Nomidachi News Archive
February 2016
February 24
Greetings, Nomidachi!
This is a quick reminder to let you know if you're interested in the seasonal namazake and "desert island" faves we mentioned last week, there's still time for you to get in touch and reserve a few bottles.
We're very excited to welcome back Seattle-based brewer Jeff James of Cedar River Brewing for a special Friday evening tasting of his latest release: Nama Nigori Shiboritate (details below).
(Please Note: This Thursday, Feb. 25 we will be assisting local public TV station KBTC in celebrating the launch of their new partnership with NHK World TV with an on-site sake ceremony. As a result, our hours of operation at Saké Nomi will be pushed back to 7- 11 p.m. on Thursday evening.)
We hope to welcome you back to Saké Nomi soon.
Arigato & Kanpai! Johnnie & Taiko |
February 24
|
REMINDER
Spring Seasonal Release Namazake:
Harushika Shiboribana and
Koshi no Homare Shiboritate
Our distributor has alerted us that the ETA on two super popular spring release namazake is about 2-3 weeks out.
The Seattle market allotment for these sake is extremely limited, so it's very important for us to get our order in early to ensure availability.
As such, we strongly encourage you to contact us with your confirmed order by next Friday, Feb. 26.
Of course we'll try to obtain as much of these beauties as we can, and we plan on having limited amounts available to pour by the glass once the shipment hits Seattle.
Here are our notes and pricing information:
Harushika "Spring Deer" Shiboribana Junmai Ginjo
Slight yellow tint, with essence of strawberry and gardenia. Clean and vaguely citrus. Tingly and astringent character, with mineral notes in the somewhat dry finish.
Price: $44/720 ml bottle
(10% discount on 6 or more bottles)
Koshi no Homare Shiboritate Junmai Nama Genshu
Elements of rice and yeast in the nose. Entry is quiet and soft, but then the brashness and boldness of the
genshu (undiluted saké) makes its presence known. A coating, dairy-like, "feel the heat" spread to the finish. Direct and unostentatious; it's all about the character of the local rice.
Price: $40/720 ml bottle
(10% discount on 6 or more bottles)
|
February 24
|
REMINDER
The Return of Urakasumi Zen and Sougen
Don't miss out on these wonderful brews!
Of the questions I'm asked on a nearly daily basis that DON'T have to do with sushi, the one I don't tire of, but often have difficulty concisely answering is "What's your favorite sake?"
The truth is, I have many favorites, and sometimes I develop "crushes" on sake that last for weeks before I move on to the next new love, but when the former favorites show up on the rotating menu I'm reminded again of why I was so enamored in the first place. It's complicated.
That being said, I have developed somewhat of a "desert island" list of sake of which I never tire and have not ceased to be amazed by their enchanting, transformative powers.
Two such favorites are once again available to us, and we'd like to share them with you. They are:
Urakasumi "Zen"
Brewery: Saura (est. 1724)
Region: Miyagi
SMV: +1
Type/Polish Ratio:
Junmai Ginjo/50%
Tasting Notes: Soft and melting, with wonderfully full, smooth mouthfeel. Light yellow tint with aromas of minerals and yeast. Notes of peaches on the palate. Incredible viscosity in this highly polished (daiginjo level) saké almost makes texture more dominant than flavor.
Additional Note: In the mid- to late 60s, Urakasumi Zen was created with the intention of exporting it to France, where Zen Buddhism was becoming popular. Due to a variety of complications, the brewery never ended up exporting the high-end brew to France, but they did release it domestically to enthusiastic praise.
Price: $90/720 ml bottle (10% discount on 4 or more)
 Sougen "Pride of the Samurai"
Brewery: Sougen (est. 1768)
Region: Ishikawa
SMV: +2.5
Type/Polish Ratio:
Junmai/55%
Tasting Notes: Barely golden tint, with a full, grainy, herbal aroma reminiscent of sourdough bread. Soft, light, and thin mouthfeel, yet deep-flavored and rich in umami. This is a saké of substance with a finish that lingers like a pleasant acquaintance.
Additional Note: Our "sake daddy," John Gauntner, has referred to Sougen as "the velvet-covered Mack truck."
Price: $50/720 ml (10% discount on 4 or more)
|
February 19
|
Greetings, Nomidachi!
Though it's nowhere near our birthday, it certainly feels like somebody is gifting us. Many of our most favorite sake in the world are becoming available, and we'd love to introduce them to you.
Also, keep your eyes and ears open about our upcoming event with Seattle sake maker, Cedar River Brewing, on Friday, Feb. 26, (more details next week and on our Facebook page).
We're glad to see that people are slowing coming out of their early year booze hibernation -- just in time for the "zing" of seasonal release unpasteurized namazake.
As ever, thanks so much for your kind support and encouragement, and we look forward to catching up with you at Saké Nomi soon.
Arigato & Kanpai! Johnnie & Taiko |
February 19
|
Spring Seasonal Release Namazake:
Harushika Shiboribana and
Koshi no Homare Shiboritate
Our distributor has alerted us that the ETA on two super popular spring release namazake is about 2-3 weeks out.
