bmwracer wrote:

I thought I saw a smaller bottle (~500ml) at the sushi restaurant I was at last week... Time to do some 'net searching.

Oh I see...man, if you're talking about your meal at Sushi-ya...80 bucks for a 500ml would be truly expensive...puts the 160 dollar price for a 720ml at the restaurant I went to in perspective.

Since krim mentioned a sake with gold flakes...here's a lil' blurb I found on the subject, an education for me.

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[Kinpaku-iri,Gold Flake Sake]

Occasionally, people receive as a gift a bottle of sake with gold flakes inside, floating inside the bottle like a golden snowstorm. What, they ask, is this all about? Does this make the sake better? Does it make it worse? What is the meaning and/or significance?

Sake with gold flakes added is called Kinpaku-iri.The additions of these gold flakes to a bottle of sake does not make the sake any better. However, as gold will not chemically react with the sake, it does not adversely affect the product either. In short, the gold is added simply to make the product more of luxury item, to add a sense of extravagance. This is not a wide practice, and in fact is somewhat rare. But the sake used for this exorbitant practice is not usually top-grade sake, as the gold would steal all the attention from the sake.

Found it.

Quote:

Kamotsuru Tokusei Gold Junmai Dai Ginjyo 160ml bottle. Kamotsuru is an extremely well balanced Sake, harmonizing the fruity, dry, full and crisp aspects of the flavor spectrum. Very fragrant and velvety smooth as it glides on the palate. Kamotsuru is a Sake which you will not tire from. The unique bottle and tiny gold flakes makes this an impressive Sake to use for special occasions or to give as gifts.

krim wrote:

Found it. Quote: Kamotsuru Tokusei Gold Junmai Dai Ginjyo 160ml bottle. Kamotsuru is an extremely well balanced Sake, harmonizing the fruity, dry, full and crisp aspects of the flavor spectrum. Very fragrant and velvety smooth as it glides on the palate. Kamotsuru is a Sake which you will not tire from. The unique bottle and tiny gold flakes makes this an impressive Sake to use for special occasions or to give as gifts.

Good work, man. I'll have 2 keep it in mind for future reference.

If anybody in the UK wants to try some genuine Japanese beer, the Wetherspoons pub chain currently has a beer festival, and one of their beers has been especially brewed by a Japanese brewer here in the UK. Ishii Toshi from the Yo-Ho brewery has brewed his Yona Yona beer at the Banks's brewery, and very good it is too, in fact I'm drinking a pint of it now in the pub as I type this. It's in the style of a US pale ale, very bitter, rather sweet, and ten times better than most lagers you can get.

The brave can also try the Anker Gouden Carolus Ambrio from Belgium, which is 8.0%ABV, at the festival. It's much better on tap than the bottled version, you really taste the hops, although you wouldn't want to drink it all night.

Hanzo21 wrote:

Want to drink the whole pyramid

Cerebus wrote:

The brave can also try the Anker Gouden Carolus Ambrio from Belgium, which is 8.0%ABV, at the festival. It's much better on tap than the bottled version, you really taste the hops, although you wouldn't want to drink it all night.

I know what you mean - on the other hand it's a cheap night out - one glass and I am drunk for the rest of the night.

The strongest beer I ever had was a Kasteels at 16% (not sure if it's still produced) - it was very sweet and tasted almost like wine. Needless to say that I was slightly tipsy (or plain drunk if you like) after my first glass.

i just got the new Think Geek catalog and they have hand powered espresso pump thingy... look very interesting. But i can get an espresso machine at the costco outlet for like $30.

Get glassy-eyed with Japanese fish beer

Japanese Fish BeerJust in case you're easily hooked on unusual Japanese products, or you're on a quest to test all of the world's unusual brews, you may want to plan a special trip to Konan City in Japan's Kochi Prefecture where one of the local micro breweries created Tosa Kuroshio Karyudo Beer to celebrate 10 years in business.
Tosa Kuroshio Karyudo is a low malt concoction brewed with rice flour and hops in an 8 to 2 ratio. Nothing so unusual there. What makes it unique is that it also contains dashi, the fish (bonito) stock that's critically important to making Japanese soups like miso shiru. No, I haven't had it―but I'm willing to bet it's a good accompaniment to sushi or sashimi.

If you can't make the trip to Shikoku, but do live in Japan, you can apparently order Tosa Kuroshio over the phone. The brewer, Tosa Kuroshio Bakshu, (tel. 0887-55-4111) is selling six-pack gift sets containing two bottles of Tosa Kuroshio Karyudo and four bottles of the company's other beers―for a mere 2,937 yen (about $30).

Back by popular request for EstherM and Eve

gaijinmark wrote:

Back by popular request for EstherM and Eve

Yatta

EstherM wrote:

Yatta

4 or 5 quarts might make you a little dizzy. Plus, you can always use it as paint remover or engine degreaser.

gaijinmark wrote:

4 or 5 quarts might make you a little dizzy. Plus, you can always use it as paint remover or engine degreaser.

LOL, judging from the color, I was thinking antifreeze.

looks like Hypnotic... what's in it

So I was at Mitsuwa today in Edgewater, NJ and it was my first time going... I picked up some Asahi because it was on sale.. but I was checking out the Sake.. I don't know too much about Asian wine but which one is a good starter? I've got about 3 bottles of wine left in my storage.

Anyways it was well worth the drive and the slow traffic back home!

SubaruWRX wrote:

So I was at Mitsuwa today in Edgewater, NJ and it was my first time going... I picked up some Asahi because it was on sale.. but I was checking out the Sake.. I don't know too much about Asian wine but which one is a good starter? I've got about 3 bottles of wine left in my storage. Anyways it was well worth the drive and the slow traffic back home!

hakutsuru seems a popular brand and is also available here in england.

thanks, I will have to see if I can find it

I haven't had any beer for months...

So tonight I'm enjoying my all time favorite (since I became legal in '73)...

A big bottle of Miller High Life....Wonderful...


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did not see any hakutsuru so I picked up a small 300ml bottle of plum sake I bet it's going to be sweet as heck.

So, about a month ago Mitsuwa had their annual Okinawa Festival. I picked up this Okinawa travel brochure and it had a little paragraph about "awamori" which is the type of sake they make in Okinawa. Today I got some just to check it out. To say it's potent is a bit of an understatement. This from Wiki: (check out the last sentence)

Awamori (泡盛) is an alcoholic beverage indigenous to and unique to Okinawa, Japan. It is made from rice, and is not a direct product of brewing (like sake) but of distillation (like shōchū).

Awamori is typically 60 proof(30% alcohol), although "export" brands (including brands shipped to mainland Japan) are increasingly 50 proof (25% alcohol). Awamori is aged to improve its flavor and mellowness. Some brands of awamori (notably hanazake) are 120 proof (60%) and will catch fire.