Sugidama Sake Podcast

Yay, it's been two years and three seasons of Sugidama Podcast! And this is the last episode of Season 3, where I share some observations from the IWC Sake judging this year and the Award Winning Sake Tasting at the Embassy of Japan followed after.
During that tasting event, I took comments from my fellow judges, sake breweries and even from the Ambassador of Japan to the United Kingdom, His Excellency Hayashi Hajime.
You will also hear Oliver Hilton-Johnson from Tengu Sake, who was in Episode 09, Marie Cheong-Thong, the Chairman of the British Sake Association, who was in Episode 32, Muneki Matsumoto, President and CEO of the Tosa Brewing Company, a maker of the famous Keigetsu sake, Tracey Delaney from The Sparkling Sake Brewery we talked with in Episode 28, and Robin Sola, the owner of the Sorakami Sake.
Don't forget, Sugidama Podcast now has a sponsor, London Sake, an excellent online sake store. London Sake has one of the widest selections of premium and craft sake available online today. They deliver across the UK and Europe, and with over 100 sake from 25 breweries, there really is something for everyone.
Using simple online tasting notes and sensible, affordable food pairings they help you find the perfect sake without any of the fuss. Listeners of the podcast can get a 10% discount Listen to the episode to get the magical code! London Sake: making sake simple.
Episode's Content:

• What is IWC Sake and how judging is done
• How IWC this year is different from the last year judging amid the pandemic
• What is the IWC Award Winning Sake tasting
• IWC Award Winning Sake tasting in 2022
• Comments and observations from sake professionals and Ambassador Hayashi Hajime.
• Sake of the episode: Kamoizumi Junmai Daiginjo

Kampai!
Sake mentioned:
Kamoizumi Junmai Daiginjo
Kamoizumi Brewery
London Sake
International Wine Challenge (IWC)

Sugidama Podcast on Podchaser - please review if you don't use Apple Podcasts
Music used:
Wirklich Wichtig (CB 27) by Checkie Brown https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Checkie_Brown_1005/hey/Wirklich_Wichtig_CB_27

Just Arround the World (Kielokaz ID 362) by KieLoKaz
https://freemusicarchive.org/music/KieLoKaz/Free_Ganymed/Just_Arround_the_World_Kielokaz_ID_362

Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
Vocal: Svetlana

Soboshu, the sake brewed by monks played a very important role in the development of sake brewing techniques in medieval Japan. The monasteries possessed many key components necessary for successful sake-making: economic power, skilled labour force, scientific knowledge and strong political clout. However, it all was ended by Oda Nobunaga, who saw temples as a threat to his rule.
One of the very significant inventions was bodaimoto, a brewing technique developed by the monks of the Shoryaku-ji Temple on Mt. Bodai in Nara, which opened the way to brewing sake in commercial qualities. I was also talking about bodaimoto in Episode 2 of the podcast.
Don't forget, Sugidama Podcast now has a sponsor, London Sake, an excellent online sake store. London Sake has one of the widest selections of premium and craft sake available online today. They deliver across the UK and Europe, and with over 100 sake from 25 breweries, there really is something for everyone.
Using simple online tasting notes and sensible, affordable food pairings they help you find the perfect sake without any of the fuss. Listeners of the podcast can get a 10% discount Listen to the episode to get the magical code! London Sake: making sake simple.
Episode's Content:

• Sake innovations by monks
• How bodaimoto is made
• Kamakura period and Sake Prohibition
• Muromachi periods: the start of the commercialisation of sake brewing
• Sengoku Jidai: the end of soboshu
• End of the era and pre-Edo sake
• Sake of the episode: Gozenshu Junmai Bodaimoto Usu-nigori Namazake Misty Stream

Kampai!
Sake mentioned:
Gozenshu Junmai Bodaimoto Usu-nigori Namazake Misty Stream
Tsuji Honten
Tengu Sake
Sake Deep Drive Episode 2: Bodaimoto - Brewing at the Buddha's Foot
Sugidama Podcast on Podchaser - please review if you don't use Apple Podcasts
Music used:
Wirklich Wichtig (CB 27) by Checkie Brown https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Checkie_Brown_1005/hey/Wirklich_Wichtig_CB_27

Just Arround the World (Kielokaz ID 362) by KieLoKaz
https://freemusicarchive.org/music/KieLoKaz/Free_Ganymed/Just_Arround_the_World_Kielokaz_ID_362

Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
Vocal: Svetlana

After a break Sugidama Podcast is back with a short series talking about the emergence of sake brewing methods from ancient times to our days. In this episode, we are talking about the roots of sake from how people discovered alcohol in the first place to ancient sake brewing technics used up to 800 CE using the archaeological evidence and Japanese myths and legends.
Don't forget about our sponsor, London Sake, an excellent online sake store. London Sake has one of the widest selections of premium and craft sake available online today. They deliver across the UK and Europe, and with over 100 sake from 25 breweries, there really is something for everyone.
Using simple online tasting notes and sensible, affordable food pairings they help you find the perfect sake without any of the fuss. Listeners of the podcast can get a 10% discount Listen to the episode to get the magical code! London Sake: making sake simple.
Episode's Content:

