Kaiun Nihonshu

Try it hot

I'll admit it. I'm not a fan of hot sake. I just like it cold and when I have it hot it reminds me of all the cheap and nasty sake that I've had over the years in cheap (and some not so cheap) sushi joints. Even in Japan. So when I have sake it's usually cold.

Well a funny thing happened to me (on the way to the sake bar :-) ) the other day. I was talking about the Kaiun sake to an American mate in Japan. Now this guy has an encyclopaedic knowledge of sake, a man I respect greatly in this space. I was talking to him about the Kaiun sake, how I didn't really like the taste of it and how I may not import any more. He said to me he couldn't understand that as Kaiun is a great sake and how it was better than many others. I noted that, yes, it is a little more expensive than the others, usually a sign of quality although not always. I told him that I didn't like it though. He said "have you tried it warm?" I said no. He said to try it.

So back in Australia, after a long days work at Tsunami Restaurant (Mosman Park) (the restaurant where we work) we cracked open a bottle of Kauin and heated the sake and drank it. 

Would you believe, it's like a different sake. And I'd have to say that it's one of the better sakes that I've drank. The best hot one anyway, although that's not saying much as I don't drink a lot of hot sake.

So, the moral of the story is this ... if you are thinking to buy sake in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Darwin, Hobert, Brisbane, Canberra ... in fact anywhere in Australia, buy a bottle of Kaiun and try it hot. You'll be pleasantly surprised. 

Of course if it's cold outside that would be better.

Kampai and happy drinking!