New Store Arrivals – Hakkaisan, Noguchi, and Izumibashi Kuro Tombo
Hakkaisan Sparkling Awa "Clear"
From Niigata Prefecture. Sparkling. SMV: -5 Acidity: 1.6
The nose on this bottle fermented sparkling sake is a great collection of Granny Smith Apple, cream, yeast, popsicle, and grape aromas. Say hello to one of the most Brut-like sparkling sake in the biz! But this baby is all rice action that is tight, compact, and with crisp dry flavors and feelings with lots of bubbles and a good Pop on the cork! Look for Asian Apple Pear, raisin, Muscat Grape, tangerine, young melon and other fruit flavors with a hint of coconut that drinks dry and refreshing. This is "clear" sake at it's dry and crisp best, and the cork and cage makes this a great gifting Sparkling Sake for those who want to share a dry crisp experience with family and friends. WORD: Dry WINE: Champagne BEER: Crisp Ales FOODS: Champagne fare. $46/360ml
From Ishikawa Prefecture. Honjozo Muroka Nama Genshu. SMV: N/A Acidity: N/A
The nose on this unpasteurized Honjozo that is made using Gohyakumangoku milled to 60% is an amazing collection of melon, creamy fruit, grape, berry, honey, sweet nuts, butterscotch, and cream cheese aromas. If you drink sake long enough, eventually you find those brews that blow your socks off. Count this sake as one of your Bucket-List-brews that takes "flavorful" sake to the next frontier. Oh my gosh! Talk about controlled madness. Talk about controlled brashness. The entire world of flavors is in this brew, which could be crazy, but the balance of this Nama Honjozo is superb and this makes the whole thing dance perfectly. Look for hints of persimmon, melon, vanilla, citrus, cinnamon, crisp apples, grapes, pineapple, forest floor, pomegranate, dark chocolate filled with raspberry, dried fruit, and pear compote flavors. Wow! In a nutshell this sake is a flavor shifter along the lines of a shape shifter. It changes with every sip, but never let's you get lost. Who said Honjozo sake is boring? Not a chance here! WORD: Flavor Shifter WINE: Complex Reds/Deep Whites BEER: Stouts FOODS: The kitchen sink! $55/720ml
From Kanagawa Prefecture. Kimoto Junmai. SMV: +12 Acidity: 1.9
The nose on this traditionally made pole-rammed (Kimoto) sake is a great collection of chestnuts, cream, lemon peel, cucumber, and steamed rice aromas. This is a very intriguing Kimoto Junmai that is rich and full-bodied, but drinks light and elegant in feeling. How do they do that? Smooth, creamy, soft, and buttery, this brew glides across the palate with hints of sweet rice, nougat, marshmallow, cocoa, burnt sugar, and loads of umami licks. A very sneaky sake that has such full-bodied qualities, but drinks more light and very well balanced. And when warmed look for dark chocolate and nougat qualities that drink very light for a warmed sake. WORD: Intriguing WINE: Complex Reds/Creamy Whites BEER: Creamy Belgians FOODS: Salty and savory, meats and fowl on a stick, fried foods. $48/720ml