Hagi no Tsuyu Genryu Wataribune
Ginjo Junmai Muroka

Fully 85% of Hagi no Tsuyu brew stays right at its home prefecture, consumed in Shiga. Somehow in Tokyofoodcast’s fridge, though, their Genryu Wataribune Ginjo Junmai Muroka gets refilled every time we finish one. It’s one of those bottles on auto-refill mode whenever I go to Mitsuya in Nishi Ogi.

For one thing, this Hagi no Tsuyu is so versatile. The other day, we had it with some grilled chicken breast smeared with spicy yuzu-kosho. The many fresh flavors at the start of this nihonshu washed down the zing from yuzu citrus and spiciness of the chili pepper just right. Even simple steamed broccoli, which usually brings out some medicinal flavor of nihonshu, was a surprisingly good match. On another occasion, when I had it with maguro sashimi, the fatty umami of the fish tasted so much deeper with this brew.

Also, Hagi no Tsuyu reminds me of the fun trip to Shiga earlier this year where we were fully introduced to the lake region cuisine at Kitashina. Just thinking about the taste of funazushi that has been aged for three years mixing with Hagi no Tsuyu is simply mouthwatering.

Finally, their sake whispered to me one day in Hiroshima at the big shinshu kanpyokai tasting after tasting hundreds of nihonshu. I know this sounds too wired, so, I will spare you from the details…

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Masumi Yamahai Zukuri Junmai Ginjo

In September, I visited Keith-san, marketing manager at Masumi in Suwa, Nagano. When he mentioned a new Yamahai Zukuri Junmai Ginjo, how could I resist getting a bottle to try at home! Even when the transaction meant possibly missing my train back to Tokyo, I had to grab a bottle that had only been released a few days before.

We finally had a chance to try it this week. Having been aged for two summers, this Yamahai had a deep note of honey balanced by a gentle acidity leading to a clean finish. We enjoyed it first by itself and admired the golden color.

Then we tried several pairings with cheeses and fish: emmental and a sharp cheddar, maguro and buri sashimi. At room temperature, the cheddar brought the profile of this yamahai to nice, creamy milk taffy-like sweetness. Sipping this deepened the fatty savory taste of the maguro.

Then, heated up to 47℃, this transitioned to an even gentler, more rounded personality while still keeping a nice balance. At this temperature, it was a perfect match to the emmental with long lasting echo of umami. Te-chan liked the combination of Masumi with a chunck of cheddar cheese dipped in soy and wasabi. On the fish pairing side, maguro’s oiliness was wrapped up and finished very nicely. Since we finished both sake and buri before having a chance to try our next idea, but we thought that buri shabu-shabu style rather than raw would go really well with this.

The brewery’s recommendation for foods to enjoy with their Yamahai are:
nikomi simmered meat and vegetables, oily fish sashimi, roasted mushrooms or meat, and grilled beef.

Links in English:
Masumi Yamahai Zukuri Junmai Ginjo
Masumi web site

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Peeking into the main room at Saka Jinja

On our way to Izumo, we stopped at Saka Shrine, dedicated to the god of sake. Tanaka-san from Rihaku had described this to us so we made a point of looking for it. According to 8th century documents, the Gods may have partied really hard here for 180 days, but now it is just a very quiet shrine dedicated to the sake god. Instead of deities, the Izumo Toji, or brew masters of the Izumo Guild, hold monthly meeting at the shrine. Passing through the stone torii gate and walking up the woodsy stairs, the only thing you hear is roosters. Once at the top of the stairs and having a look around the main building and grounds, there’s no one on the premises. But, some visitors must come looking for good luck, because they have an honor system to simply leave money to get self-serve omamori good luck charms or omikuji fortune telling papers.

Izumo Taisha

Then, we were off to the Izumo Grand Shrine which is believed to be the oldest shrine in Japan. And, it is rich with myths and legends. In October, all gods from throughout Japan gather at this central location. What do they do? They hold conferences and discuss various topics such as liquor production, marriage ties, and the yield of grain during the previous year. Where do they stay? There are special guest houses on the premises to host gods while they visit the shrine! Even today people believe in the uber-power of the kamisama here and pay a special visit.

Lucky Omikuji

Aside from the historical significance, myths, and faith people have, the sanctuary is also very popular with young people. Okuninuni no Mikotois enshrined here as the deity of marriage.

