The Sake Shop recently had a complimentary sake tasting featuring three seasonal nama sakes.  You can only get these sakes once a year during the spring and they are limited editions.

The first sake was Harushika “Shiboribana”

Made by the Harushika brewery in Nara this sake was refreshing with a hint of strawberries.  It is slightly dry with a mild bite at the end.  With it being very light I would pair this with sashimi or sushi.  If you like fruity flavors, you could drink this by itself. 

The next sake was Kamikokoro “Tokagen”

This sake comes from the Kamikokoro brewery in Okayama (home of the fabled Momotaro).  This unique sake has a creamy, fruity flavor.  Very smooth, with a little bit of body to it, but not really heavy.  I think this would pair well with grilled or fried foods.  Although you could try it with spicy foods, I think spicy foods would overwhelm the fruity flavors in the sake. 

Finally, there was Ichinokura “Nama Genshu Nigori”

This sake is made by Ichinokura brewery in Miyagi.  This sake is not just a nama sake but a nigori as well meaning its unfiltered.  Hence it’s cloudy appearance in the glass.  It has a creamy, candy flavor almost like a starburst.  I would have to say that this is a borderline “girly” sake.  You could try this with fruit dishes and desserts.  Some salty foods might actually make this sake more interesting and bring out more flavors in the sake.  If you are adventurous, try it with some breakfast dishes.  Use caution though, the alcohol content on this sake is 18.5%.

Check out more from the sake tasting at Lalalinzy!

Thanks again to Malcolm and Nadine for another great tasting!

Be sure to check them out:

The Sake Shop

1461 S. King Street

Honolulu, HI 96814

(808) 947-7253

http://sakeshophawaii.com