Welcome to the July Issue of America's sake-centric newsletter. In this edition learn how to drink free sake, think about the "other" ingredient of sake, pair sake with hummus, see how sake is good for your health, drink warm sake on cold summer SF nights, and find out how much rice is needed to make one bottle of sake!

In this issue:

• Sake Celebration - Free Sake and Noshing Food!
• Sake "Magic" - It's The Water Stoopid
• Sake Challenge - Sake vs. Middle Eastern Cuisine
• Sake Score - Good News vs. Bad News
• Sake Spotlight - Miwa Goes to "Misty Bay"
• New Store Arrivals - Tenmei, Ishizuchi, Watari Bune (Say Goodbye to Kakunko)
• Sake Selects - Team True Sake Select Monthly Brews
• True Sake Facts - We are now shipping 1.8L bottles in one and two packs!
• Sake Events - Save These Dates: July 27th and October 1st
• "Ask Beau" - "How Much Rice Is Needed To Make One Bottle of Sake?"
• The SECRET WORD

As you all know, True Sake will celebrate its 5th anniversary on August 7th and I will write far more about this unbelievable achievement in the August Newsletter. But more importantly - we will celebrate this great occasion on Sunday July 27th at Sebo Restaurant (across the street from True Sake) with free sake and free noshing grub for all - well almost all! The admission price is to print out the first page of this newsletter and present it at the door.

I WILL RETYPE THAT - PLEASE PRINT OUT THE FIRST PAGE OF THIS NEWSLETTER AS YOUR "ADMISSION TICKET" TO A GREAT EVENING.

Basically we are hosting a party for you - our great customers and great Newsletter readers. The "party" will be quite casual - there will be great sakes for you to taste and plenty of "noshing" food for you to fill up on. But - as we are crashing Sebo's typical Sunday Izakaya night we thought that it would be appropriate for you to be able to purchase premium handrolls, yakitori, etc. by the stick as well.

Now when people write "free sake and free noshing food" we could get a lot of passer by's so that is why we want you to bring the first page of this Newsletter as your "Willy Wonka Gold Ticket" for admission.

Please note that this evening is for you! As a thank you for your support - for your attention - and for your enthusiasm for the betterment of sake! You have made True Sake a success and we would like to thank you in liquid form. Come share some stories, speak to your newfound understanding of sake, and shake hands with your fellow sake jockeys!

Sunday July 27th from 5PM- 'til? Sebo Restaurant 517 Hayes St (between Laguna St & Octavia St) San Francisco

Please bring a print out of the front page of this newsletter as your ticket!

Please also feel free to bring your own "drinking vessle" of choice that makes you happy - your home alone cup! - So we can see your sake story!

AND FOR OUR BENEFIT (THE NUMBERS GAME) IF YOU ARE AT LEAST 85% CERTAIN THAT YOU WILL ATTEND PLEASE SEND AN EMAIL TO askbeau2 @ truesake.com WITH JUST A "YES" IN THE SUBJECT LINE! THANK YOU!

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It's all about the rice right? "Rice Wine" "The rice-based alcohol" "Wine made with rice" "Rice juice" "The Rice Is Right" (they don't say that - just made it up)"That rice drink." There are so many "expressions" about sake, because nine out of ten dentists just know vaguely that it is made with rice and that is the greatest differentiator between sake and wine or vodka. When one thinks of sake they automatically think of rice. Justifiably so! We have been conditioned to know that it is a rice booze from Japan. But what we are never told is that unlike wine, which is grape juice - no water added - sake's final product is made up of 80% water.

The emphasis is indeed rice! Read the label and the rice is mentioned automatically and importantly because many Japanese consumers will buy sake based on what type of rice is used and where the rice comes from. Rice for lack of a better word is featured! It is the meat and potatoes of the sake and the one thing that consumers can quantify in terms of purchasing comprehension. Which leads me to expose the great "mystical" element in sake that has fallen prey to marketing, mentioning, story telling, lore, mysticism, and a myriad of other selling anecdotes that best "quantifies" perhaps the "almost as important" ingredient in sake making - water. Know thy rice - but have faith in thy water!

Water is as much to the history of sake as rice itself. It is a co- partner. It is an equal. Or in divorce terms it is 50% common property. The only problem is water is not as sexy as rice. You cannot sell a bottle of sake because of the water! A producer cannot say our rice blows but our brewing water is superb! Quite the opposite is truly the norm in the industry. The result is that water has been devalued to second-class status, but in reality it is the true core of the industry and has a historical note second to none.