Watching girls jumping up and down to stick a coin into the giant shimenawa straw rope was rather comical, I thought. And a big tree totally covered with fortune telling papers tells you just how many people visit the place.

Following to the visit to Izumo Taisha, a short walk to the Shimane Museum of Ancient Izumo took us all the way back to the prehistoric era. Walking from the shrine through the museum is like combining a visit to the Knossos Palace on Crete and the National Archeological Museum in Athens all in one. The exhibition showing the excavation of over 300 bronze swords and bells from the Yayoi Period (500 BC to 300 AD) was simply an amazing demonstration of the power this area held then. Natural resources such as iron and good transportation by land and sea made this the ancient crossroads between Japan and the continent and a powerful center for commerce. Other exhibitions at this museum were local myths, including the most famous one of the eight-headed dragon Yamata-no-Orochi. This one is fun because Susano-no-mikoto defeated the monster by pouring him too much sake.

Izumo Soba

At the holy city, we resorted to famous Izumo soba for dinner. Well, to tell the truth, on Sunday evening around JR Izumo Station, there were nothing open except for a few small soba places. As is often the case with small eateries out in the countryside, the drink menu had two kinds of sake – hot and cold. When we asked which brand, they said the sake was from their neighbor Juji Asahi. So, we happily ended our day full of wonders with our favorite sake that had drawn us to Izumo.

Links:
*Concise information on Izumo Grand Shrine in English
*Shimane Museum of Ancient Izumo

Please visit Tokyofoodcast’s San’in Trip: Day One and Day Two–Follow the Crab, Day Three-Fished Out and Monsters Too, and Day Four-A Glimpse of Samurai Culture in Matsue. For locations of the sites in the post, please visit Tokyofoodcast’s San’in Trip Series post.

Yamata-no-Orochi by Rihaku

Orochi-no-mai by Juji Asahi

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Sawa no Hana Junmai Ginjo Hitogokochi

Funny how just a slight change in the weather and temperature can change your cravings. The days are still pretty hot, but it has cooled down in the evenings quite a bit lately. For the first time this fall, I was craving creamy, hearty pasta. So, I mixed a jar of artichoke cream sauce with sake kasu, sauteed onion, heaps of butter, flour and non-fat milk to dish up with some big tube pasta.

Then the drink choice. I had already poured a good amount of Shichihonyari Junmai we had in the fridge from a couple nights ago in the sauce and it was almost gone. So which bottle to open? Sawa-no-hana Junmai Ginjo Hitogokochi was my pick. I brought it back when I visited the brewery and I remembered it had very good balance of san and umami. Indeed, it was a good match, leaving a bit of spicy tingling at the end with the savory taste of the sauce on the palette.

I first noticed Sawa no Hana when I saw the beautiful light blue and white summer label in June at a tasting. It is such an elegant, simple, and recognizable design that stands out from any other labels. Then, I found out Te-chan’s Mukune International Sake Brewing Program fellow alumnus, Greg, had joined the company as marketing person and kurabito!

Sawa no Hana Hiyaoroshi
blue and white label

So, I visited Sawa no Hana, in Saku, Nagano back in September. Just like the sepia pictures on Tomono Shuzo’s website from the Showa era, the brewery premises is filled with old charms of the old brewing kura and the guest house built in 1920’s. The sound of water running in small creeks soothed this visitor from Tokyo.

Just during the brief time I visited the brewery and chatted with Mr. and Mrs. Tomono, I was deeply moved by the aspects of their brewing lives, especially when Mrs. Tomono shared what her life was like as wife of a brewer. She has seen three generational changes with some major turns. In addition, every little corner of the site where the family lives and brews sake has such lovely history. Standing in the middle of the big tatami rooms at the guest house where Mr. and Mrs. Tomono had their wedding, I really felt I could picture them as bride and groom sitting in front of the beautiful wooden falcon carved on the wall over the door. I really hope that legacy is passed down to the next generation.

At Tomono Shuzo, they do not just dwell on tradition, though. For one thing, they hired Greg to be part of the brewing team of very young kurabito lead by the their son. The average age is something like 28. That’s really young in the industry. Also, they built a completely new brewing facility right next to the old site a few years ago. As seen on the blue label, they are working on a new look while keeping their traditional image. So, this is one of the kura I am really looking forward to watch and see new developments and changes while they stick to all the good things they have already going.

