NOVEMBER 23: Celebratory Feasts (Tsuchida Kimoto & Tsukinokatsura Iwai)

It’s undeniable: Portland is getting colder, wetter, and cozier by the day. I went to the Japanese Garden a week ago and couldn’t help but photograph the same trees I’ve captured countless times before. At the shop, I turn on the sake warmer as soon as I get in, and make myself a pot of tea. I’m experimenting with an Oden Tuesdays tradition, too: an affordable, low-lift way to serve lots of people. And I have to say, more than having a packed house on a Tuesday, it feels really good to hand a hot cup of sake to someone coming in from the cold, bundled in jackets. The look of relief and comfort as they grasp the warm ceramic is infectious. To me, this is the beauty of the cold season: coming in from the cold and gathering in groups– what a joy. In an extremely difficult political and social moment, this joy brings brightness to dark days.

This spirit inspired the selections for November. Food friendliness, of course: these bottles will pair beautifully with any harvest dinner you put together. Whether vegan, against soft cooked pumpkin, hojicha rice pudding  or roasted maitake mushroom, or a full-fledged omnivore’s feast with game at center… they will thrive. Both bottles also permit experimentation with warming (maybe your preferred temp will be different from my own), and both are Sunflower exclusives in Oregon. And the name of the sake, Iwai— which means celebration-– certainly feels appropriate. 

MASUDA TOKUBEE SHOTEN, TSUKI NO KATSURA JUNMAI “IWAI 80”

Masuda Tokubee-san pouring sake for an honored guest. The company’s nearly 350 year history spans sake booms and busts, battles and wars, imperial regime transitions and numerous technological and social shifts. Through it all, Masuda Tokubee Shoten remains a stalwart: producing some of Japan’s finest, most elegant sake. Photo credit: urbansake.com

ABOUT

Kyoto is a fascinating place. As Japan’s imperial capital from 794 to 1868, Kyoto– literally, ‘capital city’– was the center of cultural progress and economic activity. The emperor and his vassals’ tastes drove trends and industry, from entertainment to fabrics to sake. During this period, named the Heian period for the old name of Kyoto, the government established official sake brewing departments, integrated sake into religious and social ritual (such as the shikisankon), and by 1425 over 340 breweries served Kyoto. There is even evidence that one large brewery, which produced the brand Yanagi (willow), paid the equivalent of 10% of the government’s total tax revenue. This time marks the height of Kyoto sake production, but the warring states period– which began in 1573– marks its gradual downturn. 

Because of its proximity to the capital, power struggles, fires and battles took place regularly in Kyoto. Just south of the city,  Fushimi– a convenient location for Edo-era travelers–  evolved into a sake district (one historic battle literally occurred in front of Masuda Tokubee Shoten’s doors!) But as the seat of power and population shifted to Tokyo, Kyoto sake fell into disrepute. Itami, Hyogo, had been hard at work developing new technologies (filtration, hard water, shochu fortification) and producing a dry style, which could be quickly shipped to Tokyo along the coast, soared in popularity. This is in contrast to Kyoto’s rich and sweet style. During this time the Imperial palace also had bureaucratic and family connections in Hyogo, which drove financial interest.

So after a long and difficult 3 centuries of battles and rigorous competition, Kyoto’s 342 breweries suddenly numbered less than 10. Masuda Tokubee Shoten survived the bottleneck, somehow… Quality, determination, grit… a prime location along the river. So when Kyoto breweries recovered in the early 20th century thanks to a concerted, coordinated effort to improve brewing technology, the number of breweries and their financial health soared. Innovations like glass bottles & bottle pasteurization, brewing hygiene, ginjo yeast, methods, and refrigeration, vaulted Kyoto into the position it enjoys today: #2 producer of sake in Japan. Masuda Tokubee Shoten even played a role, working with the Japanese government to devise the first legal nigori in the modern age, and being one of the first breweries to experiment with koshu (sake aging) in the post-war years.

• Brewery: Masuda Tokubee Shoten 
• Location: Fushimi, Kyoto
• Water: Fushimi water, drawn from an underground lake with characteristics optimal for sake brewing, is one of the 100 Famous Waters of Japan. It carries the name Gokosui: fragrant water of Fushimi.
• Rice: 100% organic Iwai rice, grown locally in Kyoto prefecture 
• Polishing: 80%
• Grade: Junmai 
• Yeast: 901
• SMV: +5 ( dry)
• Acidity: 1.6 (average)

FLAVOR NOTES

Not a showy sake on the nose, Iwai 80 has fairly low aromatic intensity but a lot of presence on the palate.  Tropical, Fall and earthy notes harmonize: banana custard, dried mango, Hachiya persimmon, sweet potato, nutmeg, rice powder, coconut sugar, vanilla. Hold the sake on your tongue for 10 full seconds and let it warm: there’s so much depth here, so much unctuous body and flavor intensity hidden beneath a simple exterior. I consider Iwai “expansive” in the way it starts ‘quiet’ and finishes ‘loud’ on the palate. The finish also carries a touch of bitterness, a touch of rice-powdery grip and texture, something I personally like– the alternative could feel “flat” or uninteresting in comparison. That bitterness is cleansing and refreshes the palate, the same way it does for beer.