If you have read this newsletter for at least a month or two you will most obviously know that the better a brewery's water the better the final product. Some breweries are blessed with good water and some breweries are not. Historically Japan had/has two "brilliant" water centers - Kobe and Kyoto - where the water was so supreme that sake grew on trees. Okay this is a slight exaggeration! Nevertheless these two areas were known for amazing water composition that resulted in perfect fermentation and end product. Kyoto was known for a very soft water that spawned the "colloquial" designation of feminine sake, and Kobe was gifted with a powerful liquid known as "Miyamizu" that was the end result of water that flowed from a mountain and passed up through a layer of shell deposits at seaside and produced a "hard" water that made "perfect" sake. Both of these areas house the most breweries per capita in Japan because of the water!

Japan itself does not have hard water per se. You will find harder the world over. Quite frankly the island nation has quite soft water in general. What makes water hard versus soft? I'm thinking wikipedia here folks. But the bottom line comes down to the composition - less iron and other "hard" elements. Iron is a killer! (Think volcanic Island chain with lots and lots of minerals in the mix.) One brewer said that it takes 5,000 years for his water to get from the mountain range two miles away to the well on his property. It's not the down hill racing of water, rather it is the extremely long journey of water coming up through three hundred meters of earth crust that acts as a filter to relieve the volcanic properties. Many attribute the water composition - sake benefits - to the fact that water moves in Japan. Huh? Water moves in Japan! No truer statement has been "whack- a-moled" on this keyboard tonight. Japan is a volcanic island chain; ergo not many flatlands dot the nation. As such there are far more rivers than lakes. Water is almost constantly in motion throughout the abundant valley and mountain terrain. Think a sand drip castle at the beach! Water flows - it moves - and there is absolutely no space for it to stagnate. Funny enough that is all above ground! Think of the liquid slip and slide that resides underneath a volcanic island!

Hard or soft - iron heavy or iron light - some folks have good brewing water and some don't. But there is always a story! This is where the "mystical" aspect of water comes into play. I visited a brewery in Hyogo Prefecture and per usual I asked to see their "water source." I ask this because some brewers cherish this part of their kura and have a little shrine or "highlight" their water in some capacity. And some do not! For example the brewery down south that has their "water source" smack dab in the middle of their property's small parking lot! (This I believe would be considered metered water - in other words a paid utility.)

In Hyogo the son of the owner took me out to their "water source." And yes it was a nice little patch with a small little white fence enclosing it. The son said that they were so lucky to have this water supply, because it made for excellent sake - I agree! - but went on to say that their water wasn't always as good. Huh? He then proceeded to tell me how the well used to be somewhere else and this new well was a relocated effort that made all the difference in the world. I had to ask where was the other well? Sweeping his arm left he pointed to a spot 15 feet away. No way! Yes! No way! "Yes I promise." A simple movement of 15 feet brought the water up through different levels of the earth that filtered the water in a way that was markedly better than the other area. Hmmmmmmm!

Yes, these anecdotes not only exist, but they are the lore that makes this industry great. To highlight this fact I shot off an email to Chris Pearce (sake lover, sake writer, sake importer, and sake soul) and simply asked "know any water stories?" Chris sent back an article that he wrote for a local rag that touched on this very topic! In his words:

I remember one conversation I had with the president of a brewery in Niigata which drew its water from a well that tapped a subterranean river bed. It was ideal for the light, clear sakes made in the Echigo style of the region, but finding it had not been easy. "Someone told me," I said, "that your grandfather had to dig twelve wells until he found the water he was looking for. Is that really true." He laughed dismissively and said that journalists exaggerate everything; there was no truth to this story whatsoever. "Twelve wells?" he said. " That's ridiculous. He only had to dig nine."

In his book "The Hidden Messages in Water " Masaru Emoto takes the observation and study of water to new heights - depths. This New York Times best seller is filled with all types of "scientific" experiments to deduce if water has memory capabilities and is aware of its surroundings. By photographing frozen water crystals Mr. Emoto tries to establish his premise that water knows all - feels all and sees all. From playing classical music to water to applying words like "Thank You" or "Fool" to bottles of water the result was either formed crystals or not. Point being water does have a meaning. And "happy" water is a condition and not necessarily way of being. Water will be happy if made to feel happy and will be sad (irregular) if made to feel sad.

"Water in a river remains pure because it is moving," writes Emoto. "When water becomes trapped it dies." He further offers, "Therefore, water must constantly be circulated." Perhaps this results in happy water in Japan. (On a side note there are several breweries that do play music to their fermenting sake - they quite agree with Emoto that the vibrations and "love" from the music makes for a happier product. One such brewery has even invented their own type of brewing music different than classical.) Emoto ventures on by photographing water crystals of tap water - "there is no tap water in Japan that is capable of forming complete and whole crystals, due to the use of chlorine." - and then water from springs - "the upper reaches of rivers, and other such natural sources creates beautiful crystals." He then postures that water that is emerging today in most cases has taken 50 years to be converted from rainwater to underground filtered water, and that this water is now the first of the waters to be contaminated by pollution created by the industrialization of Japan.

