Fly Me to the Moon

Click on the image for a larger view of the ViniCode™.

We are trying something that we have never tried before. We decided to use the ViniCode™ on a sake. As with wine, using this system forced us to slow down and experience all of the layers that this beverage had to offer. Again, as with wine, the sake proved up to the challenge. But first, a little bit of information about this particular sake. Tokubetsu Junmai refers to the style of sake. This "Special Harvest" premium sake has had no alcohol added so it maintains a purity of flavor and delicacy that lesser sakes can't match. The Brewmaster says that it has a "touch of feminine grace" and this is especially apt because the Brewmaster is a woman - quite a rare thing in the world of sake.

Now let's take a look at the ViniCode. This bottle had a great balance of sweetness. You can detect the sugar, but gracefully so. Obviously it was very round and smooth. For quite some time, oak barrels have not been used in order to create the clean taste that comes from enamel coated steel tanks. But even though there was not a trace of "wood", there was a delicious yeastiness, very slight, but reminiscent of Champagne. As for fruit, it was like a flower garden in your mouth, all honeysuckle and violets. There was very little of what you would call earthiness (we put the yeastiness here). But my experience with sakes is quite limited and that may not be a characteristic that it possesses. Finally, the alcohol content is sake is quite high, 16-17%. So it has mouth filling body and weight that you might not, at first, assume. Overall this sake was as romantic as its name suggests, and a pleasure to enjoy.

For more information on this or a variety of other sakes, go to www.sakestory.com.