Tohoku sake

Dinner at Sushi Fuku-Suke.

Hiroki Junmai Ginjo (飛露喜 純米吟醸 生詰) - this sake made by Hiroki Brewery (広木酒造) in Fukushima Prefecture (福島県) was brought by my friend to toast the "Fukushima 50".  A hint of banana with a dry and spicy mid-palate.

Juyondai Junmai Daiginjo Shichitare Nijikkan (十四代 純米大吟醸 七垂二十貫) - made by Takagi Brewery (高木酒造) in Yamagata Prefecture (山形県), Juyondai is one of the top sake brands of Japan.  The bottle I brought was noticeably smoother, and also much sweeter on the palate, with a slightly dry and long, spicy finish.  More full-bodied.

2009 Hakurakusei Zankyo "Super 9" (伯楽星 残響 "Super 9") - made by Shinzawa Brewery (新澤醸造店) in Miyagi Prefecture (宮城県), this sake with a limited production of just 100 bottles is somewhat of a freak.  We've seen many premium sake producers mill the rice grains down to below the statutory requirement of 50% for a daiginjo (大吟醸), and 35% is a pretty common level for some of the very top sake.  This particular sake, however, takes the cake when it comes to overkill on seimaibuai (精米歩合).

It takes 250 hours to polish the rice grains down to just 9% of the original size, resulting in these tiny, round pellets.  Even the rice is special - not your usual Yamada Nishiki (山田錦) but 蔵の華 which has been specially grown in Miyagi for the brewery.

I must admit that I was more than a little tipsy by the time I got to this bottle... but it was even more complex than the Juyondai, very sweet and with a very long finish.  A privilege indeed to have picked up this bottle in Tokyo last year and to be able to drink it.

Full post on dinner is here.