I always ask brewers if they keep yearly samples of their water. More often than not the answer is no. Some chart the chemical composition of their water, but do not see any radical changes that would show "pollution" in its most raw form. It got me to wondering if the government checked on these water supplies to see if brewers were using a safe water source - for the public's better interest. I shot off an email to Philip Harper who is the head brewer of a kura in Kyoto and he replied that there is no governmental body that checks the quality of a brewery's water. No FDA-like regular quality control testing. That said a brewery couldn't make good sake with really bad or dangerous water. (He did say that the famous "Miyamizu" water source in Kobe is "guarded" and well kept after.)

I then asked Philip to say a word about water - under the premise that it is this mystical yet overlooked element in sake making:

"You're quite right that water gets missed. I wrote a bit about all this in the Japan Times last year. The thing with rice is that it's easily quantifiable, but of course it doesn't carry nearly the same weight as grape variety. There are lots of wine people coming to sake now, and I would guess it will take twenty years for us to get past all this! You are right to point out how micro an influence water is. I want to spit when I hear people banging on about Niigata water or whatever. It's just lazy."

I love this guy! PH calls it like he sees it. I then pressed Philip more about the quantities of water used in sake production. FYI at a brewery they will usually use two waters - good water for brewing sake and "other" water for cleaning equipment and all of the other water functions that do not go into a bottle etc. So how much water is necessary to make one bottle of sake? I have seen so much water being used at a brewery - for all of the stages - and I guessed roughly 20 liters to make one ishobin (1.8L - 60oz bottle) and here is what Philip offered:

"That's not so hard. The actual water used in mashing would be about a litre - with some variation depending on the style of brewing. You're pretty much on the mark with 20 litres by the time you've used water for washing rice and equipment and in boilers and so on. It might be a couple of litres more. One of the toji I worked for often told a story of how the owner of the brewery got on his back when the water supply changed from a well to metered mains water. He couldn't believe they could possibly need that much water in brewing, and thought they were either wasting water, or there was a leak somewhere. So my boss made scrupulous notes of every moment when water was in use, and the skeptical kuramoto was finally convinced. I'm lucky to have good mountain spring water to brew with - not just because of the quality it gives to the sake, but also because of the savings it means in utilities costs."

I am a big fan of a brewer who loves his/her water. Call me a sucker and a guy who likes the hype - but I quite enjoy the stories of water and the mystical qualities that produce superior brews. I love the fact that they make a story out of it, and I am especially in love with brewers who bring their brewing water to sake tastings. This is great stuff! They will put their aqua in ishobins and pour it like sake for consumers to taste and more importantly feel. It is a great thing to take a sip of water then a sip of sake and blend the two in the mouth to see how the flavors meld. Just an amazing way to break down the essence of sake.

The only thing better than a brewer speaking about his/her water is listening to a brewer speak about another brewery's water. Ouch! Look out! Meow! Some brewers will secretly admit that a "competing" brewer doesn't have a good water source and in fact has to truck their water in from miles away! Or a nasty ditty like the one owner (of a brewery that has very soft water) who told me that guys who have hard water must ferment for shorter periods of time, which results in more acidic sakes - higher levels of acids that are not found in long slow soft water fermentation. It's true that hard water has a shorter fermentation time, but does this really account for higher levels of acidity? I cannot say!

In my book I coined a term called "Franken-water" as in water in the mold of the monster that was welded together with a collection of mish mashed parts of unknown origins. Basically I was speaking to those brewers who didn't have pristine - sent from heaven - tears of virgins - dew from bamboo - mountain blessings juice - but simply just had water that they had to control to make their sake. It can be done! It is done. Sake made with water with no story! No Way!

But when I sip a brew, and contemplate the fluid in my mouth I romanticize about that 80% and I am the ultimate "waterboy" who loves the owner of a brewery who says that his water is so good that he only has to pasteurize his brews once, or the other owner who says that his brewing water is so superb because his water source rests below ancient pine trees - huh? - the root system acts like a filter. So yes perhaps water is the unknown marketable aspect of sake - not the glorified rice varietal that screams from the label - rather the "word of mouth" ingredient that cannot be quantified or personified other than by the simplest statement of "they have good brewing water."

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I am on a spiritual sake quest that will finally put a nail in the coffin of "sake can only be consumed at a sushi restaurant" mantra. Wake up people! Food and sake go together - always have and always will. If it has a tail, roots, feathers, leaves or a damn beak sake will go with it - anytime and any place. And that is my quest - the place or origin of the cuisine does not matter. It can be Spanish, Italian, Brazilian or ughhhh British chow and sake will walk the walk. Japan has chickens! Japan has salad! Japan has beef! Japan has spicy and savory dishes! Japan has sweet and salty fare, so why not think about having sake with these "tones" from other countries?

