If you haven't tried Sake... you should
Discussion
So probably like a few people, I'd tried a small glass of sake in a restaurant and not been too sure about it. Is it a spirit, a wine, when should I drink it etc.etc.
So I decided to buy a case (from the awesome www.tengusake.com ) and have never looked back. It's not actually that strong after all (usually around 15%) and is so refreshing and crisp. I think I like it so much because when I drink wine I tend not to think about it, take a swig and decide if it's nice or not and that's about as much thought that goes into appreciating the flavour. However with sake each taste is so different from what I'm used to it's a real treat.
Of course, it has to be a real treat as the bottles start from about £20.
Here is part of the recent supply, all light and crisp and fresh
So I decided to buy a case (from the awesome www.tengusake.com ) and have never looked back. It's not actually that strong after all (usually around 15%) and is so refreshing and crisp. I think I like it so much because when I drink wine I tend not to think about it, take a swig and decide if it's nice or not and that's about as much thought that goes into appreciating the flavour. However with sake each taste is so different from what I'm used to it's a real treat.
Of course, it has to be a real treat as the bottles start from about £20.
Here is part of the recent supply, all light and crisp and fresh
Edited by kingBadger on Tuesday 7th February 17:45
Edited by kingBadger on Tuesday 7th February 17:46
Edited by kingBadger on Tuesday 7th February 17:49
kingBadger said:
So probably like a few people, I'd tried a small glass of sake in a restaurant and not been too sure about it. Is it a spirit, a wine, when should I drink it etc.etc.
so when do you drink it, and in what context? Big glass, small glass? Room temp, cold? With food, or as a nightcap etc?I've never had it, but your post has piqued my interest enough to try it. But when and how?
Only tried it once at a Japanese restaurant was served fairly warm and was very strong. was like drinking vicks vapour rub. didnt care for it and was told the stuff we had was about 90 proof although i cant confirm that. all i know it was hot , strong and horrible. i opted for a pint of sapporo beer .. that was crap too. give me a bottle of yorkshire terrier ale anyday. but each to their own . just didnt like it at all.
Serve as hot as tea thats has been left to stand for 5 minutes in a Pottery tumbler.
Unfortunately it reminds me of a stag party i went to in Japan. The game was to drink the Sake without using your hands. All the Japanese got stuck in but unfortunately they shared the same shot glass so by the time it had been in and out of the fourth person it was a big thick gloopy syruppy mess. I politely declined and suggested we move on to darts! Later that night i did eat raw horsemeat though!
Unfortunately it reminds me of a stag party i went to in Japan. The game was to drink the Sake without using your hands. All the Japanese got stuck in but unfortunately they shared the same shot glass so by the time it had been in and out of the fourth person it was a big thick gloopy syruppy mess. I politely declined and suggested we move on to darts! Later that night i did eat raw horsemeat though!
It's interesting to see so many people being told to drink it warm. In my experience it's the not very good ones that you warm up. On the website I buy from it says whether a particular sake can be drunk warm or not, I've tried it and it's nice... but I feel like you're losing something about the crispness and purity.
As for taste, the thing is that's it's like nothing else so very difficult to compare. I love wine and to me a beautiful crisp Chablis is almost unbeatable and that's the sort of sake I like. Although it's nothing like wine, it's more like a very pure water with a strong spirit in it. (There is often a sort of musky mushroomy sort of taste, I guess from the fact it's made of rice, but don't let this put you off.)
As for drinking it in a ceramic cup, sod that, wine glass for me! And I think because it tastes so unique you only want to put a small amount in your glass so you can really savour it. I'll drink it as an alternative to wine as it's only slightly stronger and never seems to make me feel as sloshed as wine does.
Bloody hell, I do hope at least someone tries a bottle and gets it as much as I do as I'm doing a completely terrible job of describing it.
