Two outstanding low priced rice wines this winter Feb 2011

Shikizakura shiboritate namazake taka(?)zake

In this posting I will let you know about 2 fantastic sake brands that are an incredible deal. If happen to come across either of these, they will be worth your while to pick up.  The first one is by Shikisakura, from Gunma Prefecture, and is this year's shiboritate (newly pressed), they actually press the sake through a kind of screen when removing the solid lees from the clear liquid that we all love to drink.  This one has some body to it but not overbearing.  It's easy on the palate with a slight acidity balanced with just the right amount of sweetness.  On its own or with food, this is an outstanding sake and only 1,000yen.  For the quality of this brew, it's a steal!  I was able to get a bottle at Marui Department Store in Shiki, I actually went back to the store and bought another bottle.  It's that good!

The other brew(BELOW PICTURE) that I would like to share with you is from Takashimizu from Akita prefecture.  It's also a hatsushibori, new pressing sake. This is also a wonderful brew at an unbelievable price, around 1.000 yen.  It starts off lightly sweet and then the flavor just dissipates off your tongue quickly without any aftertaste, which makes you want to take another sip and then another.  Before you know it, the bottle is almost empty.  As with the Shikisakura, during the past week, I have picked up 2 bottles of this and the 2nd is almost empty.   This sake also is great alone or with snacks, especially light ones.  Thank you to the brewers at Shikisakura(四季桜） and Takashimizu（高清水） for putting out such a wonderful product!  Kanpai!

Takashimizu Shinshu hatsushibori

Japanese Craft-coffee roasting

Frontier Coffee Shop:   03-3957-3339
Itabashi-ku, Ooyama-cho 18-1
173-0023 東京都板橋区大山町18番１号
(Tobutojo Line-Ooyama station)

Traditionally, retail shops in Japan tended to specialize on one product and develop the skills and expertise to ensure the quality of that product. Walk down any shopping street (商店街）if you can find one, and each shop on the street will specialize on one thing-butcher, fish monger, fruit and vegetable stand, senbei, tea, and even coffee.

Most people don't associate high quality coffee with Japan, but in fact some of the best beans in the world are imported into Japan.  Consistent with the Japanese attention to detail in many traditional crafts, such as sword making, sake brewing, and carpentry, is coffee roasting.

The best coffee I have ever had is from this shop, Frontier, in Oyama on the Tobu Tojo line. It's the place that I always go to get the coffee that I grind at home.  What makes this coffee so delicious is that the owner orders quality beans and then roasts them almost daily, just right, a medium roast for most beans, though there are  dark roasted ones as well.  It is absolutely the best coffee I have ever had and surprisingly enough, it's actually cheaper than the coffee that you find in most department stores.  Moreover, the shop is clean and well maintained.  Oddly enough, the top of the sign says "Coffee Warehouse" but "Gourmet Coffee " would be more appropriate.  This shop is well worth visiting if you are a coffee aficionado. 

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The coffee beans on display, organized by blend type or country of origin

Mr. Matsuoka, friendly owner of the, shop with his Cleveland Indians cap

The roasting machine

California Zinfandel



Peachy Canyon Zinfandel




Cartlidge& Brown Zinfandel



Layer Cake & Longhop Shiraz

Rosenblum Zinfandel

One of the things that I enjoy having while visiting the US is American Zinfandel, which happens to be my favorite American red.  There are a number of good Zinfandels that I can get at the Dekalb Farmer's Market and I will attempt to describe the flavors of these that I selected.  I also included 2 Aussie Shirazes for comparison purposes.  I tend to have more Australian Shirazu in Tokyo because it's also very tasty and more readily available. 

To begin with, the Rosenblum Cellars Zin contains hints of blackberry, casis and plumb.  It is slightly rich, but not overpowering.  Next, the Peachy Canyon reminds me of strawberry, cranberry, and apple.  It has a young and fresh flavor.  In addition, the Cartlidge contains a little more bitterness than the other 2.  The flavor contains ripe plum, black cherry and bits of young parsimmon. Lastly, the Layercake Shiraz has a richer and more  wooden flavor.  It reminds me of chocolate, spice, and black cherry.  As for the Longhop, it is also a rich shiraz with more jucy flavors.  It contains hints of cherry, melon, and pear.   Bottoms Up!

Sipping Sake in Atlanta, Georgia

Iwanoii junmai ginjou nama

Chitosetsuru junmai daiginjo

Yamasenmasamune junmaiginjo nama genshu

These are 3 different sake that I brought back to my hometown, Atlanta, Georgia from Tokyo. They are Iwanoii, from Chiba Prefecture (my favorite sake), Chitosetsuru, from Sapporo in Hokkaido, and Yamasenmasamune from Shimane Prefecture. All 3 sakes have their own unique characteristics and I will attempt to explain the different flavors or each brew.

To start with, Iwanoii has soft fruity impact with hints of vanila and cream soda, but ever so slight. Not nearly as sweet as the real thing. Next, Chitosetsuru is a rather dry sake with a pear or parsimon like flavor. Lastly, Yamasen masamune is a high impact sake with considerable body, due to its higher alcohol content. The sake contains hints of apple juce in it's flavor profile.