The Sake Challenge is my way for you great consumers to see outside of the sushi paradigm, and to achieve this "new view on brew" I will usually select two different sake styles and price-points and bring them to a non-Japanese restaurant with a celebrity, sake-sleuth or hell even a friend in tow. (Please see the August '07 Newsletter for Sake vs. New Orleans fare - yes Cajun flavors galore - or Sake vs. Italian Jan '08 Newsletter - Sake vs. Peruvian March '08 - Sake vs. Brazilian April '08)

This is the last tasting that I will use the A-B-C grading system. For future quests I will use the following criteria:

• Works World Class (WWC)
• Works Well (WW)
• Works (W)
• Does Not Work (DNW)

The new criterion is more true to the mission of bringing a beverage to a restaurant not knowing what you will pair with. The point is to make the general pairings "work." Rare is the day that you bring a specific wine or sake to pair with a specific dish - we look for generalities and the entire eating/drinking experience.

This month's "Challenge" pits our dear friend "Sake" with some of the most excellent, creamy, spicy, bright and light flavors from the Middle East. Please no Fatwa's on me for pairing booze with many of the flavors of Islam. (I am a scientist not a political agitator - I think!)

My destination was an "Authentic Middle Eastern Cuisine" restaurant in Noe Valley called Fattoush - http://www.fattoush.com/. My guinea pig companion was once again Kazu Yamazaki from Japan Prestige Sake International - one of the largest importers of sake into the US. I have used Kazu's sakes on several of my quests.

For this tasting I needed some pretty "flexible" and sturdy sakes. I anticipated spice and other large flavors - and was also imagining the creaminess of the hummus and yogurt elements. Hmmmm what to bring? I definitely wanted a dry brew, but not one that was too crisp or tight. I wanted silky dry with some texture, so a natural call was the Tsukasbotan "Senchu Hassaku" Junmai (SMV: +8 Acidity: 1.4), which has a creaminess that I thought would go well with creamy flavors. The second sake needed to be sweet. I wanted something with huge acidity and big sweetness - with a solid texture that could stand up to spice. There aren't many of these brews available, but one complex and very suitable brew was the Otokoyama "Fukkosho" Junmai Genshu (SMV:-20 Acidity: 9).

Armed with our sakes we tried to order what we perceived to be "typical" Middle Eastern dishes - the ones we knew by name! We also tried to balance between meat and fish and veggie dishes. For the sake of a shorter summary I will name the dish, add a comment and follow that with the grade. And here we go!

Hummus: (Garbanzo beans mixed with lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil)
	•	BT:	The Tsukasabotan stays creamy and soft - good pairing! A- The Otokoyama goes sort of goofy and tastes like apple juice.
	•	KY:	The Tsukasabotan smooths up the flavor but the flavor goes better with the Otokoyama! B+

Khyar B'laban: (Yogurt cucumber salad with garlic and fresh dill)
	•	BT:	The Tsukasabotan goes very easy with yogurt, but the Otokoyama really enhances the dish, brings out a fat and full-bodied flavor that extols the creaminess! A-
	•	KY:	The Tsukasabotan neutralizes the yogurt into more acidic feeling, but the Otokoyama harmonizes with the yogurt to give a cheesecake like feeling! Great! A

Tabouli: (Mix of parsley, tomatoes, green onions, fresh mint, bulgur, lemon juice, olive oil)
	•	BT:	The Tsukasabotan conflicts with this large flavored dish, lots of disjointed flavors, and the Otokoyama gets equally as lost, but is a notch better! B-
	•	KY:	The Tsukasabotan crashes with the flavors and the Otokoyama is a little bit more in sync! B

Babghanouge: (Roasted eggplant mixed with tahini sauce, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil.)
	•	BT:	The Tsukasabotan takes a very distinctively soft and gentle approach to the eggplant - stays very soft. A good pairing, but the Otokoyama sweetness is outrageous with the eggplant - expansive and a broadly unique flavor! A-
	•	KY:	The Tsukasabotan gets jumbled with the flavors around the eggplant, but the Otokoyama works just a little better. B

Rihan: (Tomatoes, and grilled eggplant dressed in basil sauce)
	•	BT:	The Tsukasabotan gets distracted with the basil but the Otokoyama goes to the heart of the balanced matter - great flavors, really good pairing. A-
	•	KY:	The Tsukasabotan works but not as well as the Otokoyama, which just feels good as a food and sake pairing. A-

M'shkaleh:(mushrooms, eggplant, cauliflower, tomatoes, and rice with tomato yogurt sauce)
	•	BT:	The Tsukasabotan takes on the acidity of the dish but the overall feel is dulled compared to the Otokoyama that takes all of the acidity and creates a roasted quality that stuns the tomato ripeness. A-
	•	KY:	The Tsukasabotan goes remarkably well with the balance of this dish. Superb! A

Mansaf: ("a nomadic dish" chicken cooked with aged yogurt with rice and almonds)
	•	BT:	The Tsukasabotan accepts the creaminess - goes mellow with a great smoothness that enhances the dish. Great pairing! A-
	•	KY:	The Tsukasabotan gets caught up in flavors, but the Otokoyama at least makes things even. B

