CHANGSTAR: Audiophile Headphone Reviews and Early 90s Style BBS
Non-Audio Stuff => Food and Drink => Topic started by: Marvey on April 27, 2015, 05:35:21 AM
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Hakushu Single Malt Japanese whiskey, 12 years.
Slightly smokey. Has hints of Sapporo beer aftertaste, which can either be a good or bad thing. Pairs best with Asian salty foods of mild flavor. Plate of rice with ground pork, preserved cucumbers, stir-fried cabbage, and fried egg on top. Only missing Takuan (Japanese pickled daikon). Nothing special, just a Taiwanese "home" dish. I needed something to go with the whiskey.
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Hmm...not a fan of that Sapporo aftertaste myself.
I did love your Hibiki and I hear the latest Yamazaki won some notable stuff like Scotch of the Year?
Hibiki is the only Scotch or Whisky that I've had that is smooth and mellow enough to eat with Sushi Nigiri.
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I liked the Hibiki better. I know - the Sapporo aftertaste thing...
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Was expecting
https://maskofreason.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/grudge.jpg
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Rumor has it that the Hibiki may have a percentage of whiskey aged in plum wine barrels but it is so subtle and judiciously applied if true. Just a nice, pretty whiskey in an equally attractive bottle. :)
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Rumor has it that the Hibiki may have a percentage of whiskey aged in plum wine barrels but it is so subtle and judiciously applied if true. Just a nice, pretty whiskey in an equally attractive bottle. :)
I don't doubt it. I was reading about Yamazaki and how Suntory brought true Scotch making to Japan after studying it in Scotland due Japan almost poisoning itself trying to make it from scratch after Perry arrived. The Japanese will go to any lengths to attempt perfect refinement.
https://www.yahoo.com/food/how-a-japanese-chemist-sparked-a-whiskey-empire-117087317643.html (https://www.yahoo.com/food/how-a-japanese-chemist-sparked-a-whiskey-empire-117087317643.html)
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Rumor has it that the Hibiki may have a percentage of whiskey aged in plum wine barrels but it is so subtle and judiciously applied if true. Just a nice, pretty whiskey in an equally attractive bottle. :)
That would definitely explain the subtle sweetness to it. I posted a tiny bit in the Scotch thread about my experience with the Yamazaki and the Hibiki, not realizing there was a dedicated Japanese spirit thread.
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Not really a spirit (with the exception of shochu, I guess), but does anybody here like sake? My exposure to it is rather limited, but I've had a couple of unfiltered drinks, and have found that it is preferable to most quality wines, with a sweetness that rivals the majority of sweeter red wines, but a flavour that is entirely unique to drinks made from ingredients not found in other brewed or distilled beverages.
I absolutely enjoyed the one or two varieties I've had and I look forward to trying others after my current adventures in beer and spirits have been concluded. Or at least until they have gone on hiatus.
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Yes, I love Miyosakae Tenmi which I was introduced to by CeeTee. After visiting Japan I have yet to find a better sake.
(http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0071/7872/products/02968L_1024x1024.jpg?v=1395904751)
I don't drink much wine, but do appreciate its complementary nature with more Mediterranean foods. What sake offers over wine to me is greater clarity, neutrality, subtlety and more umami (savory) sensation. A good 'cheap' sake that excels in umami is Ozeki Platinum.
(http://berkeley.nanayiro.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/IMG_2793.jpg)
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I'll have to take a look at both of those after I finish my most recent beer and spirits kick. If you're in the northest United States, what can I expect, as far as price is concerned?
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Here in Commiefornia, about $100 for the Miyosakae, $7-$8 for a small bottle of Platinum. If you can find this small bottle on sale for the same or less than the Platinum, give it a try. More fruity than the Platinum with more bouquet, but less umami.
Gekkeikan Horin Junmai Daiginjo
(http://www.lcbo.com/content/dam/lcbo/products/603837.jpg/jcr:content/renditions/cq5dam.web.1280.1280.jpeg)
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Ah sake...I do love it. Not as complex as wine, but when done well it can be: fruity, marshmallowy, yeasty, or floral. (After lots of tastings, those are the categories I made up myself.)
Breweries I love: Masumi, Daishichi, Born. If you go with a sake from them, you should not be disappointed. :)p1
Yes- that Miyosakae Tenbi is toasted marshmallow with a hint of mint and has fantastic concentration for a sake. Beautiful bottle as well.
If you are in San Francisco, stop by True Sake on Hayes Street. Pick up a CAN of Narutotai Nama Genshu. Most sakes are double-pasteurized to make them shelf-stable. This is not. So it has to be temp controlled (along with arabishiris) on the flight from Japan. Thick, sweet, delicious. Loses nose and a little "roundness" the next day.
For umami: Kenbishi brewery, "Mizuho". Crazy, big, kind of oxidized yeastiness that is strange and strangely satisfying.
Great intro all-rounder/easy-drinker? Masumi "Okuden Katsukuri" or Mizbasho "Water Flower".
Points to consider: these change with temperature, colder beverages are not sensed as sweetly. As it warms, you'll get more on the nose and the palate. I actually swish certain sakes and warming plus dousing the tongue helps unlock and try to amplify flavors. In general, good sakes are softer than white wines even. Flavors are more delicate, unless the yeasty one goes into "cat pee" territory.
One last thing: Friends don't let friends drink Sho Chiku Bai. :gross:
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Here's the Mizbasho (http://www.artisanwinedepot.com/Mizbasho_Water_Flower_Ginjo_Sake_720_mL_Gunma_p/s-mizbashoginjo720.htm) at a local place (with three locations).
Here's True Sake (http://www.truesake.com) where you can price things out and a TON of educational stuff from Beau Timken (first guy to open an only sake shop in US).
True Sake ships what can be shipped without refrigeration and his newsletters are little classes on sake with a special code at the end for a sake of the month discount.
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Hakushu Single Malt Japanese whiskey, 12 years.
Great choice, not with fame and few heard about it.
I ordered one shipped to hotel at Tokyo, so that my friend and I can drink every night when we finish our day.
Totally worth the money.
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^In Japan, you can buy chocolate bars that have the real thing inside. Delicious. Couple of weeks ago fellow campers surprised me by having The Hakushu in a flask.
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Well, I found a story that has Hibiki Harmony in stock, planning on getting a bottle later this week. should be a nice way to unwind after the crazy week I have lined up at work.
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Bad news, they were out of Hibiki. Good news, they had Yamazaki 12 year single malt. It's not the sweetest whiskey I've ever had, but it's extremely smooth and easy to drink. Definitely worth the cash.