If anyone wants to try then I think these could be a good starter although they do have a page where you can choose the sort of tastes you like and it'll narrow down the results.
http://www.tengusake.com/product/tatenokawa-50/
http://www.tengusake.com/product/konishi-silver/
"Light-bodied, smooth with a gentle impact due to the lower 14% alcohol content. A fragrance of fresh fruit – melon and candied pears – is perfectly balanced by the subtle flavour, structure and style of this sake. Perfect chilled as an aperitif or enjoyed with lighter foods like clams in white wine, ceviche, grilled asparagus. A cracking sake for beginners and the uninitiated."
As for taste, the thing is that's it's like nothing else so very difficult to compare. I love wine and to me a beautiful crisp Chablis is almost unbeatable and that's the sort of sake I like. Although it's nothing like wine, it's more like a very pure water with a strong spirit in it. (There is often a sort of musky mushroomy sort of taste, I guess from the fact it's made of rice, but don't let this put you off.)
As for drinking it in a ceramic cup, sod that, wine glass for me! And I think because it tastes so unique you only want to put a small amount in your glass so you can really savour it. I'll drink it as an alternative to wine as it's only slightly stronger and never seems to make me feel as sloshed as wine does.
Bloody hell, I do hope at least someone tries a bottle and gets it as much as I do as I'm doing a completely terrible job of describing it.
If anyone wants to try then I think these could be a good starter although they do have a page where you can choose the sort of tastes you like and it'll narrow down the results.
http://www.tengusake.com/product/tatenokawa-50/
http://www.tengusake.com/product/konishi-silver/
"Light-bodied, smooth with a gentle impact due to the lower 14% alcohol content. A fragrance of fresh fruit – melon and candied pears – is perfectly balanced by the subtle flavour, structure and style of this sake. Perfect chilled as an aperitif or enjoyed with lighter foods like clams in white wine, ceviche, grilled asparagus. A cracking sake for beginners and the uninitiated."
Edited by kingBadger on Tuesday 7th February 15:01
Digger said:
OP would be interested in your thoughts once you get to try your selections? Are you generally a wine consumer?
The bottles in the photo are ones that I've bought before and know I like, all quite crisp and light and pure tasting. I do drink wine a few nights a week and yet the evening that Mrs kingBadger and I choose a bottle of Sake instead are much more exciting, sometimes we even pour it into glasses instead of necking it from the bottle.evilmunkey said:
Only tried it once at a Japanese restaurant was served fairly warm and was very strong. was like drinking vicks vapour rub. didnt care for it and was told the stuff we had was about 90 proof although i cant confirm that. all i know it was hot , strong and horrible. i opted for a pint of sapporo beer .. that was crap too. give me a bottle of yorkshire terrier ale anyday. but each to their own . just didnt like it at all.
Yes that's exactly what I thought it was before I tried it recently... basically a sort of Japanese strong spirit. There may be different types?Never really paid enough attention to what the bottles were however have drank several bottles both warm and cold in various Japanese / Asian fusion places. To be honest sends me loopy - not a nice beer / wine drunk but closer to an out of control drunk... Maybe I'm drinking the wrong stuff.
Shaoxter said:
Haven't liked any sake or soju I've tried, and I've been to Japan/Korea.
They seem like a half hearted version of a proper spirit, but without the taste you get in red wines...
Same here. They seem like a half hearted version of a proper spirit, but without the taste you get in red wines...
Bought a small bottle of Sake to keep in the apartment whilst in Japan and they only way we could finish was by mixing it in to fresh orange juice
The temperature at which you drink sake and the size of the vessel you drink it from depends on the glutonisity of the sake itself, which in Japan is displayed as a chart on the back of the bottle (also normally with a temperature range chart).
The more the rice is ground down, the less glutonous and the dryer the sake becomes and this also affects the clasification. Higher ground levels cost more and are drunk slightly chilled or even chilled like white wine. These are drunk from masu (the square 180ml boxes) or wine glasses. Only warm sake is drunk from the ochoko (egg cup sized vesssel). For a 60%+ ground away sake with no added brewers alcohol (junmai daiginjo) you can expect to pay £60+ for a 720ml bottle, or £100--> for a traditional 1.4l sized bottle. It's normally only the cheap sake you need to warm.