Bamieh: (Lamb Shank cooked with okra in a thick garlic-tomato sauce)
	•	BT:	Does not do lamb - N/A
	•	KY:	The Tsukasabotan works to pull the flavor of the lamb out, but the acidity is best played by the Otokoyama that takes the entire set of flavors and makes a good flavor. A-

In summary, we were both impressed by how well sake "stands-up" to such an array of huge and complex flavors that are so alien to a rice beverage. From tomatoes to yogurt there were a ton of (perceived) "no-no" flavors, but with the better "planned" sake there are some seriously good pairings awaiting. It is safe to say that the sweeter brew with an elevated acidity composure has a far better chance to hit more "essence" points than a dryer sake.

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Herewith are two articles speaking to the benefits and negatives of drinking alcohol. First the good news - then the bad!

Alcohol cuts risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis:

People who drink alcohol are less prone to the sometimes crippling disease called rheumatoid arthritis compared with non-drinkers, according to a Scandinavian study published on Wednesday.

People who had a moderate alcohol consumption were 40 and 45 percent less likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis compared with people who did not drink or drank only occasionally, it found. Among those who had a high consumption, the risk was reduced by 50 and 55 percent respectively. Most surprising was that the biggest benefits were seen among smokers with a genetic profile known to make them vulnerable to the disease. Rheumatoid arthritis affects between 0.5 and one percent of people, according to figures for the industrialised world. It happens when the immune system attacks the joints, causing inflammation and damage to the cartilage and bone. A mixture of environmental factors, especially smoking, and genetic heritage are the deemed causes of the disease. The authors, led by Henrik Kaellberg of the Institute of Environmental Medicine at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, note previous research that suggests alcohol interferes with inflammatory processes that trigger heart disease. Doctors advising patients about the disease say they should urge smokers to kick tobacco, but not necessarily to stop consumption of alcohol in moderate quantities. High consumption of alcohol, while apparently protective for rheumatoid arthritis, is itself linked with many other health problems. The paper appears in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, a specialist journal published by the British Medical Association (BMA).

Now The Bad:

"Drink Your Troubles Away?"

It's True: A glass of wine really does take the edge off. But you may want to stop there. University of Toronto researchers discovered that one alcoholic drink caused people's blood vessels to relax, but two of them began to reverse those benefits. "Once blood-alcohol concentrations reach a certain level, your sympathetic nervous system is stimulated to release nor- adrenaline," says John Floras, M.D., a study coauthor. "This has the opposite effect on your vessels and triggers an increase in heart rate and cardiac output." Interestingly, this is also how your body responds during periods of high stress. -M.H. June 2008-

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"Sake Spotlight" is a unique section within the Newsletter that takes a closer look at specific sakes that may be purchased at True Sake. I approach different professionals within the industry to give their perspectives and insights to the how, what and why's for very special sakes. These insiders are importers, brewers, authors, sake sommeliers, or just enthusiasts who will take your knowledge base a little further. What I like about this segment is that often my review is quite different than that of the guest professional's adding to the point that there is no right or wrong when discussing your opinion about sake.

This month the Sake Professional and Sake Sommelier Miwa Wang - a true sake goddess - takes a look at one of the best branded sake breweries in Japan. (Best branded because they make great sake that appeals to a whole host of consumers.) Miwa ventured to the "source" and has a soft spot for this great kura:

Miwa goes to "Misty Bay"

