genshu

Episode 139. If you enjoy the sound of ice cubes clinking in a glass, this may be the episode for you! This week, John and Timothy crack open the topic of sake on the rocks!  Pouring sake over ice may not be the norm, but it can be a treat with the right kind of sake... and the right kind of ice.  We'll experiment with tasting our higher alcohol genshu-style sake both on the rocks and straight up to see what works better along with the pros and cons of sake over ice. But all that is just the tip of the iceberg, so sit back, listen in and chill with us as we sip our sake on the rocks.    #SakeRevolution

Episode 113.   A-ha moments are not one and done.  This week, John and Timothy explore a sake brand that was a sake "A-ha 2.0" for them both.  Perhaps a bit less well known in Japan compared to some other so-called cult sakes, Kamikokoro is a brand from Okayama that is winning new fans around the world.  Kamikokoro has harnessed the power of their renowned local fruit - Yume Hakuto White Peaches - to take their sake to the next level.  The Kamikokoro Tokagen Nama sake tasted in this episode uses yeast from the peaches to express a deep and rich fruitiness that steers clear of tropical notes to focus in on stone-fruit and citrus.  And if you're interested in Japanese peach folklore, you'll surely want to first sip some sake and then listen in to our retelling of Momotaro, the legend of the boy born from a peach who teams up with a monkey, dog and pheasant to defeat a bunch of Orge bullies. Lets explore the power of Kamikokoro's peachy sake. hashtag peach emoji!

#SakeRevolution

Episode 105. This week we interview and get to know Wes Konishi the President of the Sake Brewer’s Association of North America. Wes gives us the lowdown on the SBANA and their mission to help with establishing North American sake breweries and advocating for legislative form for the U.S. sake industry. Most of us sake lovers remember a special “A-ha” moment where we discovered the joys of premium sake for the first time, but Wes comes prepared with no less than two “a-has” that cemented his love for sake. Listen in as we discuss the path forward for sake education and sake literacy in the States. You won’t want to miss it!

Episode 103. If you look up "extreme sake" in the dictionary and you may well find a picture of this bottle in there.  We are upping the ante on our quest for extreme sakes this week by introducing a brew with a lot of character... and a lot of fans: Tamagawa Heirloom Yamahai Junmai Genshu from Kinoshita Shuzo out of Kyoto.  The brainchild of UK-born Master Sake Brewer Phillip Harper, this sake is extreme in its deft use of ambient yeast to create a uniquely wild fermentation starter.  Paired with very high alcohol levels and a high acidity to match, this sake pushes the envelope on multiple fronts.  You'd think a sake like this might be a bit of a bull in a china shop, but the Tamagawa brewers have created an elegant, deeply flavored and eminently drinkable extreme sake.  It's not to be missed! #SakeRevolution

Episode 99. Ripening in May each year, Japanese plums have a brief window of being in season.  Brewers take advantage of this delicious fruit to make an ever popular style of sake known as "Ume-shu" a.k.a. plum sake.  We're not talking about sticky and cloyingly sweet chemical plum wine here but rather a lightly sweet, tart and low alcohol elixir that is made by soaking whole plums in premium sake.  These styles of premium umeshu have complexity and go down smooth as silk. John and Timothy dive feet first into the world of plum sake.  And beyond simply tasting, they also look at some easy cocktail recipes that use umeshu as a base.  There is a lot to explore and talk about, so do join us this week as we plumb the depths of all things Umeshu! #sakerevolution

Episode 71. You may have heard that most sake is best consumed young and fresh. But what happens when you come across a sake that is older? What's the deal with sakes that are aged 3 years, 5 years or even over a decade? This week, we're exploring what happens when sake is allowed to age gracefully and become what is known as "koshu".  This type of aged or matured sake is also known as Jukuseishu, and it is only a small percentage of the total sake market.  It does tend to be more expensive as well, but it is an interesting area of sake culture and flavor that is well worth looking into.  In this episode, we're learning-by-tasting and sipping a more traditional expression of koshu - an amber-colored yamahai junmai genshu aged for 12 years produced by the Kanbara brand located in Niigata Prefecture.  Known as "Ancient Treasure" this koshu sake is a perfect example of how delicious, deep and unique flavors can evolve when a suitable style of sake is carefully aged by expert brewers with some time on their hands.  Listen in as John and Timothy taste for themselves how time itself can transform simple sake into a mature masterpiece.

Episode 63. Today brings another "Sake Spotlight" adventure, focusing in on the sake from a specific prefecture. John and Timothy turn their focus up north - way up north - to Hokkaido, Japan's second largest and northern most island.  Famous for its open plains, abundant dairy and frigid winters, Hokkaido is home to just 13 sake breweries.  The largest of these breweries is Otokoyama Shuzo.  Otokoyama means "Man's Mountain" and both sakes tasted today are brewed by this well known sake brewery. Hokkaido is also emerging as a sake rice powerhouse with three new sake rice strains registered since the year 2000 - Ginpu, Suisei and Kitashizuku.  John was a recent pre-pandemic visitor to Hokkaido, so be sure to listen in for his sake bar, ramen and "footwear survival" tips to make the most of your next trip to snowbound Sapporo. See you there!

Season 1. Episode 48.  Genshu is known commonly as the heavy hitter in the world of sake.  Sometimes called "cask strength" or "high alcohol sake", what we are really talking about here is sake that is undiluted with water.  Usually, this gives us a sake clocking in at around 18-20% alcohol.  Most sake is brewed to this level and then water is added at the time of bottling to bring the alcohol level down to about 15%.  When this addition of water is skipped, then we get "genshu".      One misunderstanding about  Genshu is that it is just one thing - namely, a  high alcohol bull in a china shop.  Tim and John discover that Genshu has a lot more nuance than that.  There are both lower and higher alcohol sakes that qualify as Genshu.  For those classic high alcohol sakes, John tries  his on the rocks - a fun way to engage with Genshu.  Whether the alcohol level is high or low, be sure to give genshu sakes a try... Or as genshu  sake brewers say -  dilute another day.

Season 1. Episode 45. Another in our series of U.S. Sake Brewer interviews takes us to Virginia to talk to Andrew Centofante, Toji and Master Brewer of North American Sake Brewery. Andrew told us about his discovery of premium sake in Japan and then, following his home brewing instincts, he soon found himself propagating koji in his attic and fermenting sake mash low and slow in the basement. By 2018, Andrew was out of the basement and had opened his own brewery - the North American Sake Brewery, which is the first and only kura in Virginia.  Taking his cues from the craft brewing industry, Andrew developed some classic sake styles from Superdry to silky super premiums.  Today, we had the honor to phone a brewer-friend to get a guided tasting with Andrew and explore their "Quiet Giant" Genshu, and the lux "Serenity Now!"  Join us as we explore another cool corner of the USA sake scene: North American Sake Brewery with Andrew Centofante.

Season 1. Episode 44. Last week was an exploration of bargain brews, so this week it only seems natural to dip our toes into the world of "bougie brews" - and by that we mean sakes that cost over $80 per bottle.  Now this is an area that is reserved usually for special occasion or holiday sake.  But for us this week, we are discussing the virtues of paying more for that premium sake experience.  

We think it goes without saying that sakes of all prices can be absolutely delicious, but when you get into the realm of the ultra-premium sakes, can you taste a little something... different?  One area where these spendy sips seem to shine is in their texture/mouthfeel.  Extraordinarily silky and velvety textures are the norm at this price point.  It's one trick that the cheaper sakes just can't pull off.  So let's explore the joys of expensive sake and answer the question - is it worth it?!