5 great sake to enjoy this autumn
Autumn is a special time for sake. To help you to choose a right sake I have selected 5 sake to drink with hearty autumn meals. I have also included a few simple tips how to choose a perfect autumn sake! Kampai!
Photo by Chris Chan on Unsplash
Moonlight and… sake! What is Tsukimi?
Tsukimi (月見）is an ancient Japanese tradition of autumn moon viewing. So what did and does tsukimi involve? At the very beginning, it was a moon-viewing party at which people play music and compose poetry. I assume that Heian aristocrats were drinking sake on those parties as well.
Sake bottles in Japan House
SSI sake taste profiles
SSI taste profiles is a great way to assess and remember the sake you try. The Sake Service Institute (SSI) have divided all the sake into four categories, kun-shu, sou-shu, jun-shu and juku-shu based on two criteria: aroma and flavour. Read a brief overview of all the four profiles including examples of sake for each.
Sake and rice
What is sake made from: Rice
Rice is the essence of sake. It's the source of alcohol and gives it its flavour, aroma, texture and the character. It’s like grape to wine but slightly different.
5 sake to drink this summer
5 great sake to try this summer
Summer is a perfect time to try sake. You can enjoy a sparkling sake while chilling out in the shade, a robust junmai sake with BBQ or refined ginjo sake at a dinner party. Just look out for opportunities!
Hyakujuro Junmai Daiginjo (Black Face)
Hyakujuro Junmai Daiginjo (Black Face)
Hyakujuro Junmai Daiginjo is a sweeter sake with fruity aroma and some dried fruit and honey in the taste. It's full of umami and goes very well with hearty food like a miso marinated salmon we had with it last time.
Dojima Sake Brewery: how the £1,000 sake tastes like
Dojima Sake Brewery has been the talk of the sake industry for recent months not only because it's the first sake brewery in the opened by a Japanese company but also due to its £1,000 per bottle price tag. I’ve managed to try this beautiful sake and here’s my report.
2018 on Sugidama
Ding dong, 2018 is coming to the end. Just a few days, and it's 2019. It's been almost a year since I started Sugidama Blog, and it was a wonderful…
From ginjo to junmai: say no to ginjo snobbism
I think we should coin a term "ginjo snobbism" and add to the list of existing myths about sake. John Gauntner mentioned it in both of his books and other…
Christmas at Ichiba
Christmas is coming quicker than everyone expected! It feels like summer was only yesterday and here we are, buying advent calendars for kids (I'd love to buy a sake one…