HOW IS IT MADE, & WHY DOES IT TASTE THIS WAY?

This is the second time I’m writing about Tsuki no Katsura for my monthly club, which is no mistake: I go to great lengths to bring these bottles into Portland! The producer has been seeing more attention in the US recently, doing a collaboration dinner at Ototo in Los Angeles last Summer, indicating that they want to invest in their (currently very under the radar) American presence. On my end, I found out about Tsuki no Katsura from the book Japanese Wine and Sake, which describes their considerable (and unique) aging program. On my first trip to Japan in January 2020 (what a time to go to Asia!) we walked from the Fushimi train station to Tsuki no Katsura, which ended up being much further than I originally realized. We were greeted by the assistant brewer Guillaume Ozanne, who hurriedly and courteously helped us buy a few bottles to go (now I know, as one of the coldest months, January is the most rigorous month for brewing and he must have been very busy). We took the stretch and brought home a bottle of 10-year old Junmai Daiginjo, aged in ~10L ceramic bottles. On the long trek back to Kyoto city, I felt such pride in this special treasure. We squirreled it away until new years eve 2020, and with two friends in our covid pod, were completely blown away by the history and complexity in this golden liqueur. Since then, Tsuki no Katsura has been incredibly important to me.

Ok, none of this has anything to do with the sake itself, so let’s touch on that. First thing to know is that Tsuki no Katsura are masters of layering flavor. You can enjoy Iwai 80 on a purely social and visceral level, refilling a wine glass or ochoko with friends, or you can enjoy it quietly and thoughtfully, peeling back the layers. As a rice varietal, Iwai is unique: it’s one of those few varieties of rice that I think has a really distinct flavor and character, always showing tropical fruit, spice, and richness. It’s old (1930s), local to Kyoto, and very difficult to work with. The stalks  are tall (1.2-1.4m) and the grains absorb water very quickly. This means it takes skill to farm, and skill to brew. It’s also rare, and therefore very expensive. Side by side with Hyogo’s Toku A (Special A zone) Yamadanishiki, it’s the most expensive sake rice in Japan. Iwai actually dropped out of production for decades due to the expense and low yields, but in the last 2-3 decades researchers in Kyoto revisited it. They were committed to developing a regional rice variety and it made sense to start with Iwai, which had a long history in Kyoto already and a delicious flavor when brewed. Through selective breeding, they were able to reduce the stalk height to an average of 1.1m, which makes a huge difference in lodging resistance: falling over. The trouble with tall stalks is that they are susceptible to lodging in wind and storms, and once the rice falls it’s hard to harvest, the grains can get wet and mold, or even re-sprout. So even this minor improvement, perhaps an average of 15cm of height,  was enough to make Iwai a viable (if expensive) local variety.

As a historic Kyoto brewery committed to innovation, Masuda Tokubee Shoten was one of the first to experiment with Iwai in the modern age. They produce two sake with Iwai: Iwai 80, the 80% polish Junmai included in the club, and Heian-Kyo, a 50% polish Junmai Daiginjo named for old Kyoto. Both share the same tropical personality, but Iwai 80 retains much more of the rice’s authentic character. It’s a clear distillation (not literally!) of Iwai’s dynamic, rustic beauty. While not a ginjo in the sense of polishing percentage (80% versus the minimum 60% required for ginjo) It’s brewed in ginjo style, which means cold temperatures, low and slow fermentation, and a higher resulting level of aromatics. You may agree that it actually reads more light and “elegant” than the 60% polish kimoto from Tsuchida in this month’s club pack.

STORAGE

Store the unopened bottle in a cool place, ideally below ~65F and consume within 3-4 months. As a subtle, layered sake, Tsuki no Katsura tends to lose its character more quickly than others, and should be drunk within 2-3 weeks of opening.

HOW TO ENJOY

Try it first chilled, then let it warm up in the glass to room temperature. A gentle heating (115F) is also really lovely, and brings the sake into a more savory, unctuous place. A hard heat, stirring frequently (150F) brings it well into hot toddy territory.

TSUCHIDA JUNMAI KIMOTO

The owner, toji and his team sharing their lineup of craft sake at various temperatures, with an adorable, clearly hand-knitted pot koozie keeping the sake heater nice and warm.  Image source: unknown! please reach out if you took it!

