Invitation to saké tasting, Friday January 10, 7:30pm
For those local, I will have what promises to be a very high-quality saké tasting on Friday, January 10, at 7:30pm at dagibbs' place. Highly likely that I'll get some food in Chinatown before, people are welcome to join me.
There will be seven bottles, three of which I've had before and which were very well received. Five of them will be junmai daiginjos, meaning the rice grains are milled to take away at least 50% of the outer shell of "impurities" (not-starch); two others are junmai ginjos, meaning rice is milled to leave at least 60% of the rice grain; only one is above that rate. Three were taken after tasting them at Kampai Toronto, the big saké tasting event done in late May. No basic starter taste this time - well, of a sort, only.
In order:
- Hakutsuru Sho-Une junmai daigingo (50% of the rice left), the first mass-market I've seen in north america (Hakutsuru's regular local mass-market offerings are all done in Oregon)
- Masumi Karakuchi Ki-ippon junmai ginjo (55% rice left), a repeat from my first ever tasting
- Fukucho "Moon on the Water" junmai ginjo (55% rice left), the first Kampai Toronto discovery I really liked
- Tenzan genshu junmai, the only non-ginjo/daiginjo at 75% rice left, but is undiluted and comes from the southern island of Kyushu, a robust taste that intrigued me greatly at Kampai Toronto
- Murai Family junmai daiginjo (45% rice left), another repeat that was bold, floral, almost syrupy, always #2 or #3 choice at that tasting
- Île Four junmai daiginjo (unknown milling, estimated 50%), the last repeat from my most recent tasting, done for a german-Swiss company, very smooth
- Taiheizan Tenko junmai daiginjo (40% rice left), the biggest surprise at Kampai Toronto, which I had to import privately and which I predict will leave no one unmoved - either love or hate, no middle ground. The taste pattern is extremely wide and bold.
Let me know if you want to come and if you're bringing someone else, so we can estimate total seating. Do eat well beforehand to absorb the alcohol, though my pours won't be huge for each.
There will be seven bottles, three of which I've had before and which were very well received. Five of them will be junmai daiginjos, meaning the rice grains are milled to take away at least 50% of the outer shell of "impurities" (not-starch); two others are junmai ginjos, meaning rice is milled to leave at least 60% of the rice grain; only one is above that rate. Three were taken after tasting them at Kampai Toronto, the big saké tasting event done in late May. No basic starter taste this time - well, of a sort, only.
In order:
- Hakutsuru Sho-Une junmai daigingo (50% of the rice left), the first mass-market I've seen in north america (Hakutsuru's regular local mass-market offerings are all done in Oregon)
- Masumi Karakuchi Ki-ippon junmai ginjo (55% rice left), a repeat from my first ever tasting
- Fukucho "Moon on the Water" junmai ginjo (55% rice left), the first Kampai Toronto discovery I really liked
- Tenzan genshu junmai, the only non-ginjo/daiginjo at 75% rice left, but is undiluted and comes from the southern island of Kyushu, a robust taste that intrigued me greatly at Kampai Toronto
- Murai Family junmai daiginjo (45% rice left), another repeat that was bold, floral, almost syrupy, always #2 or #3 choice at that tasting
- Île Four junmai daiginjo (unknown milling, estimated 50%), the last repeat from my most recent tasting, done for a german-Swiss company, very smooth
- Taiheizan Tenko junmai daiginjo (40% rice left), the biggest surprise at Kampai Toronto, which I had to import privately and which I predict will leave no one unmoved - either love or hate, no middle ground. The taste pattern is extremely wide and bold.
Let me know if you want to come and if you're bringing someone else, so we can estimate total seating. Do eat well beforehand to absorb the alcohol, though my pours won't be huge for each.