Urakasumi (my neighbor calls it "You rock, Sumi!") is one of the very first sakes I had when I started at True Sake. In January of this year, along with my sake drinking partner David, I was fortunate enough to visit the Urakasumi Brewery in Miyagi prefecture. For the past 280 years, they have been making sake in the coastal city of Shiogama, which loosely translates to "Salt Pot". The name of the brewery comes from a poem written by a Kamakura period general, Minamoto no Sanetomo. Describing the area of Shiogama, the poem mentions words "ura" (bay) and "kasumi" (mist). Combined, the name Urakasumi came to be used in the last century. It is January 15th. I printed a map from Google Japan and got on a train in Tokyo to visit a part of Japan that I had never been to before. After a pleasant three hour ride, I stepped out of the station with a mixture of excitement and nervousness. To get oriented correctly, I asked the station master for directions. Showing him the map, I was expecting a few directional hand gestures; instead, he offered to walk us to the brewery. On our walk, he said the city of Shiogama had the largest number of sushi restaurants per capita in Japan and told us we should revisit the town during their famous tuna season. We nodded our heads immediately, signaling our perfect agreement with his suggestion. After a few minutes walk, there it was: U.R.A.K.A.S.U.M.I. It was 1:45 pm. Our appointment was at 2:00 pm sharp. I took some pictures of the quaint store front. At 1:55 pm we walked into the store to introduce ourselves. The woman nodded and quietly led us through a gate right next to the store. There, we were met by a sales person and the brewing master, a serious sort, who carried himself with a sense of purpose. After twenty minutes of introduction and Q&A, we stepped into the brewery of "Misty Bay". The rising white steam from the rice steamer dominated my sight. It was mysteriously beautiful. Then, the aroma of fermenting rice looming in the brewery hit my nose. At the rice washing area, I saw several square metal boxes in a row, designed to pivot down on top of a metal axle. I'd never seen this before in other breweries and asked what it was for. Simply put, it offered easy access for the people moving the rice out of the box by hand. In the steam area, David noticed a gutter running along the inside of the roof line. Its purpose was twofold. It was used to collect residual condensation that developed in the ceiling in order to protect the building. This allowed the roof hatches to be closed permanently during the steaming, so that the neighbors would not keep calling the fire department thinking there was a fire. This happened quite often. In the sake pressing area, there it was: a classic wooden "fune". An old antique pressing device still being used today. There were three huge logs that provided the weight needed to do the actual pressing. It was constructed on a pulley so that it could be operated by one person. To make a long story short, this place was like the house of an inventor: many hand-made tools designed to make great sake. At the end of the two hour tour we were back in the seating area and tasted a few Urakasumi sakes, including the Junmai I am going to tell you about. Awhile back I had heard that Urakasumi uses eating rice varieties for some of their sake. Indeed, Urakasumi Junmai is made from rice called Manamusume, a varietal used for eating, which was hybridized from two other rice strains twenty years ago in Miyagi. Typically, premium sakes are made from brewing rice varietals, which are larger in size, have less protein and contain "sinpaku", the white core that is key to promoting koji growth. They also grow taller and are more expensive. I kept thinking they must be very skilled to create such great sake from rice with lesser attributes than brewing rice offers. Moving fast forward to June: here I am, again at home, with a bottle of Urakasumi Junmai. Now that the precious summer-like days in San Francisco are gone, and our old friend the fog is cooling the entire city to the temperature of late autumn-brrrrrr, I decided to enjoy the sake warm, as well as room temp, and cold. It is 6:30 pm. The temperature of sake is 46 Fahrenheit, which reflects a bottle of sake being taken out of a refrigerator and poured into an un-chilled glass. Although this might be bit too cold, I figured many home drinkers experience sake at this temperature. The scent from the open bottle has slightly salty aroma and a gentle floral tone. In the glass however, the sake gives off a hint of cream and the smell of steamed rice, which is exactly what the brewery smelled like. This blend of grain and cream reminds me very much of cinnamon toast. When I take my first sip I'm reminded of "bekko ame", a Japanese hard candy the color of amber, followed by the impression of rice and the feel of mineral water. As the sake flows down my throat, what's left behind is "kire", which loosely translates as the feeling of a quick finish with a kind of tart sensation that is very slight. It is like what you feel in your mouth after biting into a wooden popsicle stick. Chilled, this sake drinks extremely neat, meaning clean with well balanced flavors and a mouth feel that is neither light nor heavy. Although I make a reference to sugar a few times, this sake is not sweet. By now, the bottle has been sitting at room temperature for about a half hour. I pour yet another glass. This time the sake is at 58F, still with a cool feel. To my surprise the sake holds the same elements as before, yet with a different emphasis. More creaminess and salt-like mineral tones hit first, followed by gentle cooked sugar tone. Because of salty air-ness in this sake, I think of ocean food-after all the city of Shiogama is about sushi. As the sake comes to a room temperature, I notice a quiet sizzling sensation on the palette and a light layer of "umami"-yummy-ness I call it. This savory feel is a pleasant surprise. As I warm my sake, I took a quick sip, with the temp at 63F. The weight of the sake is lighter and slightly acidic. At 115F, on the verge of being hot, the sake feels elegantly airy, fruity and floral with almost no trace of acidity. At this temperature, every flavor elements is pronounced, sitting in harmony with each other. Although the liquid is warm to the touch, there is a cooling sensation on the palette, like a breeze you feel on a hot day. Urakasumi Junmai is like an old friend. No matter what your situation is, it offers wisdom of taste. I always felt that the cold summer days of San Francisco are suited for good warm sake. We've all had bad piping hot sake, and people always question about cold vs. hot. The truth is there is a world of "okan-zake", which is warm sake that is yet to be explored. Think of weather, think of food, think of your mood. And take a well-built Junmai (or hearty Junmai Ginjo) and please taste it at different temperatures. For more suggestions, always feel free to come by and ask me. Kanpai!

