Taste with KJ – Understanding The Meaning of Housen Nami no Oto’s “Loin” Daiginjo

I was first introduced to the Housen Nami no Oto ‘Sound of the Waves’ brand last summer while product testing here at the store. There were multiple products in the brand lineup, but the one that won our hearts was a unique Junmai Daiginjo with the nickname, ‘Loin.’ At first, I thought it was a word with a typo or a distributor translation mistake. But alas, the word is indeed a part of the sake’s title. Now, when an American sees the word ‘loin’ on a label, we can’t help but conjure up the following…

‘Light of my life, fire of my loins’ - for those of us who read forbidden books.

Pork loin - could be a great pairing!

The Tenderloin - a neighborhood in San Francisco in much need of love… and sake.

‘Gird your loins' - an English idiom meaning to prepare yourself for something requiring endurance and strength. 

Loincloth - The Roman Empire and Stone Age cavemen. A loincloth is a tiny piece of fabric that covers a human's loin areas and was a popular garment worn in ancient time periods. 

Any other visual or thought involving the word loin, well, we won’t go there!

All kidding aside, this word is actually French derived and pronounced, ‘Lo-an.’ It translates directly to mean, ‘far, a long way and/or a long time ago.’ Per the brewery president, their translation of the word is, ‘a long time ago.’ They say it is the French word for eternity. The philosophy of Loin sake is to consume the sake when you are alone in a peaceful and tranquil setting that would hopefully attract others to drink with you. Therefore, Loin sake will hopefully make you not so a-loin. Okay, the puns end here!

This conundrum brings up a good point though. Even for sake professionals who are used to seeing foreign words on a label; having both French, Japanese and English together can be mind-boggling, especially for the general consumer. Language confusion aside, this is a special, resilient brewery hailing from Yuriage in Natori City, Miyagi Prefecture. Sasaki Shuzo, which has been in business since 1871, survived the 2011 earthquake and tsunami which hit their town directly, worked in a temporary warehouse for many years and rebuilt in their original location, eight and a half years later. Our manager Mei-san was lucky enough to visit the new brewery facilities during her recent press trip and we all agree that Sasaki Shuzo is a brewery we should be paying attention too. 

When coming up with a pairing idea for the lonely Loin, Beau-san suggested a cheese plate with all the trimmings. I hadn’t tasted Loin in a few months, but as I explored Loin with cheeses, nuts, fruits and crackers, there were some distinct discoveries to be made. 

Tasting Loin on its own is a treat unto itself, as it has aromas of vanilla and golden apple. On the palate, it is spritzy, yet full-bodied, with a light boozy essence balanced by just enough sugar. Loin is hefty and light simultaneously. My partner joined in on the pairing fun and got a plethora of aromas as well as some inspiration for partying. He said at first, the nose is reminiscent of Cool Water cologne by Davidoff. He also mentioned notes of Champagne jello shots (when is he drinking these, I wonder…) apple butter, golden raisins, apricot and aged marshmallow. He said this one could get you bleeped up, so take heed and don’t drink it too fast. Additional notes of Dole whip, whipped cream dream cake and candied pineapple lead us to thinking this would be great as a component in a Hawaiian tiki drink and would compliment some nice dark rum. 

Goat Cheese, Wheat Crackers & Raspberries

The first try at cheese pairing was a wheat cracker topped with fresh goat cheese. With the goat cheese alone, the Loin brought back those island vibes by enhancing the whipped cream notes, bringing pineapple to the party, as well as refreshing acidity. With the cracker and goat cheese together, it became a perfect pairing. The Loin also brings out the slight wildflower notes in the goat cheese. 

We tried adding honey, but with added sweetness, the wheat cracker turned into a graham cracker and the Loin became a little too harsh. Another less than stellar pairing was the Loin, goat cheese and raspberry. My partner liked how the pairing tasted like Greek yogurt and both acidity from the sake and the cheese cut through Loin’s sweetness. I was not so kind when pairing Loin with a raspberry. It tasted a bit like Dr. Pepper or Cherry Coke. My partner thought it worked as a contrast pairing and created nice depth and richness of body for the Loin.

Brie & Honey

With double crème brie, the sake nuances faded and the balanced sugar and alcohol provided a great backbone for the sultry milkiness of the cheese. This one was a win! I would also recommend other soft bloomy rind cow’s milk cheeses with Loin, such as Camembert, Brillat Savarin and Délice de Bourgogne.

When trying Loin again with cheese and honey, the pairing became much too sweet. The sake itself has honey-like tones and sweetness, therefore it should act as the honey component when pairing with cheese. 

English Coastal Cheddar, Walnuts & Apricots

This cheese had a hint of age and saline. It was too pungent for Loin, but if you want to give it a try, it wouldn't hurt. Best for extreme foodies or as a snack on a hike. 

The sharp cheddar benefited from the tannic and slightly bitter walnut addition. It tempered the intensity of the cheese and smoothed it out. When pairing Loin with both the cheddar and walnut, it was a mixture of tasting like melted cheese on a school sandwich, but also slightly medicinal, like the taste you would find in a white vermouth or sweet alpine liqueur. 

Adding dried apricots to the mix had a funny result. The sake and fruit are like twins and you won’t be able to tell one from the other. Nothing changes! The structure of Loin with its sweetness, sourness and some bitterness perfectly matches the apricot with the exact same character. The apricot is only very slightly more sour, which only shows on the sake’s finish after a sip and bite.  

Smoked Gouda & Pistachio

Pistachio is an enigma. It can exude flavors reaching from woody pine, to chocolate, to olive, to citrus and the list goes on. Loin can’t handle the pressure of so many flavor profiles. Pistachio and Loin alone are a no go. The smoked gouda also destroys any chance at a friendly pairing by blasting one’s palate away with smoky flavor. The cheese’s smoke is strong with a slightly creamy texture, almost too strong. The Loin does allow a brief respite from the aggressive flavors coming from the cheese, but as soon as the sake dissipates, the smoke comes back with a vengeance. Adding a salted almond to this pairing actually provided some relief. But overall, all of this was a NO. 

Mango, Manchego & Major Disaster

Another pairing that didn’t go as planned was aged Manchego made from sheep’s milk. Manchego has such a great flavor by itself, that all the Loin did was emphasize its tangy, butyric-like acidity that is its hallmark.  Dried mango was the next mistake. Way too powerful of aromas and much too sweet. A Manchego and mango pairing would require much higher sugar contents. I would recommend a late harvest dessert wine or a sweet umeshu for better success. 

This was our first time trying Rutland Red. It is a hard, aged cheese from England with added coloring from annatto, a food dye derived from tree seeds. The cheese itself had a strange grassy note close to the rind and had very strong nuts and butterscotch notes. There was absolutely no benefit when pairing it with the sake. This cheese would need a hefty port or a nice strong koshu to provide any type of pairing prowess.  

What We Learned

Loin works incredibly well as a partner to a cheese platter, as long as the cheeses featured are delicate enough to pair with it. Choosing creamy cow’s milk cheeses, especially bloomy rind styles, are very appealing and complimentary. When this sake can act as the honey component, it shows its best personality. This tasting experiment proves yet again that sake is more than just a drink pairing, but a distinguished member of a meal’s ecosystem. Spring has almost sprung, so enjoy Loin on your next cheese-focused picnic or party. Kanpai!