An unofficial guide to Yamaguchi Prefecture and its nihonshu
Why, yes! I do, still have a blog! I am a documented fan of futsushu, the humble king of Japan's sake industry. This reasonably priced, mass-market sake might not get a lot of headlines, but it still accounts for over 60% of all the sake made and sold in Japan. Many--most--sake breweries make futsushu as... Continue Reading →
I was sorely tempted to title this review "And now for something completely different" but I'm trying to avoid cliches. Anyway, this is... Something completely different. Joker Bourbon Barrel, Seimeibuai 70%, Alcohol 30% Joker is from Murashige Shuzo, the Iwakuni kura responsible for the very good Kinkan Kuromatsu sake label, but I would hesitate to... Continue Reading →
On January 19, I was finally able to get a sake tasting class together, after two failed attempts last fall. 6 drinkers gathered at Kokushu 国酒 in Shunan, Yamaguchi, where we tried a total of for sakes, before going on a tour of nearby Hatsumomiji Shuzo. Kokushu is a sake specialty izakaya with a great... Continue Reading →
Saturday, October 27th was Shunan city's 2nd annual Jizake Yokocho local sake Fair. 16 sakagura from all over Yamagata were there offering their wares, including some rarities I've never seen anywhere locally. A group of friends and I went to give our lovers a workout, and it was pure fun. None of the kura were... Continue Reading →
This sake is from Murashige Shuzo, more commonly known for their brand Kinkan Kuromatsu. It's another Iwakuni sake with a reputation for winning awards and making good sake, though it's still overshadowed by Gokyo and (of course) Dassai. I've had Kinkan Kuromatsu a few times at events and restaurants, but this was my first time... Continue Reading →
Yamaguchi Sake 