• The emergence of alcohol
• Origin of Sake: theories and legends
• Kuchikamizake: an ancient sake brewing method
• Storm God Susanoo and Yamata no Orochi
• How ancient sake looked and tasted
• Sake of episode: Jidai Yamahai Junmai Ginjo

Kampai!
Sake mentioned:
Jidai Yamahai Junmai Ginjo
Hayashi Honten
Tengu Sake
Sugidama Blog: Kanzake Time! The joys of warm sake
Sugidama Blog: 5 great sake to drink warm

Sugidama Podcast on Podchaser - please review if you don't use Apple Podcasts
Music used:
Wirklich Wichtig (CB 27) by Checkie Brown https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Checkie_Brown_1005/hey/Wirklich_Wichtig_CB_27

Just Arround the World (Kielokaz ID 362) by KieLoKaz
https://freemusicarchive.org/music/KieLoKaz/Free_Ganymed/Just_Arround_the_World_Kielokaz_ID_362

Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
Vocal: Svetlana

The second episode in the short Sake Focus series is about nigori, which takes its origin from the ancient sacred drink called doburoku. Doburoku is the oldest method of sake brewing which survived more than a thousand years of history and is still around nowadays. Nigori is cloudy sake, where rice and yeast particles from fermentation left in the final product. Sometimes it’s called unfiltered sake, but it’s not correct. Listen to the episode to find out why.
Don't forget, Sugidama Podcast now has a sponsor, London Sake, an excellent online sake store. London Sake has one of the widest selections of premium and craft sake available online today. They deliver across the UK and Europe, and with over 100 sake from 25 breweries, there really is something for everyone.
Using simple online tasting notes and sensible, affordable food pairings they help you find the perfect sake without any of the fuss. Listeners of the podcast can get a 10% discount Listen to the episode to get the magical code! London Sake: making sake simple.
Episode's Content:

• What is nigori
• Doburoku: the origin of nigorizake
• The emergence of seishu
• Return of nigori
• Types of nigori
• Nigori: taste and food pairing
• Sake of the episode: Kamoizumi Summer Snow Ginjo

Kampai!
Sake mentioned:
Kamoizumi Summer Snow Ginjo
Kamoizumi Sake Brewery (no product information available)Sorakami
Sugidama Podcast on Podchaser - please review if you don't use Apple Podcasts
Music used:
Wirklich Wichtig (CB 27) by Checkie Brown https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Checkie_Brown_1005/hey/Wirklich_Wichtig_CB_27

Just Arround the World (Kielokaz ID 362) by KieLoKaz
https://freemusicarchive.org/music/KieLoKaz/Free_Ganymed/Just_Arround_the_World_Kielokaz_ID_362

Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
Vocal: Svetlana

The origin of sake is covered in mystery. In order to get some clarity, I have spoken to Natsuki Kikuya, who is a certified sake and wine professional, educator and sake sommelier. She’s been a sake judge at the prestigious IWC Sake Category since 2011. In 2013, she launched “Museum of Sake” website, which she calls an intangible museum providing sake education, promoting the craft sake across the UK and Europe, organising sake events and many other exciting things.
Coming from a family with sake connections, Natsuki knows a lot about sake: from ancient to the modern days, how sake has evolved during various periods of the Japanese history, how it tasted in the Edo period and when sake renaissance took place. Listen to the interview to find out about that and many other things.
Don't forget, Sugidama Podcast now has a sponsor, London Sake, an excellent online sake store. London Sake has one of the widest selections of premium and craft sake available online today. They deliver across the UK and Europe, and with over 100 sake from 25 breweries, there really is something for everyone.
Using simple online tasting notes and sensible, affordable food pairings they help you find the perfect sake without any of the fuss. Listeners of the podcast can get a 10% discount Listen to the episode to get the magical code! London Sake: making sake simple.
Episode's Content:

• Natsuki's sake story
• Birth of Sake
• Why rice and what is koji
• Sake milestones
• How sake tasted during the Edo period
• Emergence of breweries
• Sake and culture
• Sake Renaissance
• Sake tip
• Sake of the episode: TETOTE

Kampai!
Sake mentioned:
TETOTE
Tsuchida Sake Brewery
Pan-Techni'on Main Website
Museum of Sake

Music used:
Wirklich Wichtig (CB 27) by Checkie Brown https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Checkie_Brown_1005/hey/Wirklich_Wichtig_CB_27

Just Arround the World (Kielokaz ID 362) by KieLoKaz
https://freemusicarchive.org/music/KieLoKaz/Free_Ganymed/Just_Arround_the_World_Kielokaz_ID_362

Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
Vocal: Svetlana