ABOUT

I debated back and forth about this second sake, because a lot of other really exciting things came into the shop, and more than most I think it needs a little bit of food to really show its stuff. But it carries so many of November’s most beloved flavors (persimmon, vanilla, cream, cranberry), it’s really exceptional warmed to 105-125, and it pairs *so well* with the foods of this season, that typically include a little splash of sweetness: dried cranberry in salad, roasted butternut squash in soup, agrodolce on roasted meats, cranberry on turkey….you get the idea.
But also, like Iwai, Tsuchida is special to me. Besides being the only bottles in the whole of Oregon (special ordered, naturally), imported by a sake and wine dual specialist like myself (Eduardo Dingler, former beverage director of Morimoto Napa) Tsuchida is a producer whose philosophy and location mirrors Portland’s own. Being located in a gorgeous, mountainous Northern area with extensive forests and a fern-laden understory, Kawaba town looks just like Government Camp. Their team is deeply committed to sustainability, using only locally grown organic rice, as well as the restoration of traditional brewing methods. They exclusively brew with kimoto and bodaimoto methods, add no alcohol or other additives, and source only local organic rice. The connection goes deeper, too: Yoshi of Den Sake Brewery in Oakland visited Tsuchida for a 1-week brewing residency last year. During his stay he learned more about kimoto method, low-polish rice, native yeast and the use of white koji in fermentation starters. He employed these new skills immediately in his next brewing cycle. And because the American brewing scene is so small, even this minor visit is likely to have a lasting impact on American brewing at large.
As a founding member of the new sake Geographic Indication (GI) Gunma Tone-Numata (est 2021), Tsuchida played an integral role in deciding the future of Gunma local sake. The GI permits only local rice, local yeast, local water and sake of particular style. This style is described as follows: “transparent, pale gold color, and an aroma that contains the note of freshly made rice cakes, fruit, almond jelly, green grass, and fresh greenery. The flavors are characterized by a refreshing acidity, a bitterness that brings richness, a mellow umami and sweetness derived from rice, and a clear impression.” When Master of Wine Sarah Abbot called Gunma sake “a sleeping giant,” I really felt that was an accurate description. Particularly with the introduction of the GI, Gunma is becoming impossible to ignore. The Gunma brewing community is small but incredibly passionate and aligned, producing exceptional sake with international reach.

• Brewery: Tsuchida Shuzo
• Location: Kawaba Village, Tone-Numata, Gunma, Japan
• Water: semi-hard brewery well water.
• Rice: Local, organically grown Gunma table rice (Koshihikari, Yukihotaka)
• Polishing: 60%
• Grade: Junmai 
• Starter method: Kimoto
• Yeast: #901
• SMV: -2.7
• Water: semi-hard well water

FLAVOR NOTES

Tsuchida’s flavor and body are highly dependent on temperature, so if you taste it first out of the fridge, be sure to revisit at room temperature and warm. My personal favorite is warm to ~110 (give or take) which makes the gentle sweetness more “integrated”: that is, it tastes like the slow-release sweetness of a fruit, rather than an immediately perceptible dusting of sugar on top. I find lots of creamy and dairy notes: mascarpone, cultured butter, nutmeg, rice pudding, cream of wheat, as well as foils of fruity sweetness: persimmon, banana confit, loquat, cherry yogurt, and cranberry jelly. Warm, you taste more of the acidity (which is considerable) so that mascarpone, tart yogurt character comes to the fore. 

STORAGE

Store the unopened bottle in a cool (70 or lower), dark place with relatively consistent temps and enjoy within 2-3 years. If you’re going to keep it around a while and it might be exposed to light, wrap it in newspaper for extra protection. This is a durable sake that ages quite well. You could easily take it past 2-3 years, but if you want the full experience as designed and intended by the brewery, save the lengthy aging for your second bottle.  

Once opened, keep the unfinished bottle in the fridge where it will last for months.

HOW TO ENJOY

Great room temp, good chilled, best warm. Like Iwai, it can be enjoyed quietly and thoughtfully with a little snack of dried fruit and nuts, or with a group and a seasonal feast. The importer swears by a classic New York pepperoni slice, as well as hummus and pita. I had the opportunity to try the hummus suggestion and it was an absolute slam dunk, especially with lemon-olive oil drizzle & Tsuchida at room temperature. For something more elegant, a Tokyo-based sommelier paired it with seared duck w/ balsamic plum compote & brown butter, as well as a seared scallop with sweet roasted tomato, sage, butter & lemon. What’s common to these dishes is the inclusion of natural sweetness (plums, tomatoes, balsamic), a softening dairy foil (butter, but I’m sure Miyoko’s would work too), and plenty of acidity (lemon, balsamic). Of course, these are also the backbones of holiday feasts: it kinda goes without saying that Tsuchida would be in great company at a Thanksgiving, Harvest or Christmas dinner. The light sweetness might be off-putting to some, but encourage them to pair thoughtfully instead of drinking in a passive way. Its unique flavor balance will reward those who bite and sip while considering the interaction of flavors. Because of its flavor intensity and linear acidity, Tsuchida Kimoto behaves a bit like white burgundy (this observation came from Eduardo Dingler) and its pairing interactions and versatility reflect that similarity.