Is there something the Dutch love more than cheese? Besides football I am having a hard time thinking of anything else. So while browsing Instagram I was actually a bit flabbergasted when I saw that there would be a tasting where 2 of my favorite things in this world are being combined: KaaSake. A small event hosted by Sakenomism and Bureau Wijn West in Amsterdam on Sunday the 18th of June.
Sakenomism is an online shop that sells sake run by Sayaka Kawashita. She is WSET 3 Sake certified, something I can recommend everyone doing! She took the time to explain everything there is to know about sake in a fun and interactive way. She brought 4 sake, an umeshu and a yuzushu for this tasting:
- Kinokawa Taru-sake 14%, 75% polishing rate, Futsu-shu
- Bansho Hanegi Shibori 14%, 70 polishing rate
- Kinokawa 13 Tokubetsu Junmai Genshu 13%, 55% polishing rate
- Kinokawa Nigori 15%, 75% polishing rate
- Sakagura no Umeshu 10%
- Umegae Yuzu 8%
All these sake are made in Nagasaki prefecture. As far as I remember, I have never tried sake from that region, so this was already a win in my book. The sake that stood out the most for me, was the Kinokawa 13. It was my favorite of the set, and looking at the alcohol percentage and the style, at first glance, something doesn’t add up. Genshu sake are undiluted sake, and are therefore pretty high in alcohol. According to Sayaka-san, the fermentation was stopped early, so it could be bottled without having to dilute it. Very prominent flavors and mouthfeel, a mix between more fruity flavors, and cereal lactic, and no alcohol burn. Definitely a very good sake!
The other sake were also good as well of course. The Taru sake had very prominent ceder flavours, and also felt pretty sweet. The umeshu was very sweet! Delicious, but maybe a bit too sweet for me. After the tasting it was fun to geek out talking about sake. She will be at the Japan fair in Amstelveen next week, and will be hosting a sake tasting in Amsterdam on the 30th. This tasting made me buy a ticket, and I am very much looking forward to her next tasting!
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