Posts Tagged ‘World Cuisines’

Shizuoka Shochu Tasting; Senju Brewery/Distillery-Wa Ran Nadeshiko/Sho-Chu Carnation

December 10, 2012

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Senju Brewery in Iwata City is one of the ten sake breweries which also produce shochu in Shizuoka Prefecture.
Their shochu are only of the rice/kome variety but they do come with some rare treats!

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This particular shochu is a rare rice shochu limited to one hundred bottles of a shochu which took no less than 8 years to mature!

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The bottle with its cute pink squarish glass design is beautiful but the shochu is of the fiery variety at 43 degrees!

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But it was certainly worth the 8-year wait!

Rice shochu
Alcohol: 43 degrees
Matured for 8 years. Bottled end of 2012

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Transparent

Aroma: Light and pleasant. Hints of flowers. Alcohol
Body: Fluid
Taste: Strong attack with very pleasant and fine petillant bubbling on the palate.
Very clean and flowery taste..
Strong but elegant.
Complex and difficult to catch. Plays cat and mouse over the palate enticing you to the next sip.
Hints of pears, flowers and apple.
Strong alcohol tends to surprise you more and more sip by sip.

Overall: Very strong but elegant shochu!
Extravagant in concept and maturing.
Best drunk chilled and straight or on the rocks at the very limit. Otherwise you kill the baby by losing many fleeting aspects.
Best appreciated as a (dangerous) nightcap.
For lovers of heady drinks anywhere in the world, be you a lady or gentleman!
And the design of the bottle is so lovely in a twisted square taping tower made of tinted pink glass!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Kraemer’s Culinary blog by Frank Kraemer in New York,Tokyo Food File by Robbie Swinnerton, Green Tea Club by Satoshi Nihonyanagi in Shizuoka!, Mind Some by Tina in Taiwan, Le Manger by Camille Oger (French), The Indian Tourist, Masala Herb by Helene Dsouza in Goa, India, Mummy I Can Cook! by Shu Han in London, Pierre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento, Hapabento, Kitchen Cow, Lunch In A Box, Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Ohayo Bento,

Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Good Beer & Country Boys, Another Pint, Please!, Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in kanzai by Nevitt Reagan!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

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Shizuoka Shochu Tasting: Takashima Distillery-Brewery: Dai Ippoh

June 5, 2012

Takashima Brewery in Numazu City does not brew only superlative Japanese sake but also distill some incredibly extravagant rice shochu as well!
Their latest jewel is Dai Ippoh!

When you look at the simple calligraphic design you will understand it represents the nearby Mount Fuji!

Dai Ippoh/第壱峰 (old-style calligraphy) means “The First Peak”!

Alcohol: 25 degrees
Ingredients: Rice and rice malt

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Transparent
Aroma: Almost sweetish and spicy. Alcohol. Rice.
Body: Fluid
Taste: At first sweetish and complex attack.
Dry dark cherries.
Turns quickly drier.
Does not linger long in mouth or under palate.
Very clean, elegant and fruity approach.
Alcohol impact relatively soft with fruits appearing with each new sip.

Overall: A very elegant rice shochu which should be drunk on its own first at room temperature without ice or water for a true appreciation and taste discovery.
All the qualities and more of a superlative rice shochu.
Varies little with food.
At the most pour it over a lot of ice but there is no reason to mix with anything!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Tokyo Food File by Robbie Swinnerton, Green Tea Club by Satoshi Nihonyanagi in Shizuoka!, Mind Some by Tina in Taiwan, Le Manger by Camille Oger (French), The Indian Tourist, Masala Herb by Helene Dsouza in Goa, India, Mummy I Can Cook! by Shu Han in London, Pierre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, 47 Japanese Farms Through The Eyes of Its Rural Communities, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento,Adventures in Bento Making, American Bent, Beanbento, Bento No, Bento Wo Tsukurimashou, Cooking Cute, Eula, Hapabento , Happy Bento, Jacki’s Bento Blog, Kitchen Cow, Leggo My Obento, Le Petit Journal Bento & CO (French), Lunch In A Box,
Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, The Herbed Kitchen, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Cooking Cute, Timeless Gourmet, Bento Bug, Ideal Meal, Bentosaurus, Mr. Foodie (London/UK), Ohayo Bento,

Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Good Beer & Country Boys, Another Pint, Please!, Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in kanzai by Nevitt Reagan!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

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Shizuoka Shochu Tasting: Chestnuts Shochu-Onozukara Mizukara by Fujinishiki Distillery

March 5, 2012

Fujinishiki Brewery/Distillery in Fujinomiya City is remarkable for the fact they are the such establishment in Shizuoka Prefecture to own the largest number of licenses to produce sake, shochu and liqueurs!
Not only do they have the licenses but they are also very active in promoting the products of our Prefecture!
This time they have just created a shochu with their own sake lees/sake kasu and chestnuts grown in Kakegawa City!