The Seattle market allotment for these sake is extremely limited, so it's very important for us to get our order in early to ensure availability.
As such, we strongly encourage you to contact us with your confirmed order by next Friday, Feb. 26.
Of course we'll try to obtain as much of these beauties as we can, and we plan on having limited amounts available to pour by the glass once the shipment hits Seattle.
Here are our notes and pricing information:
Harushika "Spring Deer" Shiboribana Junmai Ginjo
Slight yellow tint, with essence of strawberry and gardenia. Clean and vaguely citrus. Tingly and astringent character, with mineral notes in the somewhat dry finish.
Price: $44/720 ml bottle
(10% discount on 6 or more bottles)
Koshi no Homare Shiboritate Junmai Nama Genshu
Elements of rice and yeast in the nose. Entry is quiet and soft, but then the brashness and boldness of the
genshu (undiluted saké) makes its presence known. A coating, dairy-like, "feel the heat" spread to the finish. Direct and unostentatious; it's all about the character of the local rice.
Price: $40/720 ml bottle
(10% discount on 6 or more bottles)
|
February 19
|
The Return of Urakasumi Zen and Sougen
These are a few of my fav-o-rite things!
 I usually launch into a stutteringly verbose soliloquy about selling only sake we drink ourselves and changing our menu every week to encourage folks to find some new favorites, and how asking me that question is like asking which of my children I love most (She knows, and that's all that's important).
The truth is, I have many favorites, and sometimes I develop "crushes" on sake that last for weeks before I move on to the next new love, but when the former favorites show up on the rotating menu I'm reminded again of why I was so enamored in the first place. It's complicated.
That being said, I have developed somewhat of a "desert island" list of sake of which I never tire and have not ceased to be amazed by their enchanting, transformative powers.
Two such favorites are once again available to us, and we'd like to share them with you. They are:
Urakasumi "Zen"
Brewery: Saura (est. 1724)
Region: Miyagi
SMV: +1
Type/Polish Ratio:
Junmai Ginjo/50%
Tasting Notes: Soft and melting, with wonderfully full, smooth mouthfeel. Light yellow tint with aromas of minerals and yeast. Notes of peaches on the palate. Incredible viscosity in this highly polished (daiginjo level) saké almost makes texture more dominant than flavor.
Additional Note: In the mid- to late 60s, Urakasumi Zen was created with the intention of exporting it to France, where Zen Buddhism was becoming popular. Due to a variety of complications, the brewery never ended up exporting the high-end brew to France, but they did release it domestically to enthusiastic praise.
Price: $90/720 ml bottle (10% discount on 4 or more)
Sougen "Pride of the Samurai"
Brewery: Sougen (est. 1768)
Region: Ishikawa
SMV: +2.5
Type/Polish Ratio:
Junmai/55%
Tasting Notes: Barely golden tint, with a full, grainy, herbal aroma reminiscent of sourdough bread. Soft, light, and thin mouthfeel, yet deep-flavored and rich in umami. This is a saké of substance with a finish that lingers like a pleasant acquaintance.
Additional Note: Our "sake daddy," John Gauntner, has referred to Sougen as "the velvet-covered Mack truck."
Price: $50/720 ml (10% discount on 4 or more)
|
February 11
|
Greetings, Nomidachi!
In addition to some new and uncommon sake we've introduced on this week's tasting menu (Welcome back, Oze no Yukidoke "Omachi!"), there are a couple rare and seasonal arrivals that will be here in time for the weekend that we thought you might be interested in. We hope you'll stop in for a taste soon.
Arigato & Kanpai! Johnnie & Taiko |
February 11
|
New Saké Arrivals
One seasonal and one "revival"
Shichi Hon Yari "Namazake"
Our
first spring "seasonal" release of 2016, past allotments of this sake have been scarce (a couple years back, we only received 5 bottles!) and have sold out very quickly. The nose has a slightly smokey, yeasty nose, with notes of browned bread pastry, tangerine, and even a little mozzarella (according to Jazzy). With a light, soft mouthfeel, it features melon and mellow fruitiness on the palate, with some smoke and earthiness mid-palate and traces of astringency and tartness on the edges and in the finish. Yes, there's a lot going on in this
shiboritate (freshly pressed)
nama genshu (undiluted @ 17-18% alcohol).
Price: $45/720 ml
 Toyo Bijin "Asian Beauty" Junmai Ginjo
This used to be
one of Saké Nomi's most popular selections, however, a couple years back
the brewery was severely damaged in a flood, so the sake became temporarily unavailable. From my notes: "Faint grape notes in the nose. Soft, full mouthfeel, and a subtle acidity that supports and draws out the depth, substantial body, and umami of the saké. Its +15 SMV (Saké Meter Value), a fairly huge number, makes it one of the driest, cleanest saké currently available in the U.S."
Price: $45/720 ml
Both sake will be
available for tasting and purchase from 5 pm Friday, Feb. 12 and throughout the day on Saturday, Feb. 13. If you're unable to stop by, but would like us to reserve a couple bottles for you, please give us a shout.
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