The new school year is just around the corner. This is the season when we have more opportunities to see the fresh faces of new students and employees.
Mitachi, who is in charge of this, first worked for an airline. In his first year there, he spent his days running around the airport, and he remembers how he had strengthened his legs and back.
I was next assigned to a training center for flight attendants, where I was busy every day practicing how to escape from the plane and how to grill meat.
We also learned a lot about wine in order to serve it on board.
What I realized through this was the importance of having your own "axis" or "reference point."
Taste and aroma are somewhat elusive and surprisingly difficult to remember.
Furthermore, simply reading textbooks and accumulating knowledge will not give you the ability to judge what type of wine is available.
However, after drinking several different wines, you will remember only one wine clearly.
And once you're able to use that as a "axis" to compare new wines with, your perspective in the world of wine will suddenly broaden.
In my case, I use major négociants such as Pouilly Fuisse and Gevrey Chambertin as a reference point for comparison, and then I gradually begin to see where other Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs stand.
Eventually, you will be able to express what you like and begin to see the flavor characteristics of different wines and the appropriateness of their prices.
In fact, the world of aged sake is exactly the same.
I think the quickest way to fully enjoy a drink is to taste the core liquor and make it a memory.
This time, we will introduce some alcoholic beverages that can serve as a base or reference point.
There are two main trends when it comes to aged sake that can be enjoyed with meals.
One is to mature at a relatively low temperature (below 10 degrees) to give it complexity. Even if it has a rich umami flavor, it is not sweet.
One representative example is Tenju Daikoshu, a ginjo sake that has been stored at low temperatures for over three years, and this one was brewed in 2018.
Aged Daiginjo Tenju 3 years or more (brewed in 2018)
◇ Aged Daiginjo Tenju 3 years or more (brewed in 2018)
Price: 720ml 5,800 yen (tax included)
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The other type is designed to have a ripe taste from the beginning, and is aged at room temperature (usually around 15 degrees) to produce a caramel-like aged aroma and flavor.
The sake that could become the benchmark for this trend is Daruma Masamune 3 Year. It is a blend of multiple unprocessed sakes that have been aged at room temperature for over three years, resulting in a wonderful balance.
Daruma Masamune aged for 3 years
◇ Daruma Masamune aged for 3 years
Price: 720ml 2,350 yen (tax included)
If you feel like creating your own "axis" or "reference point," then please give it a try.