By warming, BTW, it should only be body temperature. One Japanese trick i was told was to dip a finger in to the waming sake, touch the person next to you, and if they are the same temperature then it's ready to drink. Note even in Japan it's common to over heat the sake.
BTW cheers for the Tengu Sake link (it's .com not .co.uk btw) - since Oriental City closed I've only been getting my bottles from Japan Centre.
The more the rice is ground down, the less glutonous and the dryer the sake becomes and this also affects the clasification. Higher ground levels cost more and are drunk slightly chilled or even chilled like white wine. These are drunk from masu (the square 180ml boxes) or wine glasses. Only warm sake is drunk from the ochoko (egg cup sized vesssel). For a 60%+ ground away sake with no added brewers alcohol (junmai daiginjo) you can expect to pay £60+ for a 720ml bottle, or £100--> for a traditional 1.4l sized bottle. It's normally only the cheap sake you need to warm.
By warming, BTW, it should only be body temperature. One Japanese trick i was told was to dip a finger in to the waming sake, touch the person next to you, and if they are the same temperature then it's ready to drink. Note even in Japan it's common to over heat the sake.
BTW cheers for the Tengu Sake link (it's .com not .co.uk btw) - since Oriental City closed I've only been getting my bottles from Japan Centre.
dapprman said:
The temperature at which you drink sake and the size of the vessel you drink it from depends on the glutonisity of the sake itself, which in Japan is displayed as a chart on the back of the bottle (also normally with a temperature range chart).
The more the rice is ground down, the less glutonous and the dryer the sake becomes and this also affects the clasification. Higher ground levels cost more and are drunk slightly chilled or even chilled like white wine. These are drunk from masu (the square 180ml boxes) or wine glasses. Only warm sake is drunk from the ochoko (egg cup sized vesssel). For a 60%+ ground away sake with no added brewers alcohol (junmai daiginjo) you can expect to pay £60+ for a 720ml bottle, or £100--> for a traditional 1.4l sized bottle. It's normally only the cheap sake you need to warm.
By warming, BTW, it should only be body temperature. One Japanese trick i was told was to dip a finger in to the waming sake, touch the person next to you, and if they are the same temperature then it's ready to drink. Note even in Japan it's common to over heat the sake.
BTW cheers for the Tengu Sake link (it's .com not .co.uk btw) - since Oriental City closed I've only been getting my bottles from Japan Centre.
Thanks for the smart information, I can't wait to try the wet finger testThe more the rice is ground down, the less glutonous and the dryer the sake becomes and this also affects the clasification. Higher ground levels cost more and are drunk slightly chilled or even chilled like white wine. These are drunk from masu (the square 180ml boxes) or wine glasses. Only warm sake is drunk from the ochoko (egg cup sized vesssel). For a 60%+ ground away sake with no added brewers alcohol (junmai daiginjo) you can expect to pay £60+ for a 720ml bottle, or £100--> for a traditional 1.4l sized bottle. It's normally only the cheap sake you need to warm.
By warming, BTW, it should only be body temperature. One Japanese trick i was told was to dip a finger in to the waming sake, touch the person next to you, and if they are the same temperature then it's ready to drink. Note even in Japan it's common to over heat the sake.
BTW cheers for the Tengu Sake link (it's .com not .co.uk btw) - since Oriental City closed I've only been getting my bottles from Japan Centre.
FredAstaire said:
I'm not much of a white wine fan tbh, much prefer red.
So what Sake should I try to start?
All the Sake I've had has been sort of similar to white wine, the crispness and freshness of it is very much a white taste compared to red. You might want to try this guide? http://www.tengusake.com/category/sake/So what Sake should I try to start?
The one I recommended earlier was described as "A cracking sake for beginners and the uninitiated." - but like I said, it's kind of white wineish so it may not be your cup of tea.
http://www.tengusake.com/product/tatenokawa-50/
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