Sake / Nihonshu

[Alter]

Any Sake fans here? I must admit that despite living in Japan for over a decade and having consumed hundreds of litres of the stuff, I know very little about Sake.

Yesterday, I was on a bike ride and came across a small Sake factory. According to the owner they are one of very few that still make everything by hand. I bought a bottle and got a tour of the place also. It was tiny and they only produce a small number of bottles every year.

Figuring someone must be a Sake fan...here are some pics:

 

[Cordwinder]

Love sake. Please not mixed as sake-tini or sake bombs.

Just like wine there are too many varieties to keep track of.

You were you cycling around Nada?

 

[Alter]

Originally Posted by Cordwinder

You were you cycling around Nada?

Not Nada...west of Akashi. There are some old Shochu and Sake makers around Eigashima. Here is the one in the pics above: http://taiyousyuzou.web.fc2.com/

I was actually looking for a Whisky distillery http://www.ei-sake.jp/all/distillery.html when I came across the Sake place.

 

[edinatlanta]

Originally Posted by Cordwinder

Love sake. Please not mixed as sake-tini or sake bombs.

Just like wine there are too many varieties to keep track of.

You were you cycling around Nada?

+1.

What I like most about sake is that the flavors are easily recognizable, unlike some spirits where you really have to work to train your palate.

 

[ozymandias]

That looks pretty good.

 

[Kei-bon]

Alter, i once lived in the same area. have you visited any of the distilleries in Higashi-Nada-ku? i used to go on the weekends for lunch with a flight of sakes. really fun. also, i know a GREAT sake shop near Rokkomichi.

 

[kwilkinson]

Completely off-topic, but Alter, send me some steaks immediately. Kthx.

 

[Cordwinder]

Originally Posted by Alter

Not Nada...west of Akashi. There are some old Shochu and Sake makers around Eigashima. Here is the one in the pics above: http://taiyousyuzou.web.fc2.com/

I was actually looking for a Whisky distillery http://www.ei-sake.jp/all/distillery.html when I came across the Sake place.


I remember someone telling me about a whiskey place in Akashi, this must be it.
They have tours there but I think only by reservations for groups.

Sounds like a great place for a day trip.

There is a sake bar near HDC building near harborland. They had one-cup sakes from around Japan. Great place to sample the sakes from the different regions of Japan.

 

[Spatlese]

Originally Posted by kwilkinson

Completely off-topic, but Alter, send me some steaks immediately. Kthx.

+1, Kobe from...Kobe

And, I like it, teh sake.

 

[Dragon]

Looks like fun, and looks like you picked up a rare bottle!

 

[Szeph el raton]

I like it really a lot. Sad to say that the chances to find nice one is more than limited here. Order directly from an import company is the only way to find something decent.

 

[Alter]

Originally Posted by Kei-bon

Alter, i once lived in the same area. have you visited any of the distilleries in Higashi-Nada-ku? i used to go on the weekends for lunch with a flight of sakes. really fun. also, i know a GREAT sake shop near Rokkomichi.
I haven't actually been to the Nada area distilleries but have been planning to go for years. Maybe this summer.

Originally Posted by kwilkinson

Completely off-topic, but Alter, send me some steaks immediately. Kthx.
OK...I sent a couple of steaks via Fedex, should arrive tomorrow.

Originally Posted by Cordwinder

I remember someone telling me about a whiskey place in Akashi, this must be it. They have tours there but I think only by reservations for groups. Sounds like a great place for a day trip. There is a sake bar near HDC building near harborland. They had one-cup sakes from around Japan. Great place to sample the sakes from the different regions of Japan.
Yea, it is the only whiskey place around there methinks. I saw on their website that tours should be a minimum of 10 but I figure that a gaijin showing up on a bicycle might be enough to get some sort of tour. i will test this theory out in a couple of weeks.

Originally Posted by Spatlese

+1, Kobe from...Kobe And, I like it, teh sake.
You...I fedexed steaks AND a bottle of Sake...because i like you better than I like Kwilk.

 

[Skydiver Nick]

Love sake!

Gingo, Daigingo and Nigori.

 

[kwilkinson]

Originally Posted by Alter

You...I fedexed steaks AND a bottle of Sake...because i like you better than I like Kwilk.

Pffft.... I don't want your crappy rice wine anyway.


Ok I lied. You cut me deep

 

[Kei-bon]

Alter, the name of the sake shop is Koaminaka, between Sumiyoshi and Rokkomichi. go there on a weekday and, if you speak some Japanese and you show an interest in sake, they'll give you all sorts of samples. very nice people, and lots of unusual, small-batch sake. i hope it's still there ... and here's a map of the Kobe sakagura: http://homepage3.nifty.com/nobukoba/nextsake.htm