We recently were contacted by an importer saying that they just picked up a new list of Sake that they will be importing and wanted to taste us on the lineup. Everything we tried was very impressive and reasonably priced, and we will feature them all in the coming weeks. We are kicking it off today with one of the smallest sake productions in Japan, Lagoon Brewery. These Sakes fully embody the Craft Scene, making limited runs of Sake and never making the same bottle twice, just like a new vintage of wine. The size of the production influences the decision to have a rotating variety of numbered Sakes, but also are able to do something that larger breweries just can't do, and that is always offering something new to their followers, and this is the first time these Sake's have been available in the USA.
The brewery is newly constructed on the waterfront of the Fukushima Lagoon in Niigata prefecture, one of Japan's 100 natural wonders. This is one of the newest breweries in Japan because the government was not offering any new brewery licensing until recently. To make a new Sake company, you would have to purchase an existing one to obtain their licensing, making it a very costly endeavor and hurting the sustainability of the industry where nothing new is being made by a passionate next generation. However, after years of appealing, regulations eased, and they were granted a license to make Sake, but it came with terms and conditions, and their production had to focus on export only. We are happy to support this new operation, and after tasting two of their very limited Sake's, you could sense the passion and attention to detail that caught our attention. These are two of our favorite Sake's we have tried this year in any price range, and we are happy to have the first offer ever of Lagoon Brewery in the USA, and we will be one of the only shops to get an allocation of these Sakes.
Made with organic Kame-no-o Rice, which is a variety that was discovered after a massive snowstorm many years ago that destroyed nearly a whole rice harvest. When the farmers went to see what remained, they found a hearty variety that they had never seen before, which survived the harsh conditions, and when the Rice was taken to the seed bank, it was discovered that it was a completely new variety that had not been discovered, which they named Kame-no-o, the place where it as found. Polish here is 70% and shows freshly picked melon, green banana, and fennel, and a briney savoriness. It is very light and energetic, and while this does show a bit more earthiness, it is still very vibrant and refreshing. The finish here is spectacular, and the Kame-no-o provides one of the most impressive finales on a Sake we have ever tried, with a lingering dry extract feel with a beautiful dynamic between the fruit and savoriness that keeps on going just like a fine wine. Beautiful and so refined, only 458 bottles were produced, and only 120 were imported into the USA.
Lagoon Brewery Sho-ku Junmai #R305 (Blue Label)
Lagoon Brewery Sho-ku Junmai #R305 (Blue Label)
$79.99
$79.99
We recently were contacted by an importer saying that they just picked up a new list of Sake that they will be importing and wanted to taste us on the lineup. Everything we tried was very impressive and reasonably priced, and we will feature them all in the coming weeks. We are kicking it off today with one of the smallest sake productions in Japan, Lagoon Brewery. These Sakes fully embody the Craft Scene, making limited runs of Sake and never making the same bottle twice, just like a new vintage of wine. The size of the production influences the decision to have a rotating variety of numbered Sakes, but also are able to do something that larger breweries just can't do, and that is always offering something new to their followers, and this is the first time these Sake's have been available in the USA.
The brewery is newly constructed on the waterfront of the Fukushima Lagoon in Niigata prefecture, one of Japan's 100 natural wonders. This is one of the newest breweries in Japan because the government was not offering any new brewery licensing until recently. To make a new Sake company, you would have to purchase an existing one to obtain their licensing, making it a very costly endeavor and hurting the sustainability of the industry where nothing new is being made by a passionate next generation. However, after years of appealing, regulations eased, and they were granted a license to make Sake, but it came with terms and conditions, and their production had to focus on export only. We are happy to support this new operation, and after tasting two of their very limited Sake's, you could sense the passion and attention to detail that caught our attention. These are two of our favorite Sake's we have tried this year in any price range, and we are happy to have the first offer ever of Lagoon Brewery in the USA, and we will be one of the only shops to get an allocation of these Sakes.
Made with organic Kame-no-o Rice, which is a variety that was discovered after a massive snowstorm many years ago that destroyed nearly a whole rice harvest. When the farmers went to see what remained, they found a hearty variety that they had never seen before, which survived the harsh conditions, and when the Rice was taken to the seed bank, it was discovered that it was a completely new variety that had not been discovered, which they named Kame-no-o, the place where it as found. Polish here is 70% and shows freshly picked melon, green banana, and fennel, and a briney savoriness. It is very light and energetic, and while this does show a bit more earthiness, it is still very vibrant and refreshing. The finish here is spectacular, and the Kame-no-o provides one of the most impressive finales on a Sake we have ever tried, with a lingering dry extract feel with a beautiful dynamic between the fruit and savoriness that keeps on going just like a fine wine. Beautiful and so refined, only 458 bottles were produced, and only 120 were imported into the USA.
