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.
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.
In the sake world, daiginjo is a phrase that’s associated with high-quality craftsmanship. The same can be said for sake across all categories, yet daiginjo is often positioned at the top because of the high rice polishing rate that goes into its production. In the case of Bekkaku daiginjo, the association with exceptional sake is spot on.
Elegant, smooth and enchanting, the Bekkaku daiginjo is nihonshu fit for royalty.
Continue reading “Hinomaru Bekkaku Daiginjo Review: Nihonshu Fit For Royalty”
Morikuni Shuzo are clearly a sake brewery that like to do things differently. In a world dominated largely by companies established hundreds of years ago and proudly narrating their rich histories on their websites, this small brewery (founded in 2005) has had to carve out its own quirks.
Continue reading “Guest Post: Hati Hati Junmai From Morikuni Sake Brewery Co. Ltd Review”
When it comes to sake, ban ryu is an appropriate phrase to use, as it translates from Japanese to ‘a thousand ways.’ This sums up the many different paths to crafting nihonshu and the huge volume of styles that are waiting to be discovered and enjoyed.
Nigorizake (cloudy) sake is a distinctive style with a unique set of flavour profiles, due to how it’s produced. It’s sake with rice particles that have been left over from the filtration process.
Rather than pressing the sake out of the moromi (main fermentation mash) through a fine filter, nigori is crafted with a mesh filter, leaving behind some of the solids, giving nigori it’s cloudy appearance.
A great nigori that I tried recently was produced by the Kuncho brewery located in Oita prefecture. The flavours were unlike anything I’ve experienced in drink form before.
Continue reading “Kuncho Nigori Review: All The Best Qualities Of Afternoon Tea Poured Into A Glass”
A kanzake Autumn
inner warmth, good memories
shared with family
Craft beer’s monumental shake-up of traditional food and drink combos has seen IPAs, pilsners and stouts appear on the menus of diners for which such a move would have been unthinkable just ten years ago. Where some form of wine was previously the only ‘recommended pairing’ for just about any dish in just about any restaurant, suddenly a good quality beer from the likes of Cloudwater, Verdant or The Kernel is just as acceptable, and arguably more accessible and affordable for many.
Continue reading “Guest Post: Sui Sui Sui Junmai Ginjo By Morikuni Sake Brewery Co. Ltd Review”
I’m generally hesitant to recommend a sake based solely on the criteria of a drinker’s lack of experience with the category, and generally leery of any such recommendations, finding most “for first-timer” lists rather dubious at best. The reason is that, even if someone hasn’t had many previous opportunities to encounter sake, it doesn’t mean that they don’t bring a lot to the table. Everyone, whether they are conscious of it or not, comes packed with preferences based on all kinds of food and beverage experiences and influences. From my personal experience, there exists no single “starter sake” (or starter wine, beer, coffee, or any beverage, for that matter), but there does exist an entry point sake unique to each individual at any one point in time. The process of finding that is finding the joy, not just in sake, but across all kinds of food and beverage.
For this list, I’ve put together a few recommendations that I feel are not only reasonable starting points across the spectrum but are also sake that you’ll likely wind up continuing to come back to. Not just because they’re rather tasty, but because they have a lot of subtle character, as well; a lot of which will really become more apparent with time. You’ll get out of these sake as much as the time you’re willing to put into them, which is really true of any healthy relationship, no?
Continue reading “Guest Post: 4 Sake Recommendations From Nihonshu Expert Justin Potts”
Sake is a wonderful drink. Versatile, sessionable, complex and simple, all of these words sum up what sake is, even when it might sound contradictory. That’s the beauty of an industry that produces a range of styles suited to different palates.
Falling down the nihonshu rabbit hole can be a rewarding experience, as it provides a window into centuries of Japanese craftmanship. But before setting off on that journey, it’s natural to ask ‘where the hell am I meant to start?’ Good question.
If you’re thinking of trying sake for the first time, here’s a list that’s been put together from experts across the industry. With detailed tasting notes and a background of different breweries, you’ll come away with a deeper appreciation of Japan’s national drink.
Continue reading “A Recommendation Guide For First Time Sake Drinkers From 6 Industry Experts”
In the UK, sake is steadily becoming more well-known, thanks to the efforts of businesses like Kanpai Brewery, Moto and Tengu Sake. Another brand that is doing a great job of putting nihonshu in the spotlight is Sorakami, which offers a sake subscription club where you can receive bottles on a monthly basis.
Sorakami’s inventory is diverse and one of their most interesting offerings is the starter pack, containing three different styles of sake that are perfect for beginners and sake savants. They are the Dewazakura Oka Cherry Bouquet ginjo, Tedorigawa Chrysanthemum Meadow yamahai daiginjo and the Masumi Mirror Of Truth junmai.
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