Thank you Miwa - can almost see the brewery now! (On a weird side- note, I always like opening boxes of sake from Japan because more often then not the smell of the kura comes out when you cut through a sealed case - one of my favorite boxes to open comes from Urakasumi.) The owner of this brewery - a true friend - is one of the hardest workers in the sake business. Koichi Saura is a monster in the sake industry! And I mean monster in the sense that he is of "huge" stature - greatly appreciated by all fellow brewers. Saura-san just stepped down as President of the "young brewers association" the group that really tries to get out and market the heck out of sake. He is personally responsible for creating many different "outreach" efforts such as "The Sake Samurai Association" of which I am a founding member.

I am sad to say that I have never had the chance to visit his kura - yet! So I am completely jealous and envious of Miwa and David and their trip to "Misty Bay." What I like about this brewery is that they make superb sake - always balanced and extremely "sake-like" - which is refreshing in this day of making sake taste like so many different "things." We sell three of their brews - the Junmai, the Junmai Ginjo "Zen" which is regarded as one of the top "Ginjos" in Japan, and their Junmai Dai Ginjo. All three brews are superb!

Lastly, I recall a conversation that I had with Saura-san three months ago when I asked him flat out - "What's up with the whole Uragasumi vs. the Urakasumi spelling and pronunciation?" He laughed and said that it was his dad's fault! His father preferred the "Uragasumi" spelling and pronunciation, but Koichi said that is not how it should be pronounced, and if you see it written or hear it said that way then the person doing the talking is an "older" gentleman who did so during the generation of his father.

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They have been on the shelves for a while, but True Sake has three new brews to explore. Also, please say hello and goodbye to one of the fun sakes in the industry - Kakunko from Sudo Honke brewery in Ibaraki Prefecture - makers of Sato no Homare. Kakunko is the ultra Dai Ginjo (27% milling) from the oldest brewery in Japan. It comes in a really impressive gold canister and retails for $150/720ml. So why is it out? Because they changed the prices on us and we would now have to sell this brew for $225, and it is not worth that amount! Sorry! We did stock up on some extra bottles at $150 for those who want to at least climb this mountain of a brew while it is still priced relatively cheaply (for a super premium exotic sake).

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Tenmei "Heavenly Light" From Fukushima Prefecture. Dai Ginjo. SMV: +2 Acidity: N/A This unique sake has bold nose filled with cocoa, leather, marshmallow, honey and mint elements. Say hello to a different sort of Dai Ginjo -not bright, not fruity, not simple! Rather this brew has a rich and solid smoothness that speaks to those who enjoy a hint of bitterness nestled amongst rich chocolate, raisin, and cocoa flavors. There is a gentle sweetness but the overall drinking experience is deep, rich and round with a dry finish. This is not your "Mother's Dai Ginjo," but it is a mother of a premium sake. More complexities come out near room temperature. WORD: Cocoa WINE: Full-bodied reds/Rich whites BEER: Belgian Ales FOODS: Complex cuisines, ptés, rich meats, caramelized dishes. $41/720ml

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Ishizuchi Shirouma "White Horse" From Ehime Prefecture. Nigori. SMV: -7 Acidity: 1.3 This potent Nigori (unfiltered cloudy sake) has a big aroma field with rice, yogurt, vanilla and chalky elements. If you like brisk and crisp Nigori-sake then this 21% alc. brew is for you. A bronco-ride of a Nigori with semi-dry and tight flavors such as tangerine, young cherry, and a tingle of lemon tones. The crispness is immediate making this brew a great food pairing sake. Not your typical "cloudy" sake, which makes for great exploration and a value at 900ml. WORD: Wild WINE: Tight reds/Crisp whites BEER: Snappy Ales FOODS: Grilled, spicy, hot, bar snacks. $24/720

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Watari Bune "Ferry Boat" From Ibaraki Prefecture. Junmai Dai Ginjo. SMV: +3 Acidity: 1.4 The aroma field on this ultra (35%) Dai Ginjo is filled with pineapple, grape, tropical fruit, and pine needle elements. This is an extremely elegant, layered and soft sake that has very buoyant drinking qualities. Watari Bune is an ancient rice varietal grown in Ibaraki and only used by a handful of breweries. Look for deep and deeper flavors of strawberry, cantaloupe, and pineapple - take note of an anise echo. Clean, rich and round with a very elegant tail. More fruit comes out closer to room temp. WORD: Elegant WINE: Soft reds/Deep whites BEER: Ales FOODS: Very gentle and clean cuisines. $98/720ml

You can review many of our sakes on our web site.

Our inventory list is here.

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Welcome to the latest new "big thing" at True Sake! "True Selects" represents featured sakes that are selected and championed by Miwa and Lynette - our two resident sake studs. As we can only stock so many different brands of sake - think limited space - this effort is a way to offer sakes that we wouldn't usually carry. They will select by price-point, uniqueness, availability, and other factors that make these selections unusual for the store.

For June:

Come on in or phone and ask why these brews speak to them and of course why they will speak.

