Thanks and notes from BYOS at Ichibe

If you are wondering what 4 bottles were or for other comments and pictures from this meetup, please read this thread, too.


Bring Your Own Sake (BYOS) Tasting ?

Hi Everyone,
It was really good to see everyone at the first Tokyo Sake Meetup B.Y.O.S! Thank you for bringing the sake of your choice. Quite honestly, I was really surprised and happy to find out everyone took the time to think about what to bring for the group and came up with unique bottles to share. Everyone got to taste completely different types of sake from different regions, and to me, it was really interesting to find out how everyone had consistency with their taste in sake when we took the 3 rounds of votes.

Those who could not make it to Ichibee, thank you for managing your RSVP or calling me to make sure I could manage the reservation at the restaurant. It worked out fine.

Special thanks to Carlos who was the host of the night taking a lead to bring everyone together making sure the group is moving forward at the same pace and maintaining the tasting mode. Is it just me who wants to give him the title for this group as The (Commodore? Commander? Which one?), what do you think?

So, here's the list from the evening and what I wrote down on my comment sheet. Hope everyone can go in the message board and add your notes. Looking forward to your comments and to our next meetup.

Thanks
Et-chan@Tokyofoodcast
Your Sake Event Coordinator

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#1, #2, #3
Mystery Sake from Shizuoka
Melinda brought these sake from Robert-Gilles. Robert-Gilles lives in Shizuoka and loves the area so much and his blog sites are all about Shizuoka including sake. I don't know anyone who's more dedicated to their hometown than him! To find out what the three bottles were, please visit Robert Gill's blog at shizuokasake.wordpress.com.

Votes: When the group was asked to pick their favorite out of three, this is the result.
5 votes for #1
3 votes for #2
5 votes for #3

My comments:
#1-light, ricey, smooth, tasty
#2- kind of thin like paper and finish quickly, sour, Jocelyn said ceder aroma, Naomi detected bamboo like aroma
#3-sweet, high in alcohol, firm, heavy, nice texture, my pick out of three

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#4,#5,#6

#4 Maboroshi-no-taki
Brewery: Mikunihare Shuzo
Prefecture: Toyama
Grade: daiginjo
ALC NA
Nihonshudo +4
Acidity 1.2
Amino Acid NA
Rice Yamadanishiki
Seimai Buai 50％

http://www.mabotaki.c...

My comments: has Toyama sake acidity to it, sour, nice, full, clean, my pick out of 4 through 6

#5 Zuiyou Cho karakuchi
Brewery: Zuiyou Shuzo
Prefecture: Kumamoto
Grade: honjozo
ALC 15-16
Nihonshudo +10
Acidity 1.3
Amino Acid NA
Rice Reihou and others
Seimai Buai 70%

http://www.zuiyo.co.j...
My comment: really karakuchi, nice quick finish, goes well with food

#6 Kagatobi Gokkan Junmai Muroka Nama (unfiltered, unpasteurized)
Brewery: Fukumitsuya
Prefecture: Ishikawa
Grade: junmai muroka nama
ALC 17-18
Nihonshudo +6
Acidity 2.2
Amino Acid NA
Rice 25% Yamadanishiki 75% Gohyakumangoku
Seimai Buai 65%

http://www.fukumitsuy...

My comments: I think Todd was planning to bring a bottle from Fukumitsuya, too! my style, sour, firm+full, nice balance

Votes: When the group was asked to pick their favorite out of three, this is the result.
5 votes for #4
2 votes for #5
6 votes for #6


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#7,#8,#9
#7 Aoimeno Samurai
Brewery: PB made by Kagyu in Odawara
Prefecture: Kanagawa
Grade: junmai
Data not available

Sold only in Yokosuka. Blue Eyed Samurai refers to William Adams, as in the TV series in Shogun.
http://www.kagyu.co.j...
Comments: Naomi liked this a lot, full body, nice. This was my pick, too.

