New Store Arrivals: Takenotsuyu, Tamagawa, & Misato Sekka
From Yamagata Prefecture. Junmai. SMV: +2.5 Acidity: 1.1
The nose on this legendary Junmai sake is a classic collection of pound cake, nougat, muffin, strawberry, orange blossom, cream, bread dough, white peach, vanilla, and sweet rice aromas. Literally one of the first small brewery "jizake" sake available in the US over 25 years ago, this brew is in the True Sake Top Ten Of All Time Sake for good reason – it's awesome! Smooth, round, rich, chewy, velvety, solid, but totally elegant too. This is a "gliding" sake that glides through the palate with loads of umami and savory flavors. Look for cashew, pound cake, nougat, Twinkie™, cookie dough, avocado, vanilla, egg custard, brioche, banana bread, and sweet rice with a hint of fresh bamboo that lives up to its name. Everybody loves “Bamboo Tears”, and you will too. WORD: Smooth WINE: Soft Reds/Creamy Whites BEER: Creamy Ales FOODS: Sushi, sashimi, comfort foods, fried chicken, French fries, yakitori, fried chicken, creamy soups and stews.
From Kyoto Prefecture. Aged Junmai Daiginjo. SMV: ±0 Acidity: 1.6
The nose on Philip Harper's deepest Junmai Daiginjo is a stellar collection of berries in cream, rock sugar, cake frosting, condensed milk, fig, chocolate covered cherries, and sugar cone aromas. Sake is a process, and each maker creates a process for you to taste a flavor that they achieve. Philip aged this sake four years to achieve that blend of fruit tones and umami to create balance or "sake harmony." Rich-light®, slippery, weighty, viscous, round, velvety, juicy, and solid, this Daiginjo is a "glider" in the palate, as the aging fills out the depth of the fluid. Look for pear, apple compote, ripe tomato, pie crust, lemon cream, tangerine, clover, apricot, persimmon, and sweet rice flavors that co-mingle with a plump umami backbone. This is wine connoisseur sake that drinks with a complexity and richness that speaks to those who love umami in high-end fashioned brews, and works so well with rich and full-bodied cuisines. WORD: Aged WINE: Deep Reds/Complex Whites BEER: Belgian Ales FOODS: Sushi, sashimi, French and Italian fare, fowl, game, beef, and anything from the sea.
From Akita Prefecture. Junmai Daiginjo. SMV: ±0 Acidity: 1.5
Using a rare varietal of white lavender blossom found only in Akita, the nose on this Daiginjo is a fragrant collection of bright florals, strawberry, pineapple, blackberry, grape, pear, powdered sugar, snap pea, vanilla, and mochi rice aromas. Bright, silky, crisp, medium-bodied, lush, fleshy, and smooth, this sake drinks with a little tannin-like dryness and some astringency that appeals to wine fans. Look for apple, pear, Fig Newton™, nectarine, grape, tapioca, rice candy, caramel, brown sugar, and orange peel flavors that flow on a silky smoothness on the palate. This is a Ki Limited Edition Selection, and it does well served chilled in a white wine glass. WORD: Muscat Grapes WINE: Elegant Reds/Fruity Rich Whites BEER: Fruity Ales FOODS: Sushi, sashimi, crab, lobster, shrimp, oysters, caviar, and foie gras.