With the newest team member on board, I am sure there will be more information in English about Sawa no Hana in the future. To start off, Sakē Chronicles where Greg shares his life in Saku and his work gives insight to the life at the brewery.

Links:
Sakē Chronicles by Greg
Tomono Shuzo’s web site in Japanese

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Matcha

The morning in Matsue started with the sound of birds in a drizzling gray sky. Such a contrast from the clear blue skies at the industrial port of Sakaiminato the previous day! We started out walking around the Karakoro Square to get on a boat. The first thing I noticed was the many Japanese sweet shops specializing in the intricate accompaniments for tea. After the lord Matsudaira Harusato (aka Fumai), who ruled the area in the 18th century brought tea culture back from Edo, the area flourished as one of the tea capital. That was the time when rather closed tea culture that was limited only to the lords and extremely well off merchants became more accessible to other classes.

Even today, people live with the tradition and it is part of everyday life in Matsue. Inoue-san from Shimanekan once explained to me that Shimane hospitality is to always welcome guests with matcha and sweets. Any household keeps a pot of hot water and a tin of finely powdered green tea ready at all times. “Matcha is like instant coffee and it is quite simple.” And, a serving of foamy bitter tea always comes with a special treat.

Horikawa Boat Ride – Approaching the bridge

After grabbing red bean paste sweets for breakfast, we got on a small boat. The skipper, or sendo-san, in his blue raincoat took us around the moat and canals around the city. Being the end of March, the boat came with a little kotatsu, or low table with heater in the middle and blanket around the table. Tucking our feet under the comfortably warm table, we listened to the boatman singing old rowing songs and looked out at the the moss-covered walls or an elegant white heron resting in the middle of the still, green water. Time seemed to slow. Then, the skipper said “now we are coming up to a series of low bridges and make sure you duck”. I thought his message was just, lower your head, but soon I realized I was wrong when I had to push my face down on the kotatsu surface as the roof of the boat lowered to pass under the bridge. Even this inconvenience felt like a part of the charm of this city.

Horikawa Boat Ride – Duck!

The Horikawa Meguri Boat drops you off at several locations, so you can get on or off at a stop convenient for your plan. After about one hour, we got off to take a look at Bukeyashiki or Samurai’s Residence. It’s a small house where a middle-rank samurai and family lived and is now beautifully restored without looking tacky. I especially liked the authentic kitchen area.

Next, we visited Matsue Castle known for the original tower from the 17th century. More than the beauty of the castle, though, we were impressed by their exhibition of suits armor. It may not be the huge, extravagant exhibition at Metropolitan Museum, but at Matsue Castle, they have quite an extensive permanent exhibition of armor, helmets, and other warrior items to give you a glimpse of samurai fashion.

Everything in Matsue was just so magical. We did not have time to visit all the places we might have such as Lafcadio Hearn’s former residence or another brewery I really wanted to visit, Toyo-no-Aki. We had planned to have a famous course meal of the seven delicacies of Lake Shinji the previous night, but we were totally fished out. We figured Matsue is one of those places we would definitely come back to, so we packed up after lunch and drove one hour to our next destination, Izumo Taisha Grand Shrine.

List of Matsue information in English:

International Visitor Discount- Matsue is very friendly to foreign visitors-Get 50% off at major museums.
Horikawa Meguri Boat Photo Gallery – Seasonal photo gallery of pictures from the boat
Horikawa Meguri Boat Route Map
Matsue City Tourist Information
Wikitravel: Matsue

Matsue Castle

One of nine suits of armor

Samurai Helmet Collection:
At Matsue Castle

Please visit Tokyofoodcast’s San’in Trip: Day One and Day Two–Follow the Crab, and Day Three-Fished Out and Monsters Too. For locations of the restaurants and breweries in the post, please visit Tokyofoodcast’s San’in Trip Series post.

Related posts:

Yaoshin Shuzo Gangi
Junmai Murooka Hiya Oroshi Yamadanishiki

I first recall trying Sagaminada at the Young Brewers’ event at the Hotel Eminence just outside Shibuya in June. This is one of my favorite sake events each year around Tokyo: Not too big, not too small, and always excellent sake to try from younger up-and-coming brewers. This is where you can try nihonshu from craftsmen establishing their own style. So, there are plenty of opportunities to find something new and interesting. Sagaminada certainly fit the bill.