#8 Koshi-no Yuki Tsubaki
Brewery: Yukitsubaki Shuzo
Prefecture: Niigata
Grade: junmai ginjo
ALC 15-16
Nihonshudo +3
Acidity 1.3
Amino Acid NA
Rice Yamadanishiki
Seimai Buai 60%

http://www.niigata-sa...

Sounds like this is a boutique brewery in Niigata who make sake in old way-no machines. Wow, Sunao, how did you find this one? Also, Yukitsubaki(snow camellia) is a song by Kobayashi Sachiko?
my comments: very niigataish, sweet, clean, deep, but quick finish. Koshino Kanbai came to my mind.

I will make sure to visit their booth when I go to the Niigata event on 3/16.

#9 Chiyomusubi Junmai Ginjo Fukurotori Shizuku nama(unpasteurized, just from the appearance though, I thought unfiltered)
Brewery: Chiyomusubi
Prefecture: Tottori
Grade: junmai ginjo
ALC 16-17
Nihonshudo +5
Acidity 1.7
Amino Acid NA
Rice Goriki
Seimai Buai 50%

http://www.chukai.ne....

Fukurotori shizuku, I believe, is the final pressing method of hanging a big bag from a vat to filter sake mash.Flickr picture from Chiyomusubi fukurotori http://flickr.com/pho...
my comments: sweet, fruity, nice balance

Votes: When the group was asked to pick their favorite out of three, this is the result.
2 votes for #7
2 votes for #8
10 votes for #9

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#10,#11,#12,!3

#10 Zuiyou Junmai
Brewery: Zuiyou Shuzo
Prefecture: Kumamoto
Grade: junmai
ALC 15-16
Nihonshudo +5
Acidity 1.4
Amino Acid
Rice Reiho andt other
Seimai Buai 65%

http://www.zuiyo.co.j...
my comments: marui

#11 Ski Masamune 2/29 Kuradashi
Brewery: Musashino Shuzo
Prefecture: Nigata
Grade: unknown, honjozo, ginjo, daigin, I thought ginjo
ALC 20
Data not available.

This one was pressed on 2/29, unfiltered (no charcoal filtration or no separation of small particle), undiluted, unpasteurized-pretty much fresh out of the vat. Hazy and sediment in the bottle.

http://www.musashino-...
http://www.musashino-...
my comments; bubbly, hazy, fruity and full umami yet dry, bold,


#12 Nechi Otokoyama Junmai Ginjo Muroka Nama (unfiltered, unpasteurized)
Brewery: Niigata
Prefecture: Watanabe Shuzo
Grade: Junmai Ginjo
ALC 16.9
Nihonshudo +2
Acidity 1.7
Amino Acid
Rice local Gohyaumangoku
Seimai Buai 55%
http://www.nechiotoko...

This kura is located pretty close to #11.
my comments: similar to #11, fruity, full umami, dry rough, raw
Bol also thought this one is similar to #11, a bit more nama feel to it, though.

#13 Tsukino Katsura Yanagi(willow)
Brewery: Masuda Tokube Shoten
Prefecture: Kyoto
Grade: junmai ginjo
ALC 16
Nihonshudo +2
Acidity NA
Amino Acid NA
Rice Yamadanishiki
Seimai Buai 50%

http://www.tsukinokat...
my comments: wow!it's like soft water, clean, well balanced, so nice! When I washed down oyster with a sip of this, it was so nice with the feel of layered soft umami. Bol disagreed and said nothing like champagne with oysters.

Jocelyn said, "Japan in a bottle" to describe this one.

We did not take a vote for this 4, but it seemed to me #13 was everyone's favorite out of four.

Dear gals and lads!
Greetings!
Found out that I was classified as an "inactive member" by the Computer Control of this remarkable Meetup and thought that I would do well to say at least hello to you all in Tokyo!
Sorry, I live too far to carry my sake-full belly to your lairs and hideouts!
Will have to try at least once, though, before I'm removed to Bacchus' Paradise!
In case anyone happens to go through Shizuoka, send me a message and I'll show what it is to be an "inactive member"!
LOL
Cheers,
Robert-Gilles

You, inactive member! Thank you for those 3 great bottles!