Sake Reviews

Ozeki Hana Awaka Sparkling Sake Review: Fragrant, Flowery And Beats The Hell Out Of Prosecco

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Ozeki Hana Awaka sparkling flower sake.

The Ozeki sake brewery is one of the powerhouses of the sake industry, producing a wide range of memorable nihonshu. Founded in 1711 and based in Nada, the brewery has made a name for itself with several innovations, like the famous one cup sake produced during the 1964 Olympics in Japan.

That spirit of innovation can be felt throughout all the Ozeki products and a bottle I enjoyed tasting recently was Ozeki Hana Awaka. With an elegant, unexpected flavour profile, this sparkling sake has plenty going on.

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Flights Of Fantasy

Flights Of Fantasy: Falcio Val Mond

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Flights of Fantasy creates a saking tasting menu based on the personalities of different fantasy characters. Falcio Val Mond from Sebastien De Castell’s The Greatcoats series is one of my favourite fantasy heroes because of his complexity, stubborn idealism and swashbuckling attitude. 

The First Cantor of The Greatcoats has dedicated his life to bringing justice to his homeland of Tristia, so his choices of sake would be loud, indomitable and have an air of adventure.

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Guest Posts · Sake Reviews

Guest Post: Kuncho Honzojo Review

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Kuncho honjozo.

Having already provided a profile on Kuncho Shuzo Co. Ltd in a previous review of their fantastic Kaorucho Junmai, there’s not a lot to add about the ever-popular, Kyushu-based brewery here. That online references to their history and methods of production are minimal is perhaps best respected; especially if it allows their wonderful products to speak for themselves!

Instead, I wanted to say a few words on honjozo, the classification of the Kuncho brew I’ll be opening up today.

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Book Reviews

The Japanese Sake Bible Review: Comprehensive, Entertaining And Unputdownable

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The Japanese Sake Bible.

Sake is the heart of Japan. It’s magical, mystical and historically rich. It tells of stories that are thousands of years old and the tireless efforts of master craftsmen brewing fantastic booze. It’s a bridge between worlds, connecting western drinkers with a beverage that opens up a whole new world of drinking opportunities. It’s transformative, always changing, altering perceptions wherever it’s experienced.  

Sake is all of these things and more. Brian Ashcraft’s The Japanese Sake Bible does an exceptional job of capturing all the qualities that make nihonshu one of the most diverse and exciting drinks in the world. Chock full of detail from leading sake brewers and poetic tasting notes, The Japanese Sake Bible is perfect for anyone who wants to worship at the altar of nihonshu.

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Japanese Cuisine

6 Types Of Wagashi That Represent The Beauty Of Japanese Aesthetics

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Wagashi are beautiful Japanese sweets that tell various stories.

Beautiful food is an integral part of Japanese culture and perhaps the best kind of food to emphasise this fact is Japanese confectionary. Known as wagashi, Japanese sweets are traditionally served alongside coffee and green tea to heighten the drinking experience.

But what really stands out about wagashi is the depth of creativity and storytelling that goes into such a tiny object. Each style of wagashi is different, telling the story of a season or representing a certain mood or region. There are so many to appreciate and here are six types of wagashi that will make you appreciate the beauty of Japanese sweets.

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Flights Of Fantasy

Flights Of Fantasy: Jaime Lannister

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Jaime Lannister.

Flights of Fantasy examines sake through the lens of the fantasy genre, pairing bottles with different characters. Many styles of nihonshu are complex, echoing the personality of characters like A Song of Ice And Fire’s Jaime Lannister. 

The Kingslayer is a multifaceted character of many contradictions. This means his sake flights would have the same kind of rich layers that need to be stripped back slowly to truly understand who Jaime Lannister is as a man and a drinker.

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Flights Of Fantasy

Flights Of Fantasy: Daenerys Targaryen

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There’s something magical about sake. From production right up until it’s poured into a glass, the mystical qualities of nihonshu deserve to be celebrated and that is where Flights of Fantasy comes in. It’s a series that imagines the sake that different characters from fantasy literature would drink as an extension of their own personalities and motives.

Daenerys Targaryen is one of the most well-known fantasy characters of the last decade and her quest to retake her birthright has been forged in fire and blood. Such a single-minded pursuit is thirsty work, so let’s look at the sake she’d drink.

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