Note the simple and cute chestnut design on the presentation box!

Chestnuts Shochu-Onozukara Mizukara by Fujinishiki Distillery

Made from distilled rice (sake lees) and chestnuts
Alcohol: 25 degrees

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Transparent
Aroma: Mild attack with a late alcohol surge. Fruity. Chestnuts, oranges, faint banana
Body: Light and fluid
Taste: Beautiful attack with plenty of chestnuts backed up by very pleasant alcohol.
Refreshing.
Faint oranges appear later on the palate.
First tasting conducted straight.
Blends well with water for a deep and smooth but light approach.
Very refreshing with ice or water or chilled carbonated water.

Overall: A discovery!
A very refreshing shochu that can be enjoyed all year round.
Best drunk very slowly on its own over ice.
Great as a long drink, too!
Very elegant and distinctly fruity.
Could definitely used in desserts and ice creams!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Mummy I Can Cook! by Shu Han in London
Pierre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, 47 Japanese Farms Through The Eyes of Its Rural Communities, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento,Adventures in Bento Making, American Bent, Beanbento, Bento No, Bento Wo Tsukurimashou, Cooking Cute, Eula, Hapabento , Happy Bento, Jacki’s Bento Blog, Kitchen Cow, Leggo My Obento, Le Petit Journal Bento & CO (French), Lunch In A Box,
Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, The Herbed Kitchen, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Cooking Cute, Timeless Gourmet, Bento Bug, Ideal Meal, Bentosaurus, Mr. Foodie (London/UK), Ohayo Bento,

Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Good Beer & Country Boys, Another Pint, Please!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

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Shizuoka Shochu Tasting: Bandai Brewery-Wasabi Shochu!

March 5, 2012

Shizuoka Prefecture produces not only 80% of all wasabi grown in Japan, it is also the home of the only true wasabi shochu!
True to say, one cannot make shochu out of wasabi only as it does not contain starch to help the fermentation and distillation, but Bandai Brewery in Shuzenji, Izu Peninsula, concocted it with 75% of top-class rice shochu made from the sake lees of their own sake and 25% of pure essence of wasabi grown in Izu Peninsula!

More precisely, the wasabi is grown on the Amagi Plateau/Amagi Kougen/天城高原 in the northern part of the Peninsula.
At the same time Bandai Brewerry uses pure source water gushing from the Plateau to brew its sake and shochu!

Although it is a true shochu in concept mixed with wasabi essence, Bandai Brewery advertizes it as a sake or liqueur!
It might explain the choice of bottle, a bit unusual for shochu, but easy to handle and store!

Bandai Brewery-Wasabi Sake/Wasabi Shochu

Rice shochu: 75%
Wasabi essence: 25%
Water: Natural source water from Amagi Plateau
Alcohol: 20 degrees

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Transparent
Aroma: Sweetish. Rice, wasabi, faint notes of banana
Body: fluid
Taste: Softer attack than expected.
Very sophisticated, as complex as a sake!
Pleasant and soft wasabi flavor. Almost a liqueur without the sugar and the cloy aftertaste!
No piquancy at all.
Faint notes of bananas appearing later as it disappears quickly warming up the back of the palate.

Overall: A discovery!
A shochu? Yes!
The fact it is made in the simplest manner possible, that is a high quality rice shochu blended with pure wasabi essence makes it both sophisticated and extravagant.
Its comparatively low alcohol content, 20 degrees, makes it eminently drinkable as it is without any ice, water or whatever!
Most appreciated straight at room temperature.
Could definitely be served as a heady and mysterious aperitif!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

With a Glass,
Clumsyfingers by Xethia
Adventures in Bento Making, American Bento, Beanbento, Bento No1, Bento Wo Tsukurimashou, Cooking Cute, Eula, Hapabento , Happy Bento, Jacki’s Bento Blog, Kitchen Cow, Leggo My Obento, Le Petit Journal Bento & CO (French), Lunch In A Box, My Bento Box, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, The Herbed Kitchen, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat; Bento Lunch Blog (German); Adventures In Bento; Anna The Red’s Bento Factory; Cooking Cute; Timeless Gourmet; Bento Bug; Ideal Meal; Bentosaurus; Mr. Foodie (London/UK); Ohayo Bento

Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Good Beer & Country Boys, Another Pint, Please!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

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Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

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