Tamagawa Junmai Ginjo Namazake "Ice Breaker"
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An unusually bold, earthy, complex namazake which is aged at room temperature for a year and a half before its eventual release in Summer. Ice breaker is so named for its ability to be served over ice: the rich, concentrated flavors withstand the addition of ice, but like all of toji Philip Harper's sake, it is also delicious served warm. On the nose, Ice Breaker is earthy, with raw macadamia nuts and sunflower seeds leading the way-- fresh coriander and grassy notes lending freshness.
Tamagawa’s house style is very unique, and might be best characterized
by their committment to ambient temperature sake aging even whenÂ
the sake is nama (unpasteurized) as it is here. Tamagawa’s style isÂ
full bodied, robust, often genshu (undiluted) and always with a veryÂ
umami-forward, concentrated, somewhat briney character. It follows thatÂ
their interpretation of natsuzake is true to this house style, embracingÂ
the tradition of enjoying whisky on the rocks! Ice Breaker encouragesÂ
you to drink it iced, so that the heady concentration can dilute andÂ
evolve over the course of the drink. (I like a squeeze of lemon, too!)
Handling:
- Storage temp: fridge or wine cellar temps (n light), up to 6 months, more if you don’t mind it changing/evolving
- Service temp: on ice to gently warmed
- Serving vessel: tumbler with ice, sakazuki to enhance umami and texture, wine glass to enhance aroma.
The name Tamagawa (jewel river) comes from the fact that right next to the storehouse is the Kawakamidani River, a clear stream lined with pebbles that shimmer like jewels. In this foggy, gloomy region once famous for its migrant toji, who traveled the long way to Kyoto city, Osaka and Kobe to earn money in the snowy winter months, Kinoshita Shuzo, makers of Tamagawa, have earned a reputation for durable sake that rewards aging-- “the last glass from a bottle of Tamagawa is always better than the first”-- and their robust kuratsuki (wild) yeast, which can reach >23% ABV before petering out! The Toji, Philip Harper, is best known for his British origin but he would prefer to be known for his philosophy as toji. In an interview he said, “while the quality of the grapes is said to determine 80% of a wine, for sake, the quality of the rice used only determines the outcome by 20% at most. Truly complex processes are required, and microbes must transform the rice into something completely different [koji] before fermentation can even begin. To that end, 'calm' is an essential quality for staff, and in no way am I speaking in an abstract sense. Without fail, the sake produced by a brewery with strained interpersonal relations will not taste good."
Very versatile due to the higher umami content and the gentle aging, which makes it both savory and fruity. It pairs beautifully with fully savory dishes (mushroom risotto, roasted chicken) as well as sweet-savory, which highlights its sweetness. For example, it was fantastic on a whole grain toast with ricotta and persimmon. If you’ve never had Gjusta’s persimmon burrata olive oil toasts…that might be one to seek out and have with it! Also think Fall salads (dried cranberries, nuts, whole grains, bitter veg) and bitter greens (roasted kale, broccolini, radicchio) dressed with balsamic or a soft vinaigrette, which the sake will serve to temper– removing bitterness and letting the umami and sweetness of the vegetable shine through.
Or if you think “umami and fermentation,” it’s hard to miss on Tamagawa pairings in general. This is my ace in the hole for smoked sprats, pickled herring, dried fish and charcuterie, aged cheeses, deviled eggs and smorrebrod, & pickles of all kinds.
One particularly memorable pairing involved molasses bread, fresh cheese, apricot jam,
olive oil and salt. Another: fresh made, lacto-fermented sunflower seed cheese!