Sake Experience 2013
The Eat-Japan Sake Experience, Europe’s biggest public tasting event for sake, where you can try, learn, buy, and vote as you enjoy Japan’s most traditional tipple, returned once again for HYPER JAPAN 2013. This year's event featured 11 breweries, who brought with them 27 different sakes and fruit based liqueurs.
Click here for the full line-up.
We’re delighted to announce that 800 visitors participated in this event, voting for their favourite sakes in four different categories. The results were as follows.
People's Favourite
Your overall favourite sake.
Premium Sparkling Sake Suzune Wabi
Type of Sake: Sparkling
Rice Variety: Toyonishiki, Shunyo
Rice Polish Ratio / ABV: 65% / 5%
Best Served: Chilled
Silky-smooth bubbles characteristic of second bottle fermentation combine with a fruity aroma to produce a balanced, lightly sweet and softly acidic sake. Serve chilled with seafood salad, California rolls, Carpaccio.
Perfect Sake for British Summer:
The sake you would most like to enjoy in the summertime.
Sho Chiku Bai Shirakabegura MIO Sparkling Sake
Type of Sake: Sparkling (Junmai)
Rice Variety: Gohyakumangoku
Rice Polish Ratio / ABV: 60% / 5%
Best Served: Chilled
This gently-carbonated, low-alcohol sake has the natural sweetness and fruitiness of rice, ideal for beginners, or as an accompaniment to a light sweet course, such as fruit desserts or sorbets.
Best Match with British Food
The sake you would most like to pair with British cuisine
Nanbu Bijin Tokubetsu Junmai
Type of Sake: Tokubetsu Junmai
Rice Variety: Ginotome
Rice Polish Ratio / ABV: 55% / 15-16%
Best Served: Chilled, Warm
A strong nose of dried strawberry, condensed rice sweetness with ripened melon hints and a clean, robust finish matches this Tokubetsu Junmai superbly with warm teriyaki dishes or chilled appetisers.
Best Handcrafted Sake
The most interesting handcrafted sake.
Matsuemon Shuppinshu
Type of Sake: Daiginjo
Rice Variety: Yamadanishiki
Rice Polish Ratio / ABV: 40% / 17%
Best Served: Chilled
Specially brewed for competition. Creamy chocolate-vanilla on the nose melts into a firm and complex palate that is subtly sweet. Try with miso-based dishes, Cheddar or blue cheese, grilled fish.