This is a gift from an acquaintance. It is a collaboration with Mimasu Sake Brewery, a sake store in Akabane, Tokyo. Mimasu Sake Brewery has been in business in Akabane for over 70 years, and is currently run by three sisters, the third generation. It is said to be the cat's eye of Akabane.
We visited Tokyo Minato Brewery, the only sake brewery in the 23 wards of Tokyo, and had the opportunity to taste some of their brews. It is brewed with rice from Tokyo, water from Tokyo (a surprisingly Asaka water system tap water, specially filtered, of course), and brewed in a building in central Tokyo's Minato Ward. It is quite tasty. It is my favorite flavor system.
I had a bottle of Sentori summer sake. I have always loved Sentori's unique balance of acidity, and have been a big fan of the classics in particular, but Kabutomushi has a citrusy acidity that is very summery. It's like an "adult lemon squash," which is a very apt description.
A drink at a sake bar in Fukuoka, the third stage.
Sanndo, which I have only seen in Tokyo liquor stores through lottery sales. There was also a red-labeled Kago next to it, but I saved that for the rest of my life and ordered the Yamada-Nishiki to finish off the day. It has a gentle, slightly shwashy mouthfeel.
A drink at a sake bar in Fukuoka, the second stage. It is said that the buyer can go to the brewery and pump the sake directly. On the label is the name of the buyer, Nomokka, or this sake bar. It is certainly a gratifying experience that can only be enjoyed locally.
I came to Fukuoka on a business trip. Since I was in Fukuoka on a business trip, I stopped by a local sake bar. I requested a refreshing summer sake from Kyushu, and this brand came up. It was not so much refreshing as it was super dry.
Hokkaido summer sake. The label looks like the blue sky of Hokkaido without rainy season, and the illustration of a local artist is summery, so I bought a packet. It has a refreshing taste. It is served cold.
Yamaguchi has a lot of good sake. One of my favorite breweries. Tenbi. The summer sake is Hotaten. I like the taste of the sake called Hotaten Amami. It was mellow and full-bodied.
After drinking a lot at a business reception outside, I came home late at night and had a drink at home. My favorite drink, Kangiku. The forbidden late-night potato chip consommé flavor is served with the meal. The oily "flavor of meat and savory vegetables" was washed away by the sunshine of Kangiku.
A favorite cold chrysanthemum. Matsuo boasts that it is made only with rice grown in Chiba Prefecture and sold only in Chiba Prefecture. The sake is named after Matsuo, Yamatake City, where the brewery is located, and is said to be made to go well with locally grown food. It is ordered from Yajima Sake Shop in Funabashi. It is unfortunate that the number of sake stores in Tokyo that carry Kangiku seems to be decreasing these days. Today's entrée was not from Chiba Prefecture, but sashimi and sardines from Shizuoka were served together with tempura.
My favorite Kangiku. I wondered what would happen if I brewed a rare sake rice from Fukuoka, but it was fruity, just like Kangiku. I was pleased with the spring-like haze of the orikara and the shwashiness of the sake. I bought a bottle for the first time, but it surprisingly fits in my refrigerator door pocket.