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For those out of the state of California I am sorry to report that our efforts to identify, register, and comply with allowable states to ship from CA to you has gone from difficult to darn near impossible. New reporting and complying requirements are overwhelming and extremely expensive - almost too much so for a small concern such as True Sake. It is a simple fact that the paper work and the upfront monetary expenses do not justify the effort. But we are still looking for a way! We will not give up just yet, and without giving up too much info let it be known that I am currently "in negotiations" with a group that may be a perfect conduit of sorts.

That said - for those Californians who enjoy their sakes large (ishobin 1.8L bottles) we now can get them to you in single bottle packs and double bottle packs. That is 60 ounces of love in each bottle and it has your name written all over it! So you value hunters or party people remember that ishobins keep very well in the fridge when opened. And there is no better way to fill your ice carafes!

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July 27, 2008 - True Sake's 5th Anniversary Party at Sebo

Yes - it's been five years! Can you believe it? A huge thanks is in order so let us buy you a sake or two with some great grub to boot. Free sake and food - with great friends! What a deal! Sunday July 27th starting at 5PM - 'til ? As we are encroaching on Sebo's typical Sunday Izakaya Night - they will also be selling higher-end grub by the stick etc! So there will be a combo of free sake and noshing food - and if you are still hungry and would like to buy a handroll or a yakitori by the stick that service will be available. Please print out the front page of this newsletter as your admission ticket and if you are at least 85% positive that you will attend - please send a "yes" email to askbeau2 @ truesake.com to help us with head count!

July, 2008 - Yoshi's Oakland Half Price Sake Mondays

Yoshi's Oakland is please to announce, due to popular demand, half price sake Mondays will be extended through the month of July! All bottles of sake, including the elegant Yuki No Bosha Akita "Komachi", will be half price for the entire month. Now is your chance to enjoy a bottle - or two- from our exlusive list. For a truly memorable experience, come by on Monday, July 21st, when Tamiko Ishidate from Joto Sake will be on hand as the Sake sommelier for the evening to answer all of your questions.

August 10-12, 2008 - Sake Professional Course in SF

Hosted by John Gauntner (sakecoursestateside @ sake-world.com)

October 1st, 2008 - True Sake Presents: Sake Day 2008

Save The Date (THIS EVENT ALWAYS SELLS OUT IN DAYS) - more info to come.

October 23rd, 2008 - Joy of Sake in SF

http://www.joyofsake.com/

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Oh the wacky timing called life! I was at a sake tasting last night with Masao Aisawa from Takenotsuyu Brewery (Yamagata) and during our co-lecture a woman asked a question along the lines of how much rice is needed to make a certain amount of sake. Fast forward to checking the "Ask Beau" email account today and voila almost the exact same question from Pam in Redwood City, CA:

Dear Beau, With all the talk of rice shortages and whatnot I was wondering how much rice is used in the sake making process. For example how much rice is needed to make one bottle of sake?" I love your store and your employees are awesome. Keep up the great work. Pam

If I weren't from the generation of American kids who revolted against the metric system - yes you can thank me! - then I could have made a witty comment about it taking roughly 20 boxes of Uncle Ben's rice to make one big bottle of sake. But alas I am a metric conversion meathead and cannot really put the exact number of Uncle Ben's boxes to bottles. That said I do know that when sake rice farmers harvest their golden brown babies they put their efforts into 30-kilogram bags. In this regard, and for terms of understanding larger quantities I have been told by those in the know that it takes 2 of these 30 kilogram bags (for a total of 60 kilos) to make 40 ishobin (1.8Lbottles of sake - the big magnum looking bottles).

Break that number down even further and for your best point of reference just think that it takes 1.5 kilograms of rice to make one ishobin (1.8L) bottle of sake.

Please send your sake specific questions to askbeau2 @ truesake.com. (This address is not for general questions and I only review the questions once per month. All other correspondence should use info @ truesake.com.)

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Ah, at last we have reached the end of this Newsletter and that of course means that we have come to the now-famous SECRET WORD. To those who are new - the SECRET WORD is a chance for you to try a sake of note for half of that sake's original price. Just for reading this Newsletter. It is our way of saying thank you for trying to understand the wonders of sake. And in this regard we typically select a sake with a story, and this month's story is big brewery making small batch sakes!

Please remember the rules: only one bottle per reader, and don't tell your buddy at the moment if he/she isn't a Newsletter subscriber, always use a hushed or secret agent voice when saying the SECRET WORD, and lastly for those who have their sakes shipped we can only include the SECRET WORD sake in a four-pack purchase - meaning you must buy three other sakes.

This month's brew is a Tokubetsu Junmai from the very large Ozeki kura in Hyogo prefecture. Ozeki "Wayukraku" roughly translates to "easy feeling or easy drinking" and at $12/720ml with a cool box we think that price is quite easy! And the SECRET WORD is... Well, we only give out the SECRET WORD to those on our mailing list! So sign up for the Newsletter!

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Thank you for reading!

True Sake

TRUE SAKE: America's First Sake Store.