Alexander L 80 Posted December 21, 2012 Share Posted December 21, 2012 cold, good sake warm, bad sake Fill other's glass before your own, unless you are having sushi alone, in which case fill your own glass. Link to post Share on other sites
Metabo Oyaji 71 Posted December 21, 2012 Share Posted December 21, 2012 This thread has inspired me to start taking tasting notes. That in mind, I picked up something other than one of my usuals this evening: Shiragiku, from Ishioka, Ibaraki. Relatively low-cost, about the same price per bottle and from the same town as one of my regular quaffs (Hakushika), I decided to give it a shot. First impression: has flavor, not quite as dense as I like, but definitely not one of those watery tanrei types. Second impression: bit of a sugary aftertaste... Hmm, let's try this one heated. Yes, drinking it atsukan bring out the sourness better. Still, think I prefer it cold. The more one drinks, the better it tastes. Overall: better than cup sake, with some character, but not quite as good as some others for the price. Would be better without the sugary aftertaste. Perhaps overall 4 out of 10? Link to post Share on other sites
Captain-Boo 0 Posted December 23, 2012 Share Posted December 23, 2012 I'm wanting to get into sake but dinding it difficult. I need a Japanese friend to take me through it all. Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 I 'pretended' to drink some sake on New Years Eve. Seems like it is the ladies family tradition to Kansas with a special sake. As I don't like it, I declined but ended up accepting and pretending to sip. How silly, but it was one of those situations where it would just be a fuss if I drove the point home. Katachi desu ne. Link to post Share on other sites
Alexander L 80 Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 Sake is just like water flavoured with the gift of life. Have it cold, but never on the rocks, the melt would corrupt the taste. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
RobBright 35 Posted January 5, 2013 Author Share Posted January 5, 2013 Much agreed. If it is warm, I get very drunk, very quickly. Cold is undoubtedly great. Link to post Share on other sites
Alexander L 80 Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 warm feels good when cold enough to freeze one's tits off. Alcohol (ethanol) boils at 78C. Don't let it get too hot. Link to post Share on other sites
Aggro Crag 1 Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 anyone ever drink Juyondai? I've read it's one of the best. There is a liquor store in my city that stocks it, but it's ridiculously expensive. Link to post Share on other sites
Alexander L 80 Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 you need to tell me what the label reads when I'm cross eyed. Link to post Share on other sites
pie-eater 207 Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 Does sake have 'years' like wine and the like? So you can impress your friends with an 'Oh I have a vintage 1676 Hakkaisan in the cellar' kind of comment? Link to post Share on other sites
Chriselle 158 Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 Pie eater...I was just going to post on that very subject. According to my sister-in-law who is "in the know"....sake does not have a vintage. In fact, after a comparatively short time sake looses it's "yummy-ness". However,,,,,, she did tell me that after I mentioned I had that special bottle of G8 sake. Link to post Share on other sites
Alexander L 80 Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 almost sake time Link to post Share on other sites
BagOfCrisps 24 Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 How was your G8 sake then? Link to post Share on other sites
Alexander L 80 Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 its getting old in the fridge Link to post Share on other sites
Chriselle 158 Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 No....I promised my sister-in-law we'd tie into it next Christmas when I go up to Hokkaido again. It should keep til then.. Link to post Share on other sites
BagOfCrisps 24 Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 How much is it worth again? Link to post Share on other sites
Metabo Oyaji 71 Posted February 1, 2013 Share Posted February 1, 2013 Tasting report: Tsumugi Bijin Karakuchi, from Jousou-shi, Ibaraki. 1780 yen for the bottle above. Flavor is... karakuchi, startlingly enough. As advertised on the label, no sugars added, so no nasty sweet aftertaste. A bit on the tanrei side, but yet just enough denseness for my taste. Complete lack of tinniness or cloyingness. Just dry, a bit sour, not too complicated. I'll give this one a 6 out of 10. Notes on my grading system: 5 is the minimum that I would buy again, and is represented by Hakushika. A decent, budget, daily nightcap. Tsumugi Bijin Karakuchi is a step above that, mainly due to lack of negative elements, but not thick or distinctive enough to go beyond that. Incidentally, regarding the previous one I rated, Shiragiku, I have been told by folks who claim to know, that it is actually supposed to be a decent sake. But I didn't like it, giving it a 4, mainly for the sugary aftertaste. In fact, in retrospect, I might even downgrade it to a 3. It really didn't improve with repeated drinkings for me. So clearly, my judgment is suspect. Caveat lector. Link to post Share on other sites
RobBright 35 Posted February 4, 2013 Author Share Posted February 4, 2013 I bought a few bottles last time I was up in Yuzawa a few weeks back, and cracked open one of them last weekend. It's a red bottle, and very very nice. I shall take a picture of it later with some tasting notes. Link to post Share on other sites
Chriselle 158 Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 Like wine... Sake MUST be dry... AND in a nice bottle. I just can't bring myself to buying those "one cups". It just seems like the last step before buying sterno and drinking it under a bridge somewhere. Link to post Share on other sites
Metabo Oyaji 71 Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 I bought a few bottles last time I was up in Yuzawa a few weeks back, and cracked open one of them last weekend. It's a red bottle, and very very nice. I shall take a picture of it later with some tasting notes. Sounds interesting. Look forward to the report. Link to post Share on other sites
RobBright 35 Posted February 5, 2013 Author Share Posted February 5, 2013 Balls - I forgot to add the picture. Think I might have one on my phone. Let me check. Link to post Share on other sites
RobBright 35 Posted February 5, 2013 Author Share Posted February 5, 2013 This is the sake at the vending machine place, ぽんしゅ管 Link to post Share on other sites
Chriselle 158 Posted February 5, 2013 Share Posted February 5, 2013 Nondeke.....!! Link to post Share on other sites
Metabo Oyaji 71 Posted February 5, 2013 Share Posted February 5, 2013 Ah, Jozen Mizu no Gotoshi. I am familiar with that one. It is actually the one I had in mind when I wrote earlier: Don't like the ones that have been refined to the point of tasting like water -- if I want something that tastes like water, I'll drink water. It's certainly easy to drink, maybe too easy to drink -- get drunk without realizing how much one has had. Just tend to prefer stronger-flavored ones, myself. That ぽんしゅ館 looks like a fun place! 「お酒とお米のテーマパーク」 Link to post Share on other sites
Chriselle 158 Posted February 5, 2013 Share Posted February 5, 2013 Haha...but Metabo.....Isn't Britain just a booze based theme park? Link to post Share on other sites
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