An unofficial guide to Yamaguchi Prefecture and its nihonshu
I could have sworn that I had posted before about the Kikisake Ressha, which runs from Iwakuni Station up into the mountains along the Nishiki River, ending at Nishiki-cho, but I can't find it, so I guess this is my first! As mentioned, the train follows the course of the Nishiki river, which is Yamaguchi's... Continue Reading →
The official release date of Discovering Yamaguchi Sake is here!
Two more quality josen from Yamaguchi's local sake breweries.
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 →
My blog has been quiet for several months. Various things have come and gone, but much of it is due to a general lack of focus and attention span that could as easily be attributed to age as to the pandemic. But I have not been entirely lax in my work. For, in the shadowy... Continue Reading →
From Left to Right: Chiyomusumi Goriki 50 Junmai Ginjo (Chiyomusubi Shuzo, Tottori); Gassan Junmai Ginjo (Yoshida Shuzo, Shimane); Sake Hitosuji Honjozo (Toshimori Shuzo, Okayama) ; Kamoizumi Junmai (Kamoizumi Shuzo, Hiroshima) ; Gokyo Daiginjo Saito no Shizuku (Sakai Shuzo, Yamaguchi) On Saturday, November 21 the Hiroshima Tax Bureau sponsored an online seminar to show off sake... Continue Reading →
It appears a month has passed since my last post! How time flies. I haven't left sake behind, have no fear, I just seem to have been too busy to blog. But I have my notes, and there are some interesting things to report on. Yamaguchi's "other" famous brand, Toyo Bijin from Sumikawa Shuzo has... Continue Reading →
The other day I dove into the very timely practice of "on-nomi" or online drinking parties. In this time of plague, it's pretty much the only way to get together for drinks these days. I met a few people from all over Japan and the world and my drinks of choice were to aged sakes,... Continue Reading →
My first fresh bottle of sake this year is Taka's Tokubetsu Junmai Jikagumi 60, a fresh Shinshu just for this season. Taka Tokubetsu Junmai Jikagumi, 60 Seimaibuai, Yamaguchi-Grown Yamada Nishiki Another jikagumi! For those who missed it from the Ageo ode, jikagumi sake is bottled directly from a wood press, as yet another variation of... Continue Reading →
The first Monday of 2020 has already passed me by, but I thought I'd make this first post of the year something more meta than another tasting. Because this year promises to be something different from last in many ways, including this sake habit of mine. Good Old Shintani Shuzo To begin with, I'm reaching... Continue Reading →
Yamaguchi Sake 