Although they may have been new to me, others have been paying attention this year with a favorable mention in March 2009 issue of the fine food and beverage magazine Dancyu. If you visit the website for Kubota Shuzo, makers of Sagaminada, you’ll find a very unprepossessing photo of the kura on the front page and simple links to brief profiles and descriptions in Japanese. This is a small brewer producing 250 koku per year with a small staff averaging just 29 years old. Their stated goal is to balance sweetness and acidity for a clean sake that goes well with food and still reflects the umami of the rice. I think they are doing very well at achieving those goals.

One reason why Sagaminada caught my interest is that they are almost my second “local”. Work takes me out to Machida and Sagamihara everyday, so these guys are my nearest sake brewery. They really have respect from their community. One of the main restaurants that specializes in sake just in front of JR Fuchinobe Station proudly serves Sagaminada side-by-side with Urakasumi. The local sakaya prominently features Sagaminada too. That’s where I picked up a bottle of their Tokubetsu Junmai Murooka the other day.

There is good acidity here and they met their goal of balance. It definitely went well on its own or with some snacks like dried fish or edamame and then grilled chicken and veggies. Et-chan and I agreed that it still tasted a bit young and may need to settle down a bit. If there was a slight hint of something medicinal, it soon clears away with a very good, clean finish. I will pick this one up again some evening after work. And, when the time is right, I’ll call the brothers and schedule a visit for a few interested teachers one Friday after work.

Kubota Shuzo: Established 1844
Brewers of Sagaminada
Tsukui-gun, Tsukui-machi, Nekoya 702
TEL. 0427-84-0045
FAX. 0427-84-2225

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Sakaiminato, Tottori

After the crabfest at Gyosantei, we started our third day at a hotel which also serves as a dormitory for sailors by the port of Sakaiminato. Although not a soul besides us seemed to be wandering the harbor or the streets on that sunny spring morning, the clear sky at this working port town was filled with the “clang, clang, clang” from the shipyard echoing through an otherwise very peaceful neighborhood.

We started the day with a modest fish, soup, and rice breakfast at the dormitory with a couple of sailors, then walked to my favorite fish　market. After my previous visit to this lively market filled with unbelievable deals, I could not leave the town without stopping there again. As one of the biggest fishing ports, Sakaiminato is all about fish!

Yokai on Mizuki Shigeru Road

But, there’s one more huge attraction in town that draws people from all over the country. Mizuki Shigeru Road is named after the creator of GeGeGe no Kitaro. The street is lined up with statues of yōkai characters from the cartoon, such as the most popular Eyeball Daddy, Ratman, Catchick and many more. The day we were there was just the start of the spring break and the early morning street was already filled with kids and parents hopping from statue to statue to rub their palm up and down on these wild figures and take pictures with them as if they are just waiting for the monsters to come alive.

Te-chan and Iwanari Toji

At the end of the street filled with spirits and monsters, close by the JR station, is the home of Chiyomusubi Shuzo, the magnet that brought us to Sakaiminato. At the brewery, Iwanari Toji kindly took some time out of his busy schedule and showed us around. A third generation toji, his very gentle and warm personality is what you taste in their brew. I thought how soft and comfortable, but at the same time, firm and passionate.

Next, we hurried a couple minutes down the street from Chiyomusubi to Iroha Sushi for lunch. This small family run sushi joint fills up with 10 or 12 people at most and is extremely busy during lunch on weekends and holidays. No matter how crowded they are though, their business ends when they run of the ingredients they prepared for that day. We were the next to the last who made it in for lunch that day. The next group of four had to split up when the chef said “we have just enough rice to serve two people.”

Iroha Sushi

You might pass by this tiny eatery without noticing if you weren’t in the know. They buy only locally caught fish of quality that the chef approves, so the menu is truly the catch of the day. Then, a set amount of rice is prepared for lunch. Sushi at Iroha is excellent, fresh, and very filling, but I imagine that’s just a part of the attraction. When the young sushi chef behind the counter starts to talk about local fish, he beams with enthusiasm and becomes unstoppable. Rather than changing his philosophy to expand his business and serve more customer, he said he chooses to stay within his means and serve only good local seafood and only the limited amount he can handle at one time without sacrificing any quality. I do not know if this gives you any idea, but consider that they close at 7 pm for dinner. Yes, 7 pm!

