordsman can be and this life-long dedication to the blade has given him an appreciation for studying all kinds of fighting techniques.
Japanese bushido, The Way of The Warrior, is a discipline that Kest would undoubtably become fascinated with quoting at inappropriate times (much to the chagrin of Falcio and Brasti).
A sake to embody this fascination is Bushido Sake, a canned beverage with delicate notes of stonefruit, apple and lemon. Falling into the ginjo category, Bushido Sake has an ABV of 18%, indicating it’s undiluted (genshu). It’s the kind of drink that’s loyal to representing the characteristics of ginjo sake, much as Kest is loyal to Falcio and Brasti.
Samurai Junmai
As part of his appreciation of bushido, Kest would certainly be interested in the nature of samurai and their fighting skills. He’d spend his time calculating the odds on beating the greatest Japanese warriors and working through the amount of sword exchanges it would take to defeat them in battle.
A bottle Kest would enjoy drinking is Godo Shusei’s Samurai junmai. This sake doesn’t feature any added alcohol, has a 60% rice polishing rate and is also undiluted. It comes with savoury notes of almond, rice and liquorice.
Raifuku Kijoshu
After enjoying the robustness of the Samurai junmai, Kest would opt for something sweet and a perfect choice is Raifuku ‘Mellow’ Kijoshu. This drink is interesting because it’s been made by replacing some of the water used to brew sake with more sake! This results in a beverage with sweet qualities and can be likened to a dessert wine.
With a silky, smooth texture the Mellow lives up to its name. Bottled at 15%, it tastes of marmalade, rice pudding and cream.
Interested in learning more about The Greatcoats and sake? Check out Falcio and Brasti’s Flights Of Fantasy pairings and why they would choose specific bottles!
Yamato Magazine 