After becoming totally content at Iroha Sushi, as designated driver for the day I drove us to Matsue to visit Rihaku Shuzo, well-known for their Wondering Poet brand of sake. After we met the newest generation at the brewery, Tanaka-san at our sensei’s lecture and were impressed with their brew, I thought I definitely had to visit. Plus, our friend and favorite cheese specialist had named Rihaku the best match with cheese.

Tanaka-san in koji muro

“Our brew has this view”, Tanaka-san first took us to the top of multi story facility and opened the big windows revealing the stunning view of Matsue Castle and the very green and beautiful water city without anything blocking the view. But then, I also spotted a little shinto alter above the tanks.

There are so many philosophies and approaches to sake brewing, but the altar is one thing every brewer shares. So, naturally, I asked Tanaka-san if their tablets in the altar are from Matsuo Shrine in Kyoto. “No, actually, we have our local shrine dedicated to the sake god, Saka Shrine, just half way between Izumo and Matsue.” The name of the shrine appears in Izumo Fudoki, records and legends of the area written in the 8th century, as the place where the gods had a big sake party that lasted 180 days. Legend has it that Izumo area in Shimane is the oldest sake brewing district and people still feel that connection.

Tanaka-san spent a good amount of time explaining about the Saka Shrine and its history. What I was touched by most was he really, really wanted to bring the old tradition back into the spotlight. He wanted to promote the quiet ancient sake god in Izumo that deserves recognition.

After a farewell, we enjoyed the city on our walk back to the hotel along the castle moat and canals. That night, we resorted to a plain okonomiyaki dinner since to our own surprise we declared total defeat by fish. After two days with three fish centric meals a day, we both finally said, “I am fished out for now.” Actually, Matsue is perfect for both enjoying savory regional cuisine or other types of comfort foods you find in bigger cities.

Please visit Tokyofoodcast’s San’in Trip: Day One and Day Two–Follow the crab.
For locations of the restaurants and breweries in the post, please visit Tokyofoodcast’s San’in Trip Series post.

Chiyomusubi Shuzo

Rihaku Shuzo

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Kikuyoi Junmai Ginjo Matsushita-mai 50

Last Thursday, Tokyoites witnessed just how fragile our modern transportation web can be with just a touch of a typhoon that barely covered the area. Some strong winds stopped the JR Yamanote Line completely for more than two hours in the early morning as I got to Gotanda Station. So, my alternative transportation to Shibuya, a fully loaded bus, took over one hour, instead of six minutes.

Naturally, on the bus, I was thinking ahead and that the evening sake event we were supposed to go to might be canceled. Around noon when everything cleared up, our very organized host at Haneda Excel Hotel Tokyu emailed me to say that the event was still on. So, we were able to attend the first Sake Seminar organized by the hotel’s team of sake enthusiasts.

The honored first guest-brewer was Aoshima-san from Kikuyoi in Shizuoka. He struck me as a very serious craftsman, so dedicated to his brew–almost like a zen monk at a monastery with his approach to the sake making season. He shared with the group his philosophy toward his work and talked a bit about his far away former life as a fund manger on Wall Street. At the end of the talk, we raised our ochoko filled with Kikuyoi Junmai Daiginjo Matsushita-mai 40, made with organic rice grown by Matsushita-san.

Matsushita-san grows rice during the summer and works as kurabito at the brewery in the winter. He had quite a former life as well. Initially, the guy went to Ethiopia as part of Japanese version of Peace Corp to teach locals how to increase yields by using fertilizer and pesticides. In the end, he returned home with what he had learned: co-existence with nature, which lead him to grow organic Matsushita-mai.

Aoshima-san from Kikuyoi

OK, back to the kanpai. I jotted down, “sawayaka, almost like a cool wind passing over the green rice field, creating waves.” It was clean and just so delightful, especially a great moment of relief from the hectic weather we’d had earlier that day. One guest across from us pronounced it. “Yabai“, or too dangerous. “This is too smooth and too good,” he said. I completely agreed.

Then, we moved on to the next one, Kikuyoi Junmai Ginjo Matsushita-mai 50, same rice, just a slight reduction in rice polishing rate. This really hit me. It had the same sawayaka feel with deeper umami and a very well-balanced acidity, a bit like bigger waves of wind slowly sweeping the green rice field. Every line we had that night was great, but this one was especially memorable for me.

I really respect the approach both Aoshima-san and Matsushita-san are taking toward their rice and sake. To access more information, see below for Melinda Joe’s article in the Japan Times. Also, I hope you have a chance to read the full chapter dedicated to Kikuyoi in Sake’s Hidden Stories by John Gaunter. You will find out how one man quit his work as a successful financial wiz and then how the two of them with such different backgrounds started as a team.

So, whenever you have a chance to sip this special brew, please see if you can taste a bit of how three continents collaborate in this masterpiece!

Part of the course paired with Kikuyoi
at Haneda Excel Hotel Tokyu

Japan Times article about Kikuyoi and organic rice grown by Matsushita-san

Sake’s Hidden Stories: Farewell To Wall Street (Page 55)
Kikuyoi of Shizuoka Prefecture
Then it hit him. Hit him like a ton of bricks, it did.
“Holy shit! Sake brewing! What the hell have I been
thinking! It has been with me my whole life!”

More great information on Kikuyoi Matsushita-mai at:
Tokyo Through the Drinking Glass
Shizuoka Sake

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I am pleased to announce the start of the Sake World Sake Brewery Tours program.

Working with the world’s greatest sake expert and educator, John Gaunter, I am thrilled to present the first two Sake Brewery Tours programs in 2010. A while back, John and I talked about nihonshu tourism as a way to really open the doors to the sake world to anyone interested in the brew. So, here we are announcing the first very special opportunities to meet the brewers and experience Japan through sake.

The programs start off with sake education by John, then visits to sakagura with me to see the art and tradition firsthand and to hear directly from the brewers their philosophies and passion for their craft. Events include sake-centered meals and other cultural sightseeing. This brewing season, there are two tours planned:

Tour I: February 23 to 27 in the Kansai (Osaka/Kyoto/Kobe) area
Tour II: March 15 to 19 in the San-in (Shimane and Tottori) area

For more information, pricing and reservations please visit www.saketours.com. Participation is extremely limited!

Link to Sake World Sake Tours Web Site

Related posts:

Yaoshin Shuzo Gangi
Junmai Murooka Hiya Oroshi Yamadanishiki

Naitoh Saketen is well on the other side of the tracks from us, but I make a point of stopping by now and then. They have an extensive selection of shochu, fine spirits, and some specialty food items in what seems to be an ordinary storefront that has been hidden by highway construction for what seems like years. But, step inside and they are just great. One thing I especially like is that they always seem to stock at least one bottle from Gangi from Yaoshin Shuzo in Iwakuni, Yamaguchi. Last time it was a very refined sparkling, but this time it was autumn, so hiya oroshi was in the cooler at a very reasonable ¥1,340 for a 720 ml bottle. I thought this fit perfectly with Et-chan’s ongoing Sanin Tour Series.

I don’t often see Gangi in shops or restaurants around here, but when I do, I am always pleased to find it so far from its home. Last year, Et-chan and I were lucky enough to get an extended tour of the brewery from Kobayashi-shacho as part of our caravan around Sanin. Gangi is a very interesting kura physically. The name Gangi itself means, “a landing place for river ships”. Originally built as a rice warehouse on the riverbank for easy access, the main brewery building is very long and comparatively narrow. [Click the navigation blocks on the left and then scroll make sure to scroll down each bilingual page at Yaoshin to get to the English translation.]

I poured a glass for each of us, but kept the bottle hidden. Et-chan first guessed Garyubai, which was a fair guess. Despite the distance between Yamaguchi and Shizuoka, those two brews might almost seem like brothers, or at least cousins. Both are full and direct up front, clean with a nice finish, and very “sturdy” for lack of a better word. Though Gangi can be quite stylish and subtler than this bottle, since it is hiya oroshi time, this one was brasher. There was a really good bitterness or nigami that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. I was trying to connect it to that bitter net of white inside an orange peel–if subtracted all of the orangeness or citrus. Anyway, this young bottle has some impact with high alcohol at 17%. Though a Yamadanishiki Junmai Murooka, it wasn’t genshu. Even with water added, this was strong. The bitterness was there, and then it was clean away–it didn’t linger. We kept sipping for a bit before dinner and as the nihonshu warmed from the fridge to closer to room temperature, it stayed consistent and good. Three days of sitting in the fridge after opening mellowed the strong edges without wrecking it. Just the bottle for the beginning of fall.

Read about hiya oroshi from John Gauntner.

Yaoshin Shuzo
Iwakuni-shi, Yamaguchi-ken
Tel/